As news of the mass murder in an elementary school in Connecticut, USA spread, the world was shocked. Probably I was a little more so, 'coz two of my cousin sisters are elementary school students in Connecticut (thankfully, they go to a different school; they're safe). And within 48 hours of this horrific crime, as sympathy and mourning poured in from every corner of the world, there was also another strong feeling in the air.
Hatred.
A quick Facebook search with the killer's name, Adam Lanza, reveals that. Hundreds of people, in different pages, all asserting "Adam Lanza should rot in hell", "I Hate Adam Lanza" and other rhetorics that are best not repeated here. Yes it's true, we're all justified in hating him for having snapped the life out of 20 little innocent kids, but does he really deserve so much hatred?
Almost every news agency that has reported the tragedy has also reported that the killer in question was a 20-year old extremely lonely and intelligent guy who had no friends at all. According to the head of security at his school, Adam was "a very scared young boy, who was very nervous around people he could trust or he refused to speak with", and "a loner". This, as psychiatrists say, is an indication of Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism - which is an in-born genetic condition in almost all cases. Couple it with the fact that his parents divorced in 2008 - obviously not an emotionally pleasant situation for any child, let alone an autistic one.
I'm not asking that all killers' actions can be justified in one way or the other. All I say is, let's not hate anyone blindly just by having one glance at the person's actions. It's important to look at the other side of the story as well - to spare a thought for the circumstances that could've led a human being, who was once no different from us, to act in the way he did. Let's not alienate anyone from our company - don't allow anyone to be a loner. Many people say that they "like being alone" and they "prefer being quiet and in solitude" - but at the end of the day, everyone likes to have friends. Often it is seen that the persons who inflict deep hateful crimes upon their fellow beings are those who were desperately in need of love. The root cause of hatred is hatred itself. And the world has seen enough of that.
RIP, 28 victims who were shot down on 14 December, 2012 in Connecticut, USA.
RIP, Adam Lanza.
Hatred.
A quick Facebook search with the killer's name, Adam Lanza, reveals that. Hundreds of people, in different pages, all asserting "Adam Lanza should rot in hell", "I Hate Adam Lanza" and other rhetorics that are best not repeated here. Yes it's true, we're all justified in hating him for having snapped the life out of 20 little innocent kids, but does he really deserve so much hatred?
Almost every news agency that has reported the tragedy has also reported that the killer in question was a 20-year old extremely lonely and intelligent guy who had no friends at all. According to the head of security at his school, Adam was "a very scared young boy, who was very nervous around people he could trust or he refused to speak with", and "a loner". This, as psychiatrists say, is an indication of Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism - which is an in-born genetic condition in almost all cases. Couple it with the fact that his parents divorced in 2008 - obviously not an emotionally pleasant situation for any child, let alone an autistic one.
I'm not asking that all killers' actions can be justified in one way or the other. All I say is, let's not hate anyone blindly just by having one glance at the person's actions. It's important to look at the other side of the story as well - to spare a thought for the circumstances that could've led a human being, who was once no different from us, to act in the way he did. Let's not alienate anyone from our company - don't allow anyone to be a loner. Many people say that they "like being alone" and they "prefer being quiet and in solitude" - but at the end of the day, everyone likes to have friends. Often it is seen that the persons who inflict deep hateful crimes upon their fellow beings are those who were desperately in need of love. The root cause of hatred is hatred itself. And the world has seen enough of that.
RIP, 28 victims who were shot down on 14 December, 2012 in Connecticut, USA.
RIP, Adam Lanza.
I agree with every word of yours but still i believe whatever your state may be killing is not a solution...it never was and it never will be...!!!
ReplyDeleteyeah, i totally second that! Killing is definitely not an option and is unpardonable. However, instead of blatantly hating those who are responsible for this, as mature citizens, isn't it our responsibility to show some mercy towards them and try to understand the reasons that led them to take this path (however wrong it may be)? And for persons with psychological disorders, in particular..
DeletePeople are not hating him blindly mate. The facts that you present here do not reduce the magnitude of the crime. He may be what he is due to his conditions, he may not really be evil, but he still had a choice, and he chose to kill kids. Maybe hatred is not the answer, but love for such a person is quite difficult. Pity is what one could have for him.
ReplyDeleteI really admire the way you put that, bro.. "he still had a choice, and he chose to kill kids". Yes.. so be it, then. What patients suffering from psychological disabilities is not hatred. It's compassion, and a sense of understanding of their mentality. It is important to understand that the mind of a psychologically disabled person is unable to think and analyze "choices" in the way we do.
DeleteI agree that he needs help. But you cannot have compassion for such a psychopath. Not immediately at least. Understanding his mental status is what is required first.
DeletePoint taken... so be it, then. "Understanding". Let there be a sense of empathy towards all psychologically disabled persons in general.
DeleteWe need to have pity for him due to his condition. We , who have not heard about him till the killings, can feel compassion, due to his problem.
ReplyDeleteBut what about his mother? I wonder , whether she knew what he was suffering from, how did she deal with him. How come, so many guns were left for his access? What was her responsibility here? Granted he was an adult too, then a gun is a dangerous weapon for anyone.
Yes, her mother clearly wasn't aware of the risks that could pose... since she also used to take him along to a shooting range. She was probably just ignorant of what the repercussions could possibly be.. which further raises questions on gun-control laws in the US.
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