ESL Blogs

While I was in the main chat room yesterday, a fellow EC member asked me to bring up a topic. I told him in jest: “Okay, how about my criminal mind?” He replied with another question: “Why do people kill…commit murder?” In answer, I typed the words “greed”, “power”, “lust”. His next question shocked me. “Will you have the heart to do it?” Whoa! I almost fell off the chair. I was about to answer again when all of a sudden other members entered the chat room and then all I could see were “hi”, “hello”, “how are you?”, “fine”, “thank you”.

I got lost in the crowd, so to speak, so I decided to post my answer here.

My answer would have been this: “Murder, no; killing, yes…if I’m compelled by circumstances.”

Murder and killing (in its restricted sense) are two different types of taking a person’s life. In murder, the murderer is motivated by something evil such as those I’ve previously mentioned. He plans the killing (premeditation) or he commits the act in a treacherous manner (the act is so sudden, giving no time for the victim to defend himself). On the other hand, killing is justified in cases of self-defense, defense of family members or even strangers, or done in fulfillment of a duty (a police officer, for example). This is where Machiavelli’s principle “the end justifies the means” applies.

If the killer is insane…is his act justified? No, but he is exempt from punishment. He will not get the rope, the gas, or the needles because he is deprived of intelligence – a necessary element of intent.

Many critics say that the defense of insanity is being abused by cunning lawyers. I disagree. When the circumstances surrounding the case are sufficient to declare the assailant (killer) insane at the time of the act, then temporary insanity is a proper defense.

We are human beings with emotions that may get us out of control anytime. Too much anger may cloud our intelligence. We may lose our consciousness if we are threatened or endangered. “Fight or flight” is a normal response. After regaining complete consciousness, we might not even believe ourselves that we’ve done something that gross.