Mr. Pro Gun blogger didn't waste any time getting back - and claiming he didn't do anything "dishonest" as far as quoting me - but again, leaving out a key segment, referencing Vester Flanagan with a knife - isn't exactly kosher so let's agree he was at least borderline dishonest in portraying my quote.
Anyway, after delivering a full seminar on the lethality of military and other knives (including reaction times) he at least finally DID accept my hypothetical, based on a knife (intended generic, but ok, I didn't clarify that so we let him have his way with all these exotic knives, reaction times etc.) He comes away then concluding that Flanagan "sure as shit" could have killed those two reporters - Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Ok, I will be generous and grant the outside chance that might have happened, using one of his exotic knives and assuming Flanagan at that time possessed the skill and dexterity he assumes. (Which I doubt because Flanagan wasn't in an intact state of mind - but let's not quibble.)
The question remains: Is there a case for mass shootings or killings (he cites a mass killing in China using knives that took out 29), in the U.S. context where knives would prove as deadly as high powered weapons? This is the key question and let's also admit that Vester Flanagan's act only barely meets the standards of a mass shooting - which hitherto had been defined as four or more victims shot. Hence, we need to find a better example (not marginal) to prove the point that guns are more lethal than knives - even big ones!
I submit that only one case is needed to disprove his contention, and that would be the Aurora movie theater massacre from July, 2012. There, James Eagan Holmes, using assorted high power rifles and a Glock, killed 12 and badly injured 59. Now, had Holmes ONLY been armed with knives - even lethal ones like Mr. Pro Gun displays - could he have done as much damage? I argue absolutely not!
For one thing, the theater was dark. Holmes' wound and death toll occurred because he was firing blindly into a crowd and given the semi-automatic and automatic nature of his weapons was sure to kill more than a handful of people and devastatingly wound many others. Unlike with a knife, he didn't need to take careful aim to rack up a death toll - a point many of these gun guys forget. (Sure there will be exceptions like in China, but in the U.S. those perps would likely have been taken out by ex -military or others, while the Chinese remain largely a passive people in their belief systems.)
Even wielding two big knives there is NO damned way in hell James Holmes could have done an equal amount of damage. Even thrusting as fast as Pro Gun argues, he'd have been taken down before he got very much past the first row (a number of military guys were in the crowd). The darkness would also have impeded accuracy and obviously, lethality. Hell, you can't very well kill what you can't see! (Though a gun surely can - even firing it wildly- as in a dark cinema.)
As a further note on the original story, Holmes' weapons' lethality basically halted when the clip jammed from his last semi-automatic rifle. Many people by that point were diving behind the rows of seats. To have used a big knife instead, Holmes would've had to ferret out each victim row by row and stab to hit a vital organ. Again, this wouldn't have been a piece of cake as it would've for powerful weapons which can easily rip through seats and find their targets.
The crux of the argument then rests on just one case where knives would not be able to do the damage of guns, and that case is the Aurora theater massacre.
Mr. 'Pro Gun' can now parse this any way he wants, or portray his own takes - i.e. invoking "magic" knives that automatically find their way to vital organs even in a darkened theater. Or bestowing super x-ray vision on the perp. But I'd say 'case closed.'
If people could only get knives there'd be significantly less than 90 plus killings a day in this country and thirty thousand suicides a year. We'd enjoy similar low gun death stats to the sane world. It's a lot easier mentally to put that barrel up to your noggin and pull the trigger than to put that blade to your jugular and thrust it.
Showing posts with label James Eagan Holmes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Eagan Holmes. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
'The Joker' Gets Life in Prison for Aurora Theater Massacre- The Best Resolution For Victim Families
The refrain after each murder count was the same for each victim, as read by Judge Carlos Samour - with only the name changed:
"We, the jury, do not have a unanimous verdict on this count, and...."
Under Colorado law, the verdict had to be unanimous for the death penalty to be accepted. But as "Juror 17" (unidentified) put it in today's Denver Post ('Juror Said One Said No To Death', p. 4A), one of the 12 jurors adamantly held out - not prepared to align the person's moral view (under which the final phase was adjudicated) of requiring the death penalty for James Eagan Holmes. As attested to by Juror 17 (ibid.):
"The person was solidly and definitely in that position and they weren't going to change."
And so ends a trial that cost over $2.5 million dollars, took 3 years to resolve, with over 300 witnesses and 1,000 pieces of evidence. As Denise Maes of the ACLU of Colorado put it (p. 3A):
"It is deeply unfortunate that our taxpayer dollars had to pay for one of the most expensive trials in the state's history only to achieve the same outcome offered by the defense before the trial began."
That was in reference to the defense's offer of a plea of guilty in return for a life sentence. But DA George Brauchler was determined to move forward with death though he had to know the huge bar he'd have to climb when the defense only had to cross the threshold of "reasonable doubt".
Of course, many of the victims' families were upset, such as Sandy Phillips - mother of Jessica Ghawi- who said (p. 4A):
"The thought that this monster gets to have visitations with his parents and gets to receive mail and pictures of his very strange girlfriends is hard to accept"
But Mrs. Phillips either forgets or ignores the fact she'd have had to "accept" it anyway, even if the death penalty verdict had come to pass. (Only 1 person has been executed in Colorado in the past 50 years.) As the Denver Post editorial put it:
"Even if Holmes had been sentenced to death no prudent person would have bet on his execution."
Indeed, the incessant appeals would have drawn out the case another 25-35 years (by some estimates) with no sure execution even then. Thus, whether the families realize it or not they have finally attained the closure they sought and oh, btw, life in prison won't be 'sweetbread' for Holmes. He will have to be under constant watch and exercise vigilance given "high profile killers are often targeted for violence".
Thus, the most likely place he'll end up is Sterling Correctional Facility which has a Management Control Unit Protective Custody housing for hard core, high profile and troubled killers.
He could also be sent out of state, but I doubt it,
James Holmes, aka 'the Joker', will now have to spend the rest of his life behind bars - and if he ever does regain mental health- perhaps wonder why he didn't take those anti-psychotic meds he was prescribed.
As I've noted before, this resolution is the optimum one for the victims' families because it allows them to get on with their lives without appeals being dragged out for decades as they surely would have been. (And Holmes' defense team promised.) Some families may yearn for swift "justice" (e.g. death) but eventually they will come to grasp that wouldn't have happened anyway. The "justice" they believe would be actuated expeditiously by a death verdict would only be postponed indefinitely as the appeals process dragged out years, then decades. Indeed, Holmes would likely end up - at age 27 now - living longer than most of the aggrieved older family members.
"We, the jury, do not have a unanimous verdict on this count, and...."
Under Colorado law, the verdict had to be unanimous for the death penalty to be accepted. But as "Juror 17" (unidentified) put it in today's Denver Post ('Juror Said One Said No To Death', p. 4A), one of the 12 jurors adamantly held out - not prepared to align the person's moral view (under which the final phase was adjudicated) of requiring the death penalty for James Eagan Holmes. As attested to by Juror 17 (ibid.):
"The person was solidly and definitely in that position and they weren't going to change."
And so ends a trial that cost over $2.5 million dollars, took 3 years to resolve, with over 300 witnesses and 1,000 pieces of evidence. As Denise Maes of the ACLU of Colorado put it (p. 3A):
"It is deeply unfortunate that our taxpayer dollars had to pay for one of the most expensive trials in the state's history only to achieve the same outcome offered by the defense before the trial began."
That was in reference to the defense's offer of a plea of guilty in return for a life sentence. But DA George Brauchler was determined to move forward with death though he had to know the huge bar he'd have to climb when the defense only had to cross the threshold of "reasonable doubt".
Of course, many of the victims' families were upset, such as Sandy Phillips - mother of Jessica Ghawi- who said (p. 4A):
"The thought that this monster gets to have visitations with his parents and gets to receive mail and pictures of his very strange girlfriends is hard to accept"
But Mrs. Phillips either forgets or ignores the fact she'd have had to "accept" it anyway, even if the death penalty verdict had come to pass. (Only 1 person has been executed in Colorado in the past 50 years.) As the Denver Post editorial put it:
"Even if Holmes had been sentenced to death no prudent person would have bet on his execution."
Indeed, the incessant appeals would have drawn out the case another 25-35 years (by some estimates) with no sure execution even then. Thus, whether the families realize it or not they have finally attained the closure they sought and oh, btw, life in prison won't be 'sweetbread' for Holmes. He will have to be under constant watch and exercise vigilance given "high profile killers are often targeted for violence".
Thus, the most likely place he'll end up is Sterling Correctional Facility which has a Management Control Unit Protective Custody housing for hard core, high profile and troubled killers.
He could also be sent out of state, but I doubt it,
James Holmes, aka 'the Joker', will now have to spend the rest of his life behind bars - and if he ever does regain mental health- perhaps wonder why he didn't take those anti-psychotic meds he was prescribed.
As I've noted before, this resolution is the optimum one for the victims' families because it allows them to get on with their lives without appeals being dragged out for decades as they surely would have been. (And Holmes' defense team promised.) Some families may yearn for swift "justice" (e.g. death) but eventually they will come to grasp that wouldn't have happened anyway. The "justice" they believe would be actuated expeditiously by a death verdict would only be postponed indefinitely as the appeals process dragged out years, then decades. Indeed, Holmes would likely end up - at age 27 now - living longer than most of the aggrieved older family members.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Zimmerman - Another Aurora or Sandy Hook Killer "waiting to happen"
No, not from my mouth or keyboard, but the Florida police chief in Lake Mary, as reported by The Guardian. According to a release last night, The Guardian has identified a Florida police chief revealing his belief that Trayvon Martin's killer George Zimmerman is a volatile character who is "a Sandy Hook waiting to happen".
Steve Bracknell is the chief of the Lake Mary police department, which is investigating Zimmerman, 29, for allegedly threatening his estranged wife, Shellie, and his father-in-law with a gun on Monday.
In an email exchange with a Lake Mary resident critical of the department's initial decision not to arrest or charge Zimmerman, Bracknell appears to agree with the writer's description of Zimmerman, acquitted in July of murdering Martin, an unarmed black teenager, as "a ticking time bomb".
Resident, Santiago Rodriguez, told Bracknell in his first email, seeking an explanation for why Lake Mary officers did not charge Zimmerman.
"Zimmerman is a Sandy Hook, Aurora waiting to happen,"
Bracknell replied:
"Your reference to Sandy Hook … I agree,"
So why not get this kook into chains and behind bars, or at least under mental observation in a rubber room with some thorazine - as should have been done to James Eagen Holmes while he suffered delusions of being "the Joker". Well, now we have a new Joker in Georgie Z'man who actually has assorted necrophilous blog defenders who are as fucked up as he is. (As to why, I already explored the necrophilous personality, and its obsessive love for death , destruction and of course, the type of weapons .....like AR-15s and Bushmasters, that can unleash death en masse.)
The Guardian noted that at the end of a follow-up email - urging Bracknell "not to give up" on the investigation - Rodriguez wrote:
"Sooner or later another mother and father is going to be on CNN lashing out against the system due to this man snapping."
Bracknell replied:
"As for your final thoughts, again, on a personal note, I agree."
Recall that Shellie Zimmerman called 911 to report Z-man was threatening her and her father with a gun:
"He's just threatening all of us with his firearm, and he's gonna shoot us. He punched my dad in the nose. My dad has a mark on his face,"
Images in The Miami Herald, Tampa Tribune and other Florida papers showed Shellie's dad severely bruised on his face, and that alone might have caused a heart attack or stroke. In any case, one wonders why this little slime ball isn't behind bars. Oh, but wait, his lawyer O'Mara quit the service of this miserable renegade. See e.g.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-loses-lawyer-cops-seek-fight-video/story?id=20212533
According to the ABC News clip and story:
"A spokesman for Mark O'Mara, who succeeded in winning an acquittal for Zimmerman in the racially charged Trayvon Martin murder trial, said O'Mara will not represent Zimmerman in any future litigation including his divorce and any possible charges resulting from the Monday incident involving his wife and father-in-law. "
This means Georgie Porgie is on his own with the most serious criminal cases he may be faced with, as well as the looming litigation with his wife, Shellie, who ought to soak this little fraud for all he's worth - all the bloviations of his idiotic, semi-educated gun nut defenders to the contrary. The ABC news clip goes on:
Steve Bracknell is the chief of the Lake Mary police department, which is investigating Zimmerman, 29, for allegedly threatening his estranged wife, Shellie, and his father-in-law with a gun on Monday.
In an email exchange with a Lake Mary resident critical of the department's initial decision not to arrest or charge Zimmerman, Bracknell appears to agree with the writer's description of Zimmerman, acquitted in July of murdering Martin, an unarmed black teenager, as "a ticking time bomb".
Resident, Santiago Rodriguez, told Bracknell in his first email, seeking an explanation for why Lake Mary officers did not charge Zimmerman.
"Zimmerman is a Sandy Hook, Aurora waiting to happen,"
Bracknell replied:
"Your reference to Sandy Hook … I agree,"
So why not get this kook into chains and behind bars, or at least under mental observation in a rubber room with some thorazine - as should have been done to James Eagen Holmes while he suffered delusions of being "the Joker". Well, now we have a new Joker in Georgie Z'man who actually has assorted necrophilous blog defenders who are as fucked up as he is. (As to why, I already explored the necrophilous personality, and its obsessive love for death , destruction and of course, the type of weapons .....like AR-15s and Bushmasters, that can unleash death en masse.)
The Guardian noted that at the end of a follow-up email - urging Bracknell "not to give up" on the investigation - Rodriguez wrote:
"Sooner or later another mother and father is going to be on CNN lashing out against the system due to this man snapping."
Bracknell replied:
"As for your final thoughts, again, on a personal note, I agree."
Recall that Shellie Zimmerman called 911 to report Z-man was threatening her and her father with a gun:
"He's just threatening all of us with his firearm, and he's gonna shoot us. He punched my dad in the nose. My dad has a mark on his face,"
Images in The Miami Herald, Tampa Tribune and other Florida papers showed Shellie's dad severely bruised on his face, and that alone might have caused a heart attack or stroke. In any case, one wonders why this little slime ball isn't behind bars. Oh, but wait, his lawyer O'Mara quit the service of this miserable renegade. See e.g.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-loses-lawyer-cops-seek-fight-video/story?id=20212533
According to the ABC News clip and story:
"A spokesman for Mark O'Mara, who succeeded in winning an acquittal for Zimmerman in the racially charged Trayvon Martin murder trial, said O'Mara will not represent Zimmerman in any future litigation including his divorce and any possible charges resulting from the Monday incident involving his wife and father-in-law. "
This means Georgie Porgie is on his own with the most serious criminal cases he may be faced with, as well as the looming litigation with his wife, Shellie, who ought to soak this little fraud for all he's worth - all the bloviations of his idiotic, semi-educated gun nut defenders to the contrary. The ABC news clip goes on:
"O'Mara will still be Zimmerman's lawyer in a defamation suit pending against NBC and in the remaining motions stemming from the Trayvon Martin trial, including a motion to reimburse Zimmerman's attorneys and a motion to censure the prosecution. "
In other words, out of the goodness of his heart and sheer mercy for this forlorn, pathetic loser - similar to some other gun toting Florida losers- Mr. O'Mara will stay around for the less offensive civil cases.
ABC further noted:
"O'Mara appeared to struggle with his anger at his client during Monday's incident in which he went to Zimmerman's house while police were still there. During a press conference later, O'Mara was asked if he had any advice for Zimmerman, and he answered, "Pay me."
So we see Z-man is not only a sorry ass screw loose whackjob, but a deadbeat to boot. Hey, maybe certain necrotic bloggers - if they love this piece of refuse so much - can put up his next bail? Wait, given they themselves are only getting a bit of VA disability that might not be enough. Well, in that case maybe they can go back to school and get an A.A. degree for a better job, as opposed to attending Smokehouse Bible College!
Oh another question to show how dumb and ignorant certain necrotic bloggers are: Is Z-man really "mixed", e.g. half black and half white like Obama? Errrrr.....NO! Being Hispanic is not the same as being black. But don't tell that to these ignorant morons because it will sail serenely over their heads. While they babble non-stop over "jungle jook" this and that they'd be better off taking a hard look at Fla. cracker jook. And I don't mean the eating kind!
Oh another question to show how dumb and ignorant certain necrotic bloggers are: Is Z-man really "mixed", e.g. half black and half white like Obama? Errrrr.....NO! Being Hispanic is not the same as being black. But don't tell that to these ignorant morons because it will sail serenely over their heads. While they babble non-stop over "jungle jook" this and that they'd be better off taking a hard look at Fla. cracker jook. And I don't mean the eating kind!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
One Year Later: The Joker's Insanity Plea Has Been Accepted
One year now after the horrific Aurora, CO theater massacre, which left 12 dead and dozens brutally maimed, James Eagen Holmes has had his "insanity" plea accepted by the judge and will face the consequences. How salient is this plea and what consequences might he face? Readers will recall that a year ago I put up three blog posts, starting with one entitled 'Deconstructing the Psycho' , wherein I examined in detail the probable basis for Holmes' derangement.
Holmes is definitely (ok, let's say instead with 90% probability) not schizophrenic - since his behaviors don't fit that cluster of traits as defined and explicated in the DSM-III and IV. To recall for readers, The DSM-III, IV (Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders) provides a classification of personality disorders and identifies 'clusters' within which specific disorders can occur. These include:
(A) Schizotypal, paranoid and schizoid personality disorders ('odd, eccentric' cluster)
(B) Borderline, narcissistic, histrionic and anti-social personality disorders ('dramatic, emotional, erratic')
(C) Submerged: Avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive, passive aggressive personality disorders('anxious, fearful')
Each Cluster has discrete tendencies within itself:
(A) -> withdraw (no wants from others)
(B) -> exploit (want from others without seeing or responding to what others want from them)
(C) -> comply (want from others, but yields only to others' wants to avoid conflict)
As I showed in my several prior blogs, beginning with Deconstruction of a Psycho Holmes' profile and attributes (as we have assimilated them from sundry reports) fit in with the tendencies in the last (C) ensemble and hence fit the profile of a submerged personality, not a schizophrenic. Also, I have had the experience of observing paranoid schizophrenics at the Black Rock (Barbados) Mental Health Sanatorium in the 70s, and NONE of them demonstrated any capacity for mega-violence of the form James Eagan Holmes manifested via his aggressive pseudo-ego, the Joker.
Let's also bear in mind another critical aspect as the trial unfolds: A person cannot be tried for a crime unless he is competent to stand trial. To be competent, he must be oriented as to time and place, comprehend the charges against him, appreciate his legal peril, recall the events that caused him to be charged, and be able to communicate with and assist their attorneys to defend him.
That standard has obviously been met, which is to say that the current manifestation of Holmes is indeed sane and competent to stand trial since he has exhibited that he understands the charges against him and the consequences. What is at issue then, is his state of mind when he donned the Joker outfit and took out his psychotic persona on dozens of hapless movie goers (including Caleb Medley, now still recovering from his head wounds, but facing a long, slow and painful rehab as well as speech therapy.)
When exactly did Holmes' sane persona emerge? Very soon after his apprehension and being put in the dock. As I noted when the first images became available, this legal bondage : had torpedoed the 'Joker' (the aggressive pseudo-ago) and thereby rendered it impotent and inactive. What we are seeing is the first emergence of Holmes' authentic self and the expected SHOCK because frankly, HE doesn't know what the hell happened! After all, it was the pseudo ego 'Joker' that did the deed, then vacated or was vacated. Now, the authentic or previously submerged ego is left to wonder what the hell is going on
So, what will in effect stand trial is the authentic ego, for the crimes of the earlier pseudo-ego which was given the name "the Joker". So no wonder he had that vacant, million light years distant stare on his face. As I also added (in the same blog):
His self has been dissociated, and the guilty perp -ego is now gone, fled the coop as it were, to leave the authentic 'James Holmes' ego and self to bear the cost
In other words, to spell it out, Holmes as his authentic (earlier submerged) self, truly couldn't recall the incident or what he did. He couldn't because a distinct, different ego (self) perpetrated it. This aggressive pseudo ego masterminded all the planning, as well as assembly of weapons, costume and the execution, while Holmes' submerged self was unavailable and 'out for the count'. (Or at the very most watching passively like a paralyzed bystander.)
The problem facing Holmes's defense is that they must convince the jury that he's innocent by virtue of insanity by sowing reasonable doubt. That means, convincing most of the jurors that the Holmes that committed the grisly deed in Aurora a year ago is not the same as the version of Holmes sitting before them. This is a tall order, perhaps too tall, as the natural tendency will be for people not to make the cognitive disassociation. They only way that might be salvaged is if a tape is available actually showing the deranged "Joker" in action that night a year ago- so that jurors can compare it to the (apparently) rational and sane person sitting before them.
So far as anyone is aware, no such tape exists - anywhere- so that the probability is that Holmes' will be faced with a guilty verdict. I still maintain that the main error made by the prosecution was in not accepting Holmes' attorneys initial plea deal (which would have sent him away for life) but instead going for capital murder and the death penalty. In other words, going for all the marbles. One juror who doesn't believe in the death penalty could therefore screw up this strategy. We will see.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Gun Magazine Makers. to CO Legislators: 'Pass That Bill and We're Leavin!' Hasta la vista, chumps!
The news in today's Denver Post (p. 1A) that the makers of multiple-clip weapons magazines will leave the state if Colorado legislators pass a law limiting clips to 15 rounds (not even the 10 demanded by Obama!) is enough to make a normal-brained citizen howl with laughter. All I can say is: 'Hey, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!'According to the article, if Magpul Industries follows through on its extortion to leave the state unless lawmakers back down, "it could harm more than a dozen Front Range firms specializing in plastic injection molding, and reduce the region's capacity in the manufacturing process." Well, so be it! Collateral damage happens in all spheres of life, and none of us can be protected absolutely, especially when the greater good trumps that of a limited few or even 100.
Besides, are we then- on this basis- to surrender ANY change in laws because it might hurt or "harm" our economics? In that case, we could as well all to to earthly hell in a handbasket right now, and let the coal pumpers, frackers, oilmen and every other fossil fuel predator have its way ....and to hell with the planet and all future generations! Let them all drink oil-fouled green slime, breathe in polluted high CO2 air, come down with dengue fever or dysentery or....boil to death in a home without any power at 115F.
The Post adds:
"The Erie company which makes weapons components and high capacity ammunition magazines has threatened to leave if the state bans individuals from owning magazines with more than 15 rounds."
Then let 'em leave!
And if there are other high capacity magazine makers who want to go, let them get the hell out too! We don't need or want them!
For those who missed the news, the Colorado State House yesterday passed legislation with gun restrictions that stands as a model for the nation. It passed in the House and is now on the way to the state senate where dems also hold a majority, by 20-15 (compared to 37-28 in the House). And no, in our state we have sanity ruling, so a super majority is not needed, only a simple majority.
Two bills have so far been passed: 1) for ammunition magazine limits, to no more than 15 rounds per maazine, and 2) for universal background checks. Gov. Hickenlooper already declared he backs the provisions and will sign the bills when they arrive. Had either of these bills been in place back in July last year, James Holmes would likely never have been able to slaughter 12 people at an Aurora, CO cinema, and maim 58 others - including Caleb Medley (shown) still trying to reclaim his life after head injuries and more than $2m in medical bills.
Meanwhile, Greg Alfred, one of the gun magazine company honchos, was quoted as warning:
"If House Bill 1224 passes, we will relocate all or part of our operations out of state."
He added that his company (Alfred Manufacturing) is searching for locations in several other western states, including Wyoming and Montana."
The fact that these guys couldn't even abide clips with 15 rounds shows they're more interested in preserving their profits than even making partial moves to cut down on the number of clips that really can only be for military purposes. But wtf does any ordinary human or hunter need a military assault rifle for? To kill a buck? To kill a rabbit? Gimme a break!
Kudos to the Colorado House for getting these new bills passed, and now let's hoe the Senate soon follows suit.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Details of Aurora Massacre Show the Huge Role Blind Chance Played
WIth the details of the Aurora Theater massacre released last week during James Holmes' preliminary hearing, we are now aware of the enormous role blind chance played in determining who lived and who died. This is important because in the immediate aftermath there were a number of victims who felt they had special protection from God. For example, a Denver Post piece by Lynn Bartels, recounted how survivor Bonnie Kate Pourciau proclaimed "God was holding us in His hands" as the shooting unfolded - and hence, she and her friend (Elizabeth) managed to walk out of the Century 16 cinema with Bonnie Kate only having one gunshot in her leg.
Much of this egoistic foolishness can be forgiven or overlooked either out of youthful folly (Bonnie Kate was only 18) or because too many people inhabit a mythical world of their own confabulation where a 'Daddy God' watches over everything and knows when every sparrow falls or when every rose bud blossoms. A lot is also engendered because of the U.S. of A's hyper religious culture and enabling media which pays more attention to religious nonsense than anything else. I already noted a lot of this and how the American press enables it in an earlier blog, e.g. http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2012/12/idiocy-beyond-belief-charles-pierce.html
Anyway, let's look at the findings to see the extent to which people were affected based on totally chance contingency as opposed to any "divine intervention". In other words, it was basically the movie goers' chance decisions which put them in the brunt of harm's way or not.
Some of the chance components of good fortune - which otherwise meant many more killed:
-Investigators found 76 used casings and 224 live rounds, with unused magazines picked up outside as the suspect was searched. They also found evidence that Holmes' high capacity magazine had jammed, otherwsie perhaps three times more would have been killed. Blind chance!
-Of the total of 375 move goers in Theater 9, 12 were killed, and 58 others injured, including three in the adjacent theater (Theater 8).
- Holmes' actual movie ticket was punched for Theater 8, not Theater 9. Had he followed the information the killings would have been in Theater 8, not 9. All the victims' names would have been different.
- By happenstance, at the time of the shootings two Aurora police shifts overlapped, allowing 129 officers to respond in 5 minutes to 911 calls, and help ferry the wounded to hospitals. If only one shift had been available many more victims would have died with barely half the number of officers available.
- At least a couple of victims, including Jesse Childress, chose to go into Theater 9 when they had friends who invited them into Theater 8. Others, like Jordan Crofter, had sneaked into Theater 9 to sit with friends. Choices!
- The most lethal area of the Theater was in rows 8- 12 where six were killed.
- A number of victims wouldn't have been in the Theater at all had they followed their usual norms, routines. Jansen Young and friend, for example, noted how tired they were and that "maybe we shouldn't go tonight". They did anyway. Two bikers were headed for San Francisco and weren't Batman fans at all. They just happened to pull up near the Aurora 16 Cinemark when they were tired and decided to take in the film.
Each of the above, and more, discloses the extent to which chance decisions and happenstance intervened on that July night. Meanwhile, diehard religionists like Bonnie Kate Pourciau will continue to believe they were spared by some divine intervention - never mind not far from them a 6-year old (Veronica Moser) died a brutal death.
We know the human brain is prey to these exceptionalist fantasies, and we also know there is no way they will ever stop. They are part and parcel of the religious exceptionalism that threads its way through our culture, culminating in the skewed belief that only a chosen select are "saved", who happen to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". Never mind, 'Jesus' was a god-man fable stolen from the Mithra template, e.g. http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-on-mithraic-god-man-mythooogy.html
At some time, however, most humans will grow up and finally put away their childish things, including immature beliefs and acknowledge their lives are more hinged to the vagaries of blind chance than they'd like to think!
Much of this egoistic foolishness can be forgiven or overlooked either out of youthful folly (Bonnie Kate was only 18) or because too many people inhabit a mythical world of their own confabulation where a 'Daddy God' watches over everything and knows when every sparrow falls or when every rose bud blossoms. A lot is also engendered because of the U.S. of A's hyper religious culture and enabling media which pays more attention to religious nonsense than anything else. I already noted a lot of this and how the American press enables it in an earlier blog, e.g. http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2012/12/idiocy-beyond-belief-charles-pierce.html
Anyway, let's look at the findings to see the extent to which people were affected based on totally chance contingency as opposed to any "divine intervention". In other words, it was basically the movie goers' chance decisions which put them in the brunt of harm's way or not.
Some of the chance components of good fortune - which otherwise meant many more killed:
-Investigators found 76 used casings and 224 live rounds, with unused magazines picked up outside as the suspect was searched. They also found evidence that Holmes' high capacity magazine had jammed, otherwsie perhaps three times more would have been killed. Blind chance!
-Of the total of 375 move goers in Theater 9, 12 were killed, and 58 others injured, including three in the adjacent theater (Theater 8).
- Holmes' actual movie ticket was punched for Theater 8, not Theater 9. Had he followed the information the killings would have been in Theater 8, not 9. All the victims' names would have been different.
- By happenstance, at the time of the shootings two Aurora police shifts overlapped, allowing 129 officers to respond in 5 minutes to 911 calls, and help ferry the wounded to hospitals. If only one shift had been available many more victims would have died with barely half the number of officers available.
- At least a couple of victims, including Jesse Childress, chose to go into Theater 9 when they had friends who invited them into Theater 8. Others, like Jordan Crofter, had sneaked into Theater 9 to sit with friends. Choices!
- The most lethal area of the Theater was in rows 8- 12 where six were killed.
- A number of victims wouldn't have been in the Theater at all had they followed their usual norms, routines. Jansen Young and friend, for example, noted how tired they were and that "maybe we shouldn't go tonight". They did anyway. Two bikers were headed for San Francisco and weren't Batman fans at all. They just happened to pull up near the Aurora 16 Cinemark when they were tired and decided to take in the film.
Each of the above, and more, discloses the extent to which chance decisions and happenstance intervened on that July night. Meanwhile, diehard religionists like Bonnie Kate Pourciau will continue to believe they were spared by some divine intervention - never mind not far from them a 6-year old (Veronica Moser) died a brutal death.
We know the human brain is prey to these exceptionalist fantasies, and we also know there is no way they will ever stop. They are part and parcel of the religious exceptionalism that threads its way through our culture, culminating in the skewed belief that only a chosen select are "saved", who happen to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ". Never mind, 'Jesus' was a god-man fable stolen from the Mithra template, e.g. http://brane-space.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-on-mithraic-god-man-mythooogy.html
At some time, however, most humans will grow up and finally put away their childish things, including immature beliefs and acknowledge their lives are more hinged to the vagaries of blind chance than they'd like to think!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Another Whacko & A Murderous Rampage: What Gives?
Below: The recovered worm -eaten brain of a man who went insane with a machete in Barbados, ca. 1976. The worm cysts had triggered a violent reaction by impinging on his fear centers, in the amygdala. Might Adam Lanza have been driven by such parasites? An autopsy would need to be performed.
As the murderous rampage of Adam Lanza in Newtown, CT is assessed, questioning minds are (as usual) left with many more questions than answers, including:
1) Why, in a town one named as being 'safest in America" did a teacher (and mother of Lanza) find it necessary to keep a Bushmaster .223 rifle, Glock 9mm and another handgun?
2) Why did Adam Lanza resort to using his mom's "collection'' to kill her and then 20 children and 5 other teachers at the school?
3) Was the disorder that set Lanza off on his murderous spree in any way similar to what set off the Aurora, CO killer (James Eagan Holmes) in July?
Arguably, we don't know but certain surmises and speculations can be offered based on the information we do have, including that Adam Lanza tended to want to be alone and be left alone, and that he killed kids that his mother likely taught (new info this morning indicates she was more a substitute teacher than regular). So is this another case of submerged personality disorder?
Alexander Wolf and Irwin L. Kutash (Psychotherapy of the Submerged Personality) in their first chapter ('Historical and Theoretical Perspective', p. 13) emphasize that:
"A central characteristic quality of submergence is the need to be alone. The submerged personality cannot really reveal himself to anyone. The persons he claims as 'friends' are people who themselves, like him, have no close personal bonds. These have to subordinate themselves to his solitary need and ask for nothing in return. They must be loyal servants more than friends, providing only a listening silence for a man who has no interest in intimacy. His friends are to make no comment or to respond actively to his behavior."
This is significant because it links aspects of Lanza's behavior to why his first victim was his mother. Note that this type of submergent is called "avoidant" and is said to lack "object relatedness". (Kutash and Greenberg, 'Place in the Diagnostic Spectrum', p. 47). The authors also point out the crucial link to later (e.g. adult) behavior in childhood:
" In infancy the child is provided with satisfaction of all the basic physical needs such as food and physical comfort, but due to either a lack of parenting ability or life circumstance, the child is unable to receive much positive emotional stimulation or gratification. This scenario may be the result of a parent who is depressed or schizoid, or it may be due to a long term illness in which the child needs to be hospitalized. As the child enters the ego-emergence phase, independent strides are met with negative consequences such as punishment or anger.
This may be the result of having a parent who needs the child to remain a child in order to feel less threatened, or who needs the child to engage in activities that they themselves cannot fulfill."
Did the mother, a teacher at the school - also purchase her stock of weapons to ensure her role as "enforcer", i.e. to inhibit or prevent Lanza's emergence into adult independence? It's quite possible, but again we'd be rash to jump to hard conclusions until all the facts are in.
But the authors go on to note that as a result of this subjugation of innate personality to the parent's (usually the mother's) demands "ego development is thwarted". This is a result of a "complying pseudo ego" emerging which occurs as the individual's own authentic ego is submerged and is done to "stay out of harm's way". The submergent personality thereby exhibits little object relatedness since "they do not know how it feels to be gratified by another person".
In the case of James Holmes, I noted that when his pseudo-ego "Joker" was hatched, he'd received the shock of his young life by learning that - even after graduating with honors from UC Riverside in Neuroscience- the best job on offer was burger flipping at Mickey Ds! Holmes temporarily salvaged the situation (and postponed release of the murderous Joker) by finding an 'in' at the Univ. of Colorado, where he could pursue a Ph.D. and at least had the chance at a respectable future in neuroscience research. But it was not to be. While he skated through the baccalaureate work he met his match at the Ph.D.
Within a year he found himself on academic probation at the University of Colorado-Anchustz campus. He had "academic problems" according to campus spokewoman Jackie Brinkman. It doesn't matter what the immediate or specific source of failure was, the end result is that his grandiose self-concept now faced the imminent prospect of burger flipping . No Ph.D, no postdocs, leaving Colorado in disgrace...Mickey D here we come....or wait!
It was time to release the "Joker"! In other words, Holmes' Ph.D. failure triggered the release of the aggressive pseudo self since the capacity for true creative work was denied him by the need for submergence of his authentic self - where the energy, insight and true intelligence resided to succeed.
Adam Lanza's case is clearly different, and it appears that as a 20-year old still living at home he was either a submerged captive of his mother's more dominant personality or was unable to express his independent needs and goals- perhaps because she denied them. Again, further information is needed.
What is more a rational conjecture is that - as in the case of Eagan Holmes - Adam Lanza's life was "developmentally stymied" and hence not "available for rich and authentic experience". However, his aggressive pseudo-ego would naturally want to extend this miserable condition to all other humans in his immediate sphere. If his mother was the central object of hatred then whatever kids she came in contact with would emerge as proxy symbols of her power and control. In the end, he wasn't killing his mother once, but over and over and over again.....albeit symbolically.
Many theories will be put forward in the coming days on whether Adam Lanza was a "sociopath" or garden variety "psychopath" but the one which should never be discounted ab initio is submerged personality disorder.
Another more exotic take is that Lanza was perhaps under the control of brain parasites (see photo). We know that numerous violent instances have occurred, e.g. in the 3rd world, and also that worm infestations are becoming more and more common in the U.S. A. Parasitic worms, especially which burrow into brains, aren't everyone's cup of tea - but on account of global warming or for whatever reason, they seem to be proliferating and causing an epidemic. Mainly one species, identified as Taenia solium, or the tapeworm.
Less well known is that before the worms become adults they spend time as larvae in large cysts, which may find their way into the brain (see image) and cause a condition known as neurocysticercosis. Once having migrated to a brain, the cysts can thrive there for years feeding off the nutrients in the environs. As the cysts grow they can push relentlessly against critical regions of the brain causing a spate of symptoms. Some doctors in the Caribbean believe a number of cases where islanders have run amuck with machetes arose from cyst pressure on the amygdala - the "fear center" of the brain.
Is it possible that Lanza or other mass murderers had brains full of cysts which impelled their behavior? We don't know but an autopsy of the brain in this case might shed light. However, given the more northerly location (most worm infestations occur in the South) I will stick with submerged personality disorder as the more likely cause!
In the meantime, whatever the cause of psycho inception, this country needs to do more - much more - to control the accessibility to high powered weapons, which no hunter in his right mind would really need. That includes all AR-15s and Bushmaster .223s as well as Glocks of all calibers. Chris Hedges' UP this morning showed just how far the U.S. is as an "outlier" vs. other OECD nations in gun deaths.
Instead of always appealing to "prayers" in the wake of such mass killings, our leaders need to finally get off their collective butts and ACT - even if it means going up against the NRA in swing states! Those 20 kids killed by Lanza deserved a much better fate, and at least a decent chance of being safe in their school rooms. Worms or no worms in the brain, submerged personality or not....had those powerful weapons not been available to Lanza (or his mom) many fewer would have paid so dearly.
As the murderous rampage of Adam Lanza in Newtown, CT is assessed, questioning minds are (as usual) left with many more questions than answers, including:1) Why, in a town one named as being 'safest in America" did a teacher (and mother of Lanza) find it necessary to keep a Bushmaster .223 rifle, Glock 9mm and another handgun?
2) Why did Adam Lanza resort to using his mom's "collection'' to kill her and then 20 children and 5 other teachers at the school?
3) Was the disorder that set Lanza off on his murderous spree in any way similar to what set off the Aurora, CO killer (James Eagan Holmes) in July?
Arguably, we don't know but certain surmises and speculations can be offered based on the information we do have, including that Adam Lanza tended to want to be alone and be left alone, and that he killed kids that his mother likely taught (new info this morning indicates she was more a substitute teacher than regular). So is this another case of submerged personality disorder?
Alexander Wolf and Irwin L. Kutash (Psychotherapy of the Submerged Personality) in their first chapter ('Historical and Theoretical Perspective', p. 13) emphasize that:
"A central characteristic quality of submergence is the need to be alone. The submerged personality cannot really reveal himself to anyone. The persons he claims as 'friends' are people who themselves, like him, have no close personal bonds. These have to subordinate themselves to his solitary need and ask for nothing in return. They must be loyal servants more than friends, providing only a listening silence for a man who has no interest in intimacy. His friends are to make no comment or to respond actively to his behavior."
This is significant because it links aspects of Lanza's behavior to why his first victim was his mother. Note that this type of submergent is called "avoidant" and is said to lack "object relatedness". (Kutash and Greenberg, 'Place in the Diagnostic Spectrum', p. 47). The authors also point out the crucial link to later (e.g. adult) behavior in childhood:
" In infancy the child is provided with satisfaction of all the basic physical needs such as food and physical comfort, but due to either a lack of parenting ability or life circumstance, the child is unable to receive much positive emotional stimulation or gratification. This scenario may be the result of a parent who is depressed or schizoid, or it may be due to a long term illness in which the child needs to be hospitalized. As the child enters the ego-emergence phase, independent strides are met with negative consequences such as punishment or anger.
This may be the result of having a parent who needs the child to remain a child in order to feel less threatened, or who needs the child to engage in activities that they themselves cannot fulfill."
Did the mother, a teacher at the school - also purchase her stock of weapons to ensure her role as "enforcer", i.e. to inhibit or prevent Lanza's emergence into adult independence? It's quite possible, but again we'd be rash to jump to hard conclusions until all the facts are in.
But the authors go on to note that as a result of this subjugation of innate personality to the parent's (usually the mother's) demands "ego development is thwarted". This is a result of a "complying pseudo ego" emerging which occurs as the individual's own authentic ego is submerged and is done to "stay out of harm's way". The submergent personality thereby exhibits little object relatedness since "they do not know how it feels to be gratified by another person".
In the case of James Holmes, I noted that when his pseudo-ego "Joker" was hatched, he'd received the shock of his young life by learning that - even after graduating with honors from UC Riverside in Neuroscience- the best job on offer was burger flipping at Mickey Ds! Holmes temporarily salvaged the situation (and postponed release of the murderous Joker) by finding an 'in' at the Univ. of Colorado, where he could pursue a Ph.D. and at least had the chance at a respectable future in neuroscience research. But it was not to be. While he skated through the baccalaureate work he met his match at the Ph.D.
Within a year he found himself on academic probation at the University of Colorado-Anchustz campus. He had "academic problems" according to campus spokewoman Jackie Brinkman. It doesn't matter what the immediate or specific source of failure was, the end result is that his grandiose self-concept now faced the imminent prospect of burger flipping . No Ph.D, no postdocs, leaving Colorado in disgrace...Mickey D here we come....or wait!
It was time to release the "Joker"! In other words, Holmes' Ph.D. failure triggered the release of the aggressive pseudo self since the capacity for true creative work was denied him by the need for submergence of his authentic self - where the energy, insight and true intelligence resided to succeed.
Adam Lanza's case is clearly different, and it appears that as a 20-year old still living at home he was either a submerged captive of his mother's more dominant personality or was unable to express his independent needs and goals- perhaps because she denied them. Again, further information is needed.
What is more a rational conjecture is that - as in the case of Eagan Holmes - Adam Lanza's life was "developmentally stymied" and hence not "available for rich and authentic experience". However, his aggressive pseudo-ego would naturally want to extend this miserable condition to all other humans in his immediate sphere. If his mother was the central object of hatred then whatever kids she came in contact with would emerge as proxy symbols of her power and control. In the end, he wasn't killing his mother once, but over and over and over again.....albeit symbolically.
Many theories will be put forward in the coming days on whether Adam Lanza was a "sociopath" or garden variety "psychopath" but the one which should never be discounted ab initio is submerged personality disorder.
Another more exotic take is that Lanza was perhaps under the control of brain parasites (see photo). We know that numerous violent instances have occurred, e.g. in the 3rd world, and also that worm infestations are becoming more and more common in the U.S. A. Parasitic worms, especially which burrow into brains, aren't everyone's cup of tea - but on account of global warming or for whatever reason, they seem to be proliferating and causing an epidemic. Mainly one species, identified as Taenia solium, or the tapeworm.
Less well known is that before the worms become adults they spend time as larvae in large cysts, which may find their way into the brain (see image) and cause a condition known as neurocysticercosis. Once having migrated to a brain, the cysts can thrive there for years feeding off the nutrients in the environs. As the cysts grow they can push relentlessly against critical regions of the brain causing a spate of symptoms. Some doctors in the Caribbean believe a number of cases where islanders have run amuck with machetes arose from cyst pressure on the amygdala - the "fear center" of the brain.
Is it possible that Lanza or other mass murderers had brains full of cysts which impelled their behavior? We don't know but an autopsy of the brain in this case might shed light. However, given the more northerly location (most worm infestations occur in the South) I will stick with submerged personality disorder as the more likely cause!
In the meantime, whatever the cause of psycho inception, this country needs to do more - much more - to control the accessibility to high powered weapons, which no hunter in his right mind would really need. That includes all AR-15s and Bushmaster .223s as well as Glocks of all calibers. Chris Hedges' UP this morning showed just how far the U.S. is as an "outlier" vs. other OECD nations in gun deaths.
Instead of always appealing to "prayers" in the wake of such mass killings, our leaders need to finally get off their collective butts and ACT - even if it means going up against the NRA in swing states! Those 20 kids killed by Lanza deserved a much better fate, and at least a decent chance of being safe in their school rooms. Worms or no worms in the brain, submerged personality or not....had those powerful weapons not been available to Lanza (or his mom) many fewer would have paid so dearly.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Parsing the 'Submergent' Psycho (Q&A): Part II
The malevolent punk, James Eagan Holmes, in court today
We continue now with more questions, answers:
Q. I am still not clear on where all the rage had to come from to fuel the Joker persona. Can you give the psych background?
A. Okay, first from the time the child had to sacrifice his authentic persona, he had to expect something back in return. A quid pro quo for his self-sacrifice. This includes “positive mirroring”, e.g. the mother smiling back at him when he smiles at her, and some degree of “empathic attunement”, i.e. when he skins his knee or otherwise hurts himself, his mother responds in an empathic way (putting a bandaid on) and doesn’t ignore him.
But in the most wretched cases for genesis of the submerged personality, this quid pro quo is not met. The mother’s (or other dominant parent’s) expectations are such that virtually nothing the kid does merits compensation, so the kid ends up giving away his self essence for nothing. According to Michael Lindenmann (op. cit., p. 89):
“There is a three-part strategy for defending against loss of empathic attunement and positive mirroring (the child’s early requirements for unrestricted emergence of authentic – if grandiose- ego) . The three elements are: 1) reactive rage, 2) repression of grandiose strivings of the authentic ego, and 3) accommodation to external requirements. “
Lindenmann goes on to note these elements form the basis for an unconscious mode of transaction. He goes on to emphasize:
“ This mode of reaction, thoroughly reactive and defensive in character, may be assumed whenever there is a perceived threat, in fact or fantasy, to the strivings of the narcissistic ego or its demanded narcissistic supplies. With enough reinforcement over time this will become the habitual of relating for some individuals.”
Q. Can you put the last part in context for Holmes?
A. Again the 3 elements must be understood in the context of the unconscious mode of transaction, especially the first two: reactive rage and repression of grandiose strivings. These were evidently fed since Holmes’ childhood for whatever reason. However, as long as he received positive ‘strokes’ – whether for his academic performance or other achievements (e.g. making Phi Beta Kappa) the reactive rage was held in abeyance since his grandiose strivings were being addressed and didn't have to endure repression. This was so even if the authentic ego that demanded the grandiose strivings was submerged.
The problems would have really begun when the grandiose strivings were denied or impeded, so the narcissistic component of ego was starved.(I.e. when Holmes Ph.D. aspirations came crashing down in tatters.) At this point the reactive rage would have been monstrously fueled, though its seeds were germinated years before, perhaps by some perceived slight from peers or professors. However, since the authentic ego was submerged, and the parent pseudo ego was the cause, a rage-reactive alternate pseudo ego ('Joker') had to be created wherein the reactive rage would reside, with potential use later ....say if external conditions warranted it in the pseudo-ego's mind.
Thereby all the cumulative frustrations of the authentic ego would be transferred to the pseudo ego or what Holmes called the Joker. It’s important to grasp that neither Holmes’ authentic ego or the parental pseudo-ego was capable of the reactive rage displayed in the Aurora massacre. This had to be carried out by the rebellious, pseudo ego. This was the one created (we know not exactly when) explicitly for the purpose of harvesting all past slights whether from parents, peers, or other authorities and integrating them, before energizing the reactive rage from that basis. Then acting on that rage, by emulating the vicious, fictitious persona he'd chosen.
Q. So, is this the idea behind the orange hair and Joker type get up seen in the recent TV news pieces?
A. Exactly! Since there is no way Holmes’ in the guise of his (submerged) authentic ego could have carried out this vicious mass murder, he in effect had to physically confect an entirely distinct aggressive alter-persona. This persona had to be radically different from the Ph.D. student and even manifest a different “strange, guttural, cackling” voice. (The latter was reported coming through Holmes’ answering machine when a local gun dealer phoned regarding Holmes’ application for membership in a Byers gun club. Holmes' application was rejected by the club simply on the basis of the insane phone voice, as reported in today's Denver Post.)
In this aggression-laced pseudo persona, it was possible for Holmes to carry out his foul deed, since in his submerged psyche it wasn’t him (James Eagan Holmes) committing the crime, but the evil “Joker”. Note also the “Joker” was –is the sworn enemy of Batman (see the previous film with Heath Ledger in the name role as "the Joker", and note also the eerie resemblance of the character’s hair to Holmes'). Hence, one can surmise “Batman” represented all normative successful society which Holmes’grandiose ego core now despised since his own failure (at Ph.D. level) to be an academic success. The authentic ego realized, perhaps from 3-4 months ago, the only future on offer would not satiate the grandiose, narcissist needs. A future of working in the despised, low-wage service class sector would then emerge as the realization of the "perceived threat, in fact .....to the strivings of the narcissistic ego".
One can conjecture that the transference of reactive rage extended well beyond the abstract, target “superhero” (the ultimate success) of Batman to all those humans who idolized that success, hence the choice of the theater audience. (Though in truth we may never know why he selected Theater 9, as opposed to say 8) These attendees by definition were all Batman- success ‘groupies’ and (in the warped mind of Holmes’ aggressive pseudo ego), were the chosen proxy as the alternative to eliminating the superhero himself; the embodiment of public accolades, societal-cultural success, ego mastery and adoration by the non-submerged populace.
I surmise the "Joker" was also unconsciously selected (bear in mind according to Lindemann we are talking of "unconscious modes of transaction" ) which also conforms to the need for "accommodation to external requirements". For all we know, it was selected not only to be an embodiment of evil - to carry out what Holmes' planned - but also as a kind of unconscious mockery of his own (authentic-submerged) ego's failure to gain the Ph. D.
Q. You do realize that the FBI Behaviorists will likely have a different view?
A. Oh, for sure! And more power to them! I say the more analyses we have on this creepazoid the better, to perhaps profile likely suspects before it happens again. (Though hopefully, the analyses will eventually boil down to one unifying theme or profile! ) Think of this logically: If the gun lobby and its hacks, puppets prevail - as we are almost certain they will (despite Mayor Bloomberg's courageous pleas) - and no limits are imposed on the purchase of assault rifles -guns or multi-capacity clips, then the only option is to pick out the plausible mass murdering perps before they carry out their fell deeds.
As to having a different view, I would not be surprised since as I noted in an earlier blog, e.g
We continue now with more questions, answers:
Q. I am still not clear on where all the rage had to come from to fuel the Joker persona. Can you give the psych background?
A. Okay, first from the time the child had to sacrifice his authentic persona, he had to expect something back in return. A quid pro quo for his self-sacrifice. This includes “positive mirroring”, e.g. the mother smiling back at him when he smiles at her, and some degree of “empathic attunement”, i.e. when he skins his knee or otherwise hurts himself, his mother responds in an empathic way (putting a bandaid on) and doesn’t ignore him.
But in the most wretched cases for genesis of the submerged personality, this quid pro quo is not met. The mother’s (or other dominant parent’s) expectations are such that virtually nothing the kid does merits compensation, so the kid ends up giving away his self essence for nothing. According to Michael Lindenmann (op. cit., p. 89):
“There is a three-part strategy for defending against loss of empathic attunement and positive mirroring (the child’s early requirements for unrestricted emergence of authentic – if grandiose- ego) . The three elements are: 1) reactive rage, 2) repression of grandiose strivings of the authentic ego, and 3) accommodation to external requirements. “
Lindenmann goes on to note these elements form the basis for an unconscious mode of transaction. He goes on to emphasize:
“ This mode of reaction, thoroughly reactive and defensive in character, may be assumed whenever there is a perceived threat, in fact or fantasy, to the strivings of the narcissistic ego or its demanded narcissistic supplies. With enough reinforcement over time this will become the habitual of relating for some individuals.”
Q. Can you put the last part in context for Holmes?
A. Again the 3 elements must be understood in the context of the unconscious mode of transaction, especially the first two: reactive rage and repression of grandiose strivings. These were evidently fed since Holmes’ childhood for whatever reason. However, as long as he received positive ‘strokes’ – whether for his academic performance or other achievements (e.g. making Phi Beta Kappa) the reactive rage was held in abeyance since his grandiose strivings were being addressed and didn't have to endure repression. This was so even if the authentic ego that demanded the grandiose strivings was submerged.
The problems would have really begun when the grandiose strivings were denied or impeded, so the narcissistic component of ego was starved.(I.e. when Holmes Ph.D. aspirations came crashing down in tatters.) At this point the reactive rage would have been monstrously fueled, though its seeds were germinated years before, perhaps by some perceived slight from peers or professors. However, since the authentic ego was submerged, and the parent pseudo ego was the cause, a rage-reactive alternate pseudo ego ('Joker') had to be created wherein the reactive rage would reside, with potential use later ....say if external conditions warranted it in the pseudo-ego's mind.
Thereby all the cumulative frustrations of the authentic ego would be transferred to the pseudo ego or what Holmes called the Joker. It’s important to grasp that neither Holmes’ authentic ego or the parental pseudo-ego was capable of the reactive rage displayed in the Aurora massacre. This had to be carried out by the rebellious, pseudo ego. This was the one created (we know not exactly when) explicitly for the purpose of harvesting all past slights whether from parents, peers, or other authorities and integrating them, before energizing the reactive rage from that basis. Then acting on that rage, by emulating the vicious, fictitious persona he'd chosen.
Q. So, is this the idea behind the orange hair and Joker type get up seen in the recent TV news pieces?
A. Exactly! Since there is no way Holmes’ in the guise of his (submerged) authentic ego could have carried out this vicious mass murder, he in effect had to physically confect an entirely distinct aggressive alter-persona. This persona had to be radically different from the Ph.D. student and even manifest a different “strange, guttural, cackling” voice. (The latter was reported coming through Holmes’ answering machine when a local gun dealer phoned regarding Holmes’ application for membership in a Byers gun club. Holmes' application was rejected by the club simply on the basis of the insane phone voice, as reported in today's Denver Post.)
In this aggression-laced pseudo persona, it was possible for Holmes to carry out his foul deed, since in his submerged psyche it wasn’t him (James Eagan Holmes) committing the crime, but the evil “Joker”. Note also the “Joker” was –is the sworn enemy of Batman (see the previous film with Heath Ledger in the name role as "the Joker", and note also the eerie resemblance of the character’s hair to Holmes'). Hence, one can surmise “Batman” represented all normative successful society which Holmes’grandiose ego core now despised since his own failure (at Ph.D. level) to be an academic success. The authentic ego realized, perhaps from 3-4 months ago, the only future on offer would not satiate the grandiose, narcissist needs. A future of working in the despised, low-wage service class sector would then emerge as the realization of the "perceived threat, in fact .....to the strivings of the narcissistic ego".
One can conjecture that the transference of reactive rage extended well beyond the abstract, target “superhero” (the ultimate success) of Batman to all those humans who idolized that success, hence the choice of the theater audience. (Though in truth we may never know why he selected Theater 9, as opposed to say 8) These attendees by definition were all Batman- success ‘groupies’ and (in the warped mind of Holmes’ aggressive pseudo ego), were the chosen proxy as the alternative to eliminating the superhero himself; the embodiment of public accolades, societal-cultural success, ego mastery and adoration by the non-submerged populace.
I surmise the "Joker" was also unconsciously selected (bear in mind according to Lindemann we are talking of "unconscious modes of transaction" ) which also conforms to the need for "accommodation to external requirements". For all we know, it was selected not only to be an embodiment of evil - to carry out what Holmes' planned - but also as a kind of unconscious mockery of his own (authentic-submerged) ego's failure to gain the Ph. D.
Q. You do realize that the FBI Behaviorists will likely have a different view?
A. Oh, for sure! And more power to them! I say the more analyses we have on this creepazoid the better, to perhaps profile likely suspects before it happens again. (Though hopefully, the analyses will eventually boil down to one unifying theme or profile! ) Think of this logically: If the gun lobby and its hacks, puppets prevail - as we are almost certain they will (despite Mayor Bloomberg's courageous pleas) - and no limits are imposed on the purchase of assault rifles -guns or multi-capacity clips, then the only option is to pick out the plausible mass murdering perps before they carry out their fell deeds.
As to having a different view, I would not be surprised since as I noted in an earlier blog, e.g
psychology is still an "immature" science, by which I mean there are no firm quantitative models by which to make predictions -say like in physics - then most interpretations, results and empirical findings will remain subjective. On the positive side, this is also why almost anyone willing to devote himself to the research aspect, can make a valid contribution. Much like the amateur astronomers did before astronomy emerged as a mature, quantitative science in the late 1800s.
This is also why I have no qualms about putting in my 0.02 (if someone asks what gives me the "right" to offer an analysis of Holmes) despite psychology not being my speciality area. It doesn't have to be given it's still a "squishy", subjective science with no really formal quantitative basis - - apart from the occasional statistical models and formulae, and we're well aware of the defects in those! Thus, I maintain that just as in the other subjective science of economics, anyone willing to put in a decent research effort is entitled to have his input taken seriously. In the sense of immature, subjective sciences, all inputs are to a degree, relative. The professional psychologist, psychiatrist, may attract more gravitas within his peer-reviewer, publication community, but this doesn't disallow inputs from outside, say of non-specialists. Further, I don't offer my conjectures as any firm "theory" about Holmes, only a feasible hypothesis based on my research! Hence, people are free to consider it or reject it as they wish. I do this because I understand many people are desperate to have the 'why' addressed, and no one in the media seems to be doing that other than incidentally. Worse, most of the analyses thus far given appear to be overly generic.
Q. Gov. Hickenlooper of Colorado has said the shooter's aim was not just to kill innocent people but to try to kill or eliminate our joy at going to the movies, say for escape. Do you agree?
A. Yes, I do. Given that this forlorn creature (refer to my blog 'Deconstruction of a Psycho') was "developmentally stymied" and hence whose life was not "available for rich and authentic experience", his aggressive pseudo-ego would naturally want to extend this miserable condition to all other humans. So in the warped consciousness of the Joker pseudo-ego it would have been believed that killing so many at an innocent venue would extrapolate to people not wishing to put themselves in possible harm's way at such a venue.
Hence, the best whack in the face for this creature would be to go to as many movies as you want, especially midnight premieres!
Q. DO you worry about your blogs giving too much publicity to Holmes?
A. No. Because the rationale isn't to confer any "publicity" but to provide a psychological profile and features by which to recognize the next wacko before he or she acts! And yes, that means people must come forward, even if it means that they might be proven wrong!
Q. Can you explain the loopy, vacant stare of the guy as captured in the booking image (above - top of blog) and in court?
A. Of course! The Submerged Disorder model easily accounts for the look! Clearly, the capture of the guy and his enforced isolation (solitary at the Aurora Jail) has torpedoed the 'Joker' (the aggressive pseudo-ago) who is thereby rendered impotent and inactive. What we are seeing is the first emergence of Holmes' authentic self and the expected SHOCK because frankly, HE doesn't know what the hell happened! After all, it was the pseudo ego 'Joker' that did the deed, then vacated or was vacated. Now, the authentic or previously submerged ego is left to wonder what the hell is going on.
Is he insane? Of course! His self has been dissociated, and the guilty perp -ego is now gone, fled the coop as it were, to leave the authentic 'James Holmes' ego and self to bear the cost. Authorities would be advised not to let this dude alone for a nanosecond, because he will kill himself at the first opportunity - once he fully recognizes his situation.
Q. Don't you feel bad at "medicalizing" his condition using these psych models? Why not just admit the guy is pure evil and leave it at that? Most Americans don't wish to see all this psych medicalizing mumbo-jumbo!
A. Tough shit. I do not process 'evil' other than as a word. 'Evil' is the realm of religious ideologues, and extremists who see the world and experience only in black-white terms, as if they themselves could never ever remotely do such a deed. But the shock experiments of Philip Zimbardo back in the 60s-70s show any of us is capable of expressing what is called "evil" by the hoi polloi. Also, any of us - if enough pressure is brought to bear - can crack given the critical catalyst. So, with this in mind, I opt to use psychological referents as opposed to 'evil', 'evil doers' and oh, ...no doubt 'Demons', and 'Satan' and ancillary hogwash and figments of the derelict, uneducated mind. If people want THOSE sort of explanations, let them go to the Vatican - the same bunch that allowed the rape of thousands of kids by hiding the perps. I am sure they have plenty of "evil" to spout off about!
Q. Can you explain the loopy, vacant stare of the guy as captured in the booking image (above - top of blog) and in court?
A. Of course! The Submerged Disorder model easily accounts for the look! Clearly, the capture of the guy and his enforced isolation (solitary at the Aurora Jail) has torpedoed the 'Joker' (the aggressive pseudo-ago) who is thereby rendered impotent and inactive. What we are seeing is the first emergence of Holmes' authentic self and the expected SHOCK because frankly, HE doesn't know what the hell happened! After all, it was the pseudo ego 'Joker' that did the deed, then vacated or was vacated. Now, the authentic or previously submerged ego is left to wonder what the hell is going on.
Is he insane? Of course! His self has been dissociated, and the guilty perp -ego is now gone, fled the coop as it were, to leave the authentic 'James Holmes' ego and self to bear the cost. Authorities would be advised not to let this dude alone for a nanosecond, because he will kill himself at the first opportunity - once he fully recognizes his situation.
Q. Don't you feel bad at "medicalizing" his condition using these psych models? Why not just admit the guy is pure evil and leave it at that? Most Americans don't wish to see all this psych medicalizing mumbo-jumbo!
A. Tough shit. I do not process 'evil' other than as a word. 'Evil' is the realm of religious ideologues, and extremists who see the world and experience only in black-white terms, as if they themselves could never ever remotely do such a deed. But the shock experiments of Philip Zimbardo back in the 60s-70s show any of us is capable of expressing what is called "evil" by the hoi polloi. Also, any of us - if enough pressure is brought to bear - can crack given the critical catalyst. So, with this in mind, I opt to use psychological referents as opposed to 'evil', 'evil doers' and oh, ...no doubt 'Demons', and 'Satan' and ancillary hogwash and figments of the derelict, uneducated mind. If people want THOSE sort of explanations, let them go to the Vatican - the same bunch that allowed the rape of thousands of kids by hiding the perps. I am sure they have plenty of "evil" to spout off about!
Q. What do you think will happen to Holmes?
A. I think he will end up at the "Supermax" facility in Canon City, Colorado, along with Ted Kascinszki and assorted terrorists. This may be the best retribution for the guy, as opposed to gassing him. This way, once the pseudo ego dissolves, as it must in prison isolation-confinement, he will be left with nothing but the charred remains of his life's regrets, and the acrid realization of all the unmet potential he still could have achieved......for the rest of his days.
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