Does it help to try to figure why a mass murderer did what he did?

by Sister Jean Posted 2012/07/26 00:08:08

Related Topics: Murderer, Mass

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17 votes
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	yes	8 votes	47%
	no	6 votes	35%
	None of the above	3 votes	18%

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skroehr 2012/07/26 20:14:27

None of the above

+1
It may. It hasn't happened much. I don't know if it helps us in the lay public all that much. But it may help in the development of psychology and psychiatry. I should have just answered yes. Ah well.

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MandaLynne 2012/07/26 05:11:13 (edited)

no

+1
There is no figuring out evil - it just is.

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Sister ... to MandaLynne 2012/07/26 20:13:35

+1
agree

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Nam Era Vet #1 DNA TLC 2012/07/26 03:04:59 (edited)

yes

+1
It will probably never all be figured out. But it does help to see the signs that these people exhibit and look for them in other troubled people.

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Veritas 2012/07/26 02:59:20

yes

+1
Yes.

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cjd 2012/07/26 02:00:59

no

+1
they're just excuses for something that is inexcusable

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Sister ... to cjd 2012/07/26 20:13:52

+1
agree

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kitkat42 2012/07/26 01:46:21

no

+1
It doesn't mitigate what he did to know why he did it. We all know he's got to be a little (or a lot) crazy. Its only good if we can use it to prevent another from doing same thing.

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Kitsune Touhou 2012/07/26 01:29:54

yes

+1
It helps support your evidence in the case, the motive is always one of the most important things.

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bags the Indigenous Guru 2012/07/26 01:14:13

yes

+1
If for no other reason than to know if he was criminally insane at the time. Past that, there is value in trying to 'get inside' these individual's heads and see why they do what they do. It helps us to find them before they, as ticking time bombs, go off.

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♥☯ ʂıoвнaп ☮♥ 2012/07/26 00:52:49

yes

+2
If we can figure out what causes a mass murderer to behave the way he or she does, it can definitely help prevent catastrophe. If scientists gather information from the parents of mass murderers about how their children behaved during childhood, they may be able to determine whether there are any signs of this disease that are prominent during childhood. If signs are discovered, children who would grow to become mass murderers can be treated, which in turn can help cut down on mass murderers.
So yes, it does help.

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Rusty Shackleford 2012/07/26 00:50:17

no

+1
He's evil, that's all we need to know.

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Sister ... to Rusty S... 2012/07/26 00:51:10

agree

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Matt Gray 2012/07/26 00:48:41

no

Not really. Crazy people will exist no matter what we do.

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Mike 2012/07/26 00:30:59

None of the above

+1
Why take the time? Does it matter? Will it make any difference? You think we would have figured it out by now from the experts studying the likes of: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, etc. The reality is, humanity has shown this side of evil and in the shadow of humanity, there is no reason why this cycle will ever end. On the other hand, one-day genetic engineering may find something.

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Inquisitve Kat 2012/07/26 00:11:34

yes

+2
It doesn't necessarily help him or the victims, but if it turns out he's mentally ill, this case could help further our understanding of certain psychological disorders.

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kevracer 2012/07/26 00:10:48

None of the above

+1
It may be some comfort to the greiving families, but in the end, no, because whatever the answer nothing will change. Society will continue its destructive violent ways

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Sister ... to kevracer 2012/07/26 00:11:36

+1
agree

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TheBadOne 2012/07/26 00:09:48

yes

+2
If only to further our knowledge of human psychology. Bottom line is though if someone doesn't value their own life, how can you expect them to value anyone else's?

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Sister ... to TheBadOne 2012/07/26 00:11:13

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kevracer to TheBadOne 2012/07/26 00:16:12 (edited)

+1
true, but will that psychological knowledge be applied? Nothing will change in society

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