Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Coddling Young Sociopaths

Back in 1993 a crime of unspeakable cruelty took place in Liverpool, England. A two-year old by the name of James Bulger was found murdered near some railroad tracks. The toddler had been beaten with stones, bricks and an iron bar. Before leaving the scene, his attackers had thrown paint in his face and laid him on the tracks in the hopes that he would get run over by an oncoming train. As shocking as the crime itself was the fact that the two murderers, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, were 10-year old boys.

As Venables and Thompson were tried and sent to prison, their identities were protected from an angry public. Eventually their names and mug shots were leaked, and the predictable social worker hand-wringing followed. To some people, the most important function of prison, especially for young offenders, is rehabilitation...not punishment. During a sentencing appeal, a judge reduced the sentence for these two sociopaths, claiming that prison is a poisonous atmosphere for young offenders. Venables and Thompson were released from prison in 2001, having served about nine years for their sickening crime. The British Government has taken measures to protect the killers and their families, moving them out of the area, giving them new names and identities and preventing the world's media from releasing their age-progressed pictures.

I am reminded of this awful story after reading accounts of another stomach-turning crime recently committed by a couple of teenagers in Northern California. Two 15 year-old girls were arrested for setting fire to a two-month old kitten named Adam. Second and third degree burns were left on 75% of Adam's body, and he is currently fighting for his life. Needless to say, the identities of the two perpetrators are being protected and they are likely to be coddled for a short time in a juvenile detention center or mental institution.

These incidents are just two examples of the sadistic violence some "minors" are capable of committing. While reasonable people are outraged at these senseless acts of torture, an alarming number of social workers, media members, judges and trial lawyers do their best to soften or even eliminate punishment for minors who perpetrate such cruelty.

I cannot understand why some people refuse to recognize evil when they see it. Contrary to popular academic belief, children grasp the difference between right and wrong very early on, some just choose to be malicious. Then, when sociopaths attack the defenseless, the academics come to the aid of the sociopaths. The same people who will argue that underwear placed on the head of a terrorist constitutes torture will do everything in their power to prevent the proper punishment of actual torture. Sympathy for human garbage like Venables, Thompson and these two teenaged brats is pointless. If, at an early age, someone is capable of beating a toddler to death or lighting a kitten on fire, that someone is not worthy of rehabilitation. One can only hope that these girls get their own taste of the suffering they administered to that poor cat. And, more importantly, let's hope that the little fella pulls through and finds a loving home. The world would be a safer and better place if we stopped wasting time searching for good in evil people.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That is the most vindictive account i have read in my life. I would agree that people with anti-social personality disorder do terrible things, however. Their incapacity to regard right and wrong means that we can't just say that they are produts of the 'devil'. Furthermore, who are you to go aginst the academics with years of studies and research. As much as I was shocked by the Buldger case, it is imperative that we attempt to RE-HABILITATE them, they are young. The primary of charging these young offenders is so that they can be identified s problem individuals and receive help. It is not to dole oput meaningless punishment, which to someone with anti-social personality disorder, wouldn't even serve as deterrent. Appeasing a bloodthristy public does not serve any end.

dan said...

anti social personality disorder? BOO HOO......im depressed....BOO HOO.....im trying to come off the drugs....BOO HOO!! i am sick of all these "disorders" whats that?...split personality? diminished responsibility?... FUCK OFF!! does no-one take account for their own actions anymore? YOU are the one with a "disorder" here DRACONEUS

Oluremi said...

After Cain killed Abel, he was a marked man. However, anyone who killed him was going to inherit his punishment seven-fold. Two wrongs don't equal a right. Only God sees everything and knows every motive and innermost thoughts. Let Him be the judge! Peace!


Genesis 4:13-15

13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Unknown said...

@Draconeus et al.

It has been shown that psycho/sociopaths (psychos) cannot be rehabilitated even at a very young age (do a bit of research and you will come to the same conclusion).

The problem is two fold: lack of conscience as we understand it and an impaired faculty for reasoned judgment.

It is not a choice of right and wrong for the psycho, because they do not care. In fact they cannot conceptualize the choice, because within, there is no faculty for conscience or empathy.

For the psycho, life comes down to mere everyday survival and a choice between various risks and rewards.

The reward can come from the thrill of malicious behavior or the thrill of unscrupulous business dealings etcetera. If the thrill outweighs the perceived risk, then the behavior becomes manifest.

Our attempts at rehabilitation are merely vain prayers that we can instill a bit of human conscience and proper judgment into these empty shells.

In the end, for a psycho, all behavior is merely a cost vs. benefit analysis. If the thrill of harming is greater than the judged risk, then the psycho will kill and harm.

Psychopaths are not in essence human beings. They are merely biological engines of chaos unrestricted by the backstop of conscience.

There is no person in there only calculations of cruelty. The tears you see are merely a means of self defense.

Ten years old is too late for the psycho. Intervention is required as soon symptomatic behavior is seen, and this is typically around ages 5-7.

After age 10, the best course of action is to euthanize the psychopath. We know this, but refuse to accept it.

After a certain point, the causes of malicious behavior no longer matter. All that matters is protecting the greater public and the psychopath themselves.

No you can't execute criminals. That would be wrong. But, a great many now believe that is very humane to euthanize the most gravely ill and incapacitated. Pyschopaths are that gravely ill.

Venables and Thompson should have been euthanized. They could have been euthanized at a cost of only a few hundred. Instead the British government has spent nearly 3 million on their rehabilitation and life in hiding.

So, if you become aware of the identity of either Venables or Thompson. Euthanize them.