The Killing Problem

As a young Lieutenant, I heard of a fellow officer whose wife had gone missing. Sometime later, investigators found her body, packaged in pieces in his freezer. Later in the years that gruesome murder took on new meaning during a 100mph drive in the autobahns of Germany. Now there are no speed limits in the autobahns (140+ is common for the many super cars on European expressways). So no laws were broken). My friend, a fellow officer, driving at the time from Kaiserslautern to Frankfort  (for reasons I still do not know), confided to me that while a child in his family farm, he would "put the heads of baby chicks in a vice and squeeze the little heads until their brains popped and splattered around the vice”. 

“I was mean! when I was a child, I was mean!" was how he self-described his young years during that conversation, during that drive. 

The air had been knocked out of me. I was stunned! "Mean" was not the word that came to mind, In the years that I had known this man, he had been a good friend, a great officer, and a  great soldier. He had given no clue, no indication of who he had been, or of the demons he might still be carrying. But one thing was for sure, he was certainly not the person that I thought I knew.  And now I was alone in a speeding car, with him.

As we hit about 106 mph and climbing, I listened quietly not knowing how exactly to comment or what to ask. But I needed not worry because the conversation ended abruptly. Yet I could not help but wonder in that moment why it had stopped in such a way.  And where we, this conversation, was originally going.  There were many overwhelming questions that came to mind  that I dared not ask, One, I could not help but wonder was; what other "mean things” had he done as he grew older? And also, why was he driving so dam fast…pushing the rented Audi to its mechanical limits, with me in the car- after that confession- and with that look on his face. 

Well those questions, maybe another story for another day. But, my first thought after hearing this was of the violent similarity between the two killings? One of an unneeded killing of a baby animal, and one of an adult human being.  What would cause a person (not at war, not butchering to eat, not hunting, and not in a fight to defend life, limb or family) to become capable of purposely conducting such violent executions? What were they thinking as they were killing, murdering? Did they feel pleasure? Fear? How were they raised? Were they born that way? Is killing in the genes? Or did they learn it?  And if so, from where?  

Growing up some 60 years ago, our heroes used to be characters that stood for good and decency and were always on the right side of the law. Batman, Superman, the Lone Ranger, Buck Rodgers, The Six Million Dollar Man, Texas Ranger, Bonanza, Buggs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and many more. 

A that time, punishment for a kids misdeeds at home or at school was a good spanking with a a paddle, a belt, or a switch.  I know, my school principle, and my grandmother made sure I got plenty from all. Today, our kids heroes are the villains that can get away with car thefts, bank robbery, and mass murders. Gangsters, thugs, and drug dealer TV shows, and violent video games have become our children's hero's and  baby sitters.  Punishment consists of isolating the child in what-  the ultimate communist of our time [Dr. Spock] referred to as "time out", in the privacy of his/her room with a phone, a TV, a VCR, and a computer. Today, punishment's and getting grounded are not such bad deals for a kid.

The new norm for TV shows and movies is about people, teachers and kids that smoke, snort, buy, sell or make illegal drugs. To our youth, these characters are considered funny and  normal. TV dealers who make easy money, live the good life, drive the best cars and get all the beautiful girls. They can kill many people and never get caught,   These are the heroes that inspire our youth.  

These new heroes can beat up or slaughter 10 or more good or bad guys and then  just drive off to another violent scene. No repercussions, no cops, no hospitals, no investigation, no blood, brain and body parts are ever scrubbed or cleaned up. No wakes , no funerals, no mourners.  Hundreds of violent crimes and murders can be viewed and replayed in every household in America, on any given nightly television line up, for all of our young children to enjoy.  This is the TV entertainment for our youth.

Any moron can deduce that If a child’s mind is not well for a myriad of medical, sociological, psychological, or environmental reasons or reasons induced by drug use, medications, or a bad life experiences; a violent act in a movie can become a catalyst for violence. An Idea planted in a the mind of someone with a propensity for violence.  Gruesome movie scenes can become a trigger to act out a sick fantasy. The result of profound psychological changes after years of repeated exposure to violence encapsulated and exasperated in a complex new world of electronic and social demons. But our society does not seem to know that, or it does not care. 

Simple logic tells us that years of continual watching of blood, gut, murder, death movies will ANESTHETIZ a mind to gruesome horrors. And with time, children will no longer be frightened or even affected by scenes of violent death killing and murder.  Or with seeing building full of people blown up by the hero, Or cutting down a crowd with a machine gun; Or from a head blown off with a shotgun, or chopped off with a knife, or sawed off with a power saw. To them, it has become just another movie. 

As the beast within the mind matures, it will feed and learn the "how too" from the daily screen lessons- for all sorts of horrid violent possibilities. How-to cause hurt, how to exact revenge, or how-to satisfy a rage. All taught directly from the the very best SCREEN TEACHERS. How-to be a good pick pocket, how-to shoplift, How to to become a good mob boss.  How-to fight, The best time to commit a specific crime. The best disguise to wear when you are going to kill.  How-to break into a building or a house. How to bypass security. What type of tools you will need. How to tie up your captives.  How to cut someone’s throat; the best type of knife to use. How to smash someone's head with a hammer or a pipe. Where and how to inflict maximum pain, and which torture technique works best.

If these words (just words)  is grossing you out, it should! Writing them, does me. 

But I have come to the realization that this is our new reality, our normal. Is also our kids entertainment and now their normal. Covering our eyes and ears will not stop it. Since TV. Ratings mean absolutely nothing. We must look at what is, no matter how gruesome, ugly or offensive. We must look in the eyes of this beast, without flinching, until we make ourselves cringe. Then maybe, when we actually see what they see, we can start of effect some change. Maybe some how in some way, we can begin to force this evil Genie back in the ugly lamp that it came out of. 

So lets play  THE CRIME & GORE TRIVIA GAME,  Ready? This game is rated R. For  Adults only. (Not the would make any difference). 

Rules: You must try and remember in your mind a movie where you watched each scene as described. You get one point for each answer,  It does not matter if you remember the name of the movie or the name or the actor for one point.  

The TV show, movie or actor with the most points from our game contestants wins the OSCAR or Golden Globe or Emmy  (if there were one) for each categories of crime and killing below.  

Give yourself 1 point  If you Do NOT remember the name of the  movie or tv show where you saw a similar crime or killing. 1 point for each of the many scenes you remember.

Give your self 2 points if you remember the name of the movie. Give yourself 3 points if you remember the name of the scenes, the movie and the actor of the described crimes below.  Grab your paper and pen! Ready?

The actor with the best Instruction on how to shoplift.

The movie with the best Instruction on how to steel or highjack a car.

The movie with the best Instruction on how to highjack a plane.

The movie with the funny scene of a young kid that steals a car

The movie with the best Instruction on how to make a Molotov cocktail. 

The actor with the best Instruction on how to make home made explosives. 

How to make simple timers and detonators with things you have at home.

The movie with the best Instruction on how to blow up a building.

The movie with the best Instruction on the proper way commit arson.

The actor with the best Instruction on how to make a lot of money pimping.

The actor with the best Instruction on how to make money as a prostitute.

The movie with the best methods and instruction on robbing a bank.

The most beautiful and handsome and classy actors that snort a lot of cocaine and are very rich, well dressed, very successful and very funny,  

The male actor with the best instructional method on how to shoot up cocaine. 

The female actor with the best methods of snorting cocaine. 

The actor with the best Instruction on how to cook crack

.The movie with the best way to get rich by selling hard drugs.

The actors with the best best methods of buying  and smoking marijuana. 

The actor with the best street fighting technique. 

The movie with the best Instruction on how to punish someone that made you angry. 

The movie with the best methods of making a shank with common household items,

The actor with the best Instruction on how to assault someone on the street or subway. 

The movie with the best Instructions on how to commit the perfect kidnapping.

The movie and actor with the best methods on how to break into a home and rape and kill every one in it while they were sleeping. 

The movie with the best torture tools and how to use them.

The actor with the best methods and the best places and ways to commit suicide.

The movie with the best instruction on how to prepare to commit a violent crime. 

The move with the best description on how to put someone in a wood chipper. 

The movie with the best way to bury someone alive.

The movie with the best way to way to kill with a pipe or a hammer.

The actor with the best methods of killing that will yield the most blood and gore?

The movie with the best Instruction on how to commit the perfect murder.

The movie with the best Instruction on how to commit the most gruesome murder.

The movie with the most creative way to use scissors, an ice pick, or a letter opener into an eye

The movie with the best Instruction on how a criminal can cover up his or her tracks after committing a violent gruesome crime.

Game over.  

Are you feeling nauseous yet?  Did this game make you sick? How many points did you get?  Did you stop reading? Stop counting?  WHY? How many points do you think your teens would get if they played? Do you think it would bother them to play at all?  

If thinking about this things made you want to spill my lunch then there is still hope. But the people that finance these themes and movies do not care what what you feel or think. 

The Final Award

How about an award for the the movie or show that provided a sick (real person) mind, with the inspiration and the instructions, on how exactly to conduct a violent act or shooting against another real human being. A crime that actually happened as it did in the movie.  To win the movie award, a  perpetrator must have mirrored some of the scenes of a movie or show, to a real life crime he committed. 

As without the instructions in this award winning movie,  The sick person that conducted this crime would have never even thought of doing such a evil heinous crime, on their own, and in that way, without the instructions and inspiration of the movie. 

Lets call it "The Violence Awards! A Gala Event! The Dark Red Carpet! How about it Hollywood? So many more new possibilities that you, your writers and actors can be so proud of.  

Taking away guns from people that would never harm anyone, or from people who do not have kids, will not fix the minds a sick society nor the minds of children with a propensity for violence; who study and learns the how-too and techniques, every night, right from the screen teachers in the living rooms of their very homes!   

School shootings? After exposing our children to so much instruction on violence for so many years, What did we expect?  The cause of this enigma (The Killing Problem) affecting our children and our society has been right in front of us all along. Just turn on the TV.