More DUmmies empathize with mass murderers than with victims.

[thundley4]

Do you usually feel sad for most perpetrators of heinous crimes?

Of course this recent event at the cinema in Colorado comes to mind - but other heinous crimes as well - be they serial killers, child rapist or other perpetrators of equally horrible deeds. For the purpose of poll we will be talking about "crazy" crimes - not crimes with financial motive or acts such as political terrorism. It goes without saying that we all feel sad for the victims. But do you also usually feel sad for the perpetrators?

95 votes, 16 passes | Time left: Unlimited
   Yes, in general I do. Every perpetrator of a heinous crime was once a little a child and no child dreams of growing up to be a monster. At least on some serious level , I usually do feel sad for most of them.  52 (55%)
   
In general, no. In the vast majority of situatilons they don't do deserve any sympathy or mercy. Their victims didn't receive mercy or sympathy, so why should they?   43 (45%)
   16 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021017552

dkf (28,432 posts)
1. Sometimes...depends.

I admit early on I thought Holmes was unleashing hatred at the world and deserved every bad thing we could throw at him but now I wonder if there isn't something terribly wrong but fixable.

It would be a shame to lose such a brilliant mind with all that potential over a chemical imbalance.

But for someone like Tim McVeigh...forget it. If a person did a heinous thing out of anger, there is no room for sympathy.

Nostradammit (2,697 posts)
2. I feel sad for the void that's left

by the person they could have been.

We all have something positive to offer the world - it all too often gets corrupted and distorted along the way, causing no end of heartache.

DUmmies have nothing positive to offer the world, except to give us some laughs.  You don't even make good fertilizer.

Last edited Wed Jul 25, 2012, 05:38 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

No one is all good or all bad...for those where it seems the bad takes over to the point where they are unable to empathize with others and care about the consequences of their actions, I always wonder how they ended up that way. If they made a conscious decision to be 'bad' or if it just kind of happened, like a snowball effect. I think anyone has the potential to commit a heinous crime based on circumstances.

Tommy_Carcetti (13,667 posts)
12. I don't believe in evil people, just flawed people doing evil deeds.

There are no such things as "monsters."

That being said, there are legal consequences for such evil deeds and one must be held accountable to the highest extent proper. (Excluding the death penalty, which I believe to be grossly unethical and immoral regardless of circumstance).

Hitler, Stalin, Mao, they were all just misunderstood, but not monsters.

[ChuckJ]

dkf (28,432 posts)
1. Sometimes...depends.

I admit early on I thought Holmes was unleashing hatred at the world and deserved every bad thing we could throw at him but then it started looking like he was a moonbat like us.

It would be a shame to lose such a brilliant mind with all that potential over a chemical imbalance.

But for someone like a republican...forget it. If a republican even helps an elderly person across the street, there is no room for sympathy.

I edited the quote to add the red. I think it makes it just a bit more realistic. After all, DU is the reality based community.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Nostradammit (2,697 posts)
2. I feel sad for the void that's left

by the person they could have been.

We all have something positive to offer the world - it all too often gets corrupted and distorted along the way, causing no end of heartache.

No, actually, not all of us do.  Some people are alive only because it is illegal to kill them, and the world would be a better and safer place if they would check out quicker, preferably by offing themselves.  The problem is figuring out who they are before they take out those of more value.  That may or may not apply to Holmes, it is possible there is some mental issue that could have been treated and at some point and so have prevented the slaughter, but it's just too early to say on that.

[Carl]

Their answer is a case by case event and decided by whether there is political damage or usefulness from the atrocity.

[JohnnyReb]

One DUmmie said "Thay might be fixable"...we need to "fix"(shoot) both their asses.

That would fix 'em.

[Airwolf]

You have to be some kind of ****ed up person to feel empathy for a monster that would shoot a room full of people and set traps for the cops at their place of residence. Sorry but the only one that can forgive a person like that is GOD and none of us is Him. IF we forgive him or not isn't the question it's if we could have stopped him and why didn't we. You DUmmies love to keep telling us about how we are our brothers keeper and all. Well time for you to step up and share house space with one of these wacko's. Let the rest of us know how it works out.

[I_B_Perky]

The dummies empathize with mass murderers more than with the victims for one simple reason. They are helpless on their own, they know it, they are jealous of people like us and resent how we can run our own lives and not be angry, and finally, they are too cowardly to act on their deep seated hatred of people that are not helpless and laugh at their pathetic lives. Thus, they identify with some nutcase that goes off the deep end because they would like to, but they are too cowardly.

5 cents please.   

[Evil_Conservative]

I feel bad that the murderer wasn't killed by a legal gun owner.

[obumazombie]

On my other political thread, NetFriction, one of the libs said Holmes could be rehabilitated. I replied if he could be rehabilitated to only killing libs, I would be all for it.