Why make excuses for this cold blooded killer?

[wovenwonder]

from msnbc.com -
Was Gulf War syndrome a factor?

Sniper suspect may have been exposed to chemical weapons

By David Wood
NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 — The alleged Washington sniper, John Allen Muhammad, may have been exposed to chemical weapons that have been linked to Gulf War Syndrome, an illness which experts said can result in unexplained bouts of intense violence.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/825737.asp

 

[Blondie]

Oh Puhleeze! Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[newmousecateer]

Yeah right! These guys are just cold blooded killers.

And what is the excuse they're going to make up the the 17 year old? He wasn't in the service.

 

[becka]

If this was not such a serious subject most of that article would be laughable.

“There is no doubt that a small but significant number of Gulf War veterans become homicidal” because of Gulf War Syndrome,

I have not heard of significant numbers of Gulf War veterans becoming murderers and killing random people on the street.

He said in such cases “there was always a bizarre strangeness about the violence in that it seemed to come out of nowhere, there were no personal problems or longstanding history” to explain it. The violence, he said, “appears to just come out of thin air.”

Hello? His violence was not "out of thin air". This man has had restraining orders against him by his ex-wives, etc. From what I have read of his past he could be violent and he certainly sounds like he has some personal problems.

“This kind of bizarre story, where he is on the one hand killing people and on the other hand writing notes to the government basically pleading for help, that’s a typical story you see in Gulf War veterans,” Baumzweiger said.

A typical story? Have I missed the other Gulf War veterans who have been murdering people in shooting sprees?



I am not trying to discount Gulf War Syndrome but so much of that article sounds like psychobabble from this doctor who wants to become an "expert".

 

[gina2000]

I make no excuses for this man. However, it is important as a society to try to find out why this has happened in the hopes of preventing it again.

We've seen that REactive responses do not prevent death and heartache especially for the innocent. Perhaps some PROactive counselling on the part of society in order to identify and treat such behavior is more appropriate in the prevention of future tragedies such as this one.

JMHO.

 

[Cindy B]

Well, FWIW, my father is a Gulf (And Vietnam for that matter) War Veteran, and he isn't a homicidal maniac!

Yes, it does change you... I know my uncle hasn't been the same since the late 60's. (He did front lines, my dad was younger, and did motor pool)


I've seen some Gulf War guys be different as well. But it is NOT AN EXCUSE!!!!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

“Once it came out that he had a military background, I said this must be a Gulf War veteran,” said Dr. William E. Baumzweiger, a Los Angeles neurologist and psychiatrist who specializes in treating Gulf War Syndrome patients.

My first reaction is:

"Look! Somebody is trying to get themselves hired as an expert witness!!!"

I'm suspicious of any doctor who would make a diagnoses without knowing more about the patient than what he sees on the evening news.

 

[Mskanga]

Somehow...why doesn't this surprise me?? No excuse for this !!!

 

[aahmom1]

I smell a lawyer.

 

[minniepumpernickel]

The 'Son of Sam' serial killer was adopted. Are we supposed to ask if adoption propelled him into killing?

It's so hard to pick out certain events in these peopels lives, and decide if thats what made them do it. Did his unstable relationships with his wives send him over the edge? Can exposure to chemicals really turn one into a serial killer? Doesn't he have to have something wrong with the 'hard wiring' (the mind) also?

 

[captin fink]

I'm suspicious of any doctor who would make a diagnoses without knowing more about the patient than what he sees on the evening news.

Toby'sFriend- amen

Let the circus begin

 

[TIGGERSMOM]

Yeah him and a few thousand other vets. Does this mean we should lock them all up because they are potential killers?

Give me a break!!

 

[Jeff in BigD]

 

[iLovDisney]

USA also was reporting that his mother died when was young and his Dad was not around.Please don't try to tell me this will cause you to modify a car so you can kill more easily.

 

[kylara]

Gee, I tend to go with John Douglas's theory from the Today show this morning...

John Doublas was an FBI Profiler and probably one of best known (he has 4 books out on his time with the FBI). He was noticably silent during the sniper spree and when interviewed this morning, Katie even stated that he had turned down several requests for interview and questioned him about it.'

Mr. Douglas stated that he felt all the notariety was feeding the sniper. He didn't want to contribute to that. He stated that profiling should be a behind the scenes event based on evidence and that given the lack of evidence when all the "profilers" started giving interview, there was nothing to base a profile on.

As for the writing notes...he pointed out that they didn't ask for help, they didn't ask for them to be caught...the were another weapon of control. He did say that he agreed with the pressure put on the sniper because when the pressure it put on, serial killers tend to get sloppy like they did in this case. They stopped thinking things through.

Also, he did state that he would not be surprised if a defense attorney tried to get Malvo a seperate trial to use a "slave" defense...which he stated has been used in past cases where there is a duo that does the killing...since one is usually more dominant than the other. He also said that he didn't foresee that defense working in this case any better than it has in past cases.

I also disagree with the article mentioned because it wasn't anything Williams did that caused them to get caught, it seemed more to be the mistakes of Malvo...it was allegedly his voice on the tape bragging about the incidents being tied to the Alabama killings, his fingerprint on the magazine from Alabama, and it seems as if he wrote the notes demanding the "ransom". Makes sense that the younger one would make more mistakes.

 

[Bob O]

gina2000, you can find out everything about this guy, even his choice of underwear or how often he brushes his teeth and it will do nothing at all to stop somebody from committing the same crime or a different crime.
It seems some in society need to find ways to excuse behavior rather than admitting that evil/immoral people do horrific things and when caught need to be severly punished so as to make them suffer for their crimes and maybe deter some from doing the same.

 

[Serena]

People get on tv and make excuses for cold blooded killers, because they want on tv and don't have another way of doing it. Say something controversial and the media will be there.

 

[olena]

It disgusts me how people are no longer responsible for the choices they make or acts they commit.

 

[bfeller]

I really don't care how many excuses he has. He is an alleged murderer!!

 

[gina2000]

BobO, I in no way excuse what he has done. I find his actions reprehensible and frightening, as well as a sad example of a segment of our society. As incomprehensible as it may sound to you and me, he lives in a fashion that is completely negates the societal morals and ethics we ascribe to. I don't excuse his behavior; however, I do believe that the "whys" of his behavior may be important in preventing this sort of behavior from occurring with the frequency it does in our society. The violence our society is experiencing is horrifying; I merely seek to discover its cause be it mental illness, mind-altering substances, or environmental upbringing.

I don't pretend to know any of the answers. We may never understand what goes on in a mind such as this one. I will say, however, that by not seeking the answers, we will never know them. And that, in and of itself, will never change anything. Despite our capital punishment laws, murder keeps happening. In the long run, change may be the only solution that will protect you and me from having a tragedy occur in our own lives. And I'll try anything to prevent that.