A Useless Plan

[Evangolis]

And it is all mine.

There was a story I saw on the web today about the person who killed John Lennon.  I'm not linking it, because that violates a plan I have about people who try to kill famous people.

Generally it is this.  If the most famous thing someone has ever done is try to kill someone famous, then I try to always avoid using their name in discussing the matter.  I don't mean they should be made non-people.  Their name should stay in the highschool yearbook, the police blotter, whatever.  But when discussing John Lennon's killer, he is always, to me, 'the man who shot John Lennon'.  Nothing else.  Same for the man who shot Ronald Reagan.  Or Bobby Kennedy.  Or Martin Luther King.  The worst abuse of this is the man who shot John F. Kennedy.  Followed by the man who shot the man who shot John F. Kennedy.

I don't think this will change anything.  It is useless.  But it makes me feel better.

[Shockeye]

Why even point out their gender? "That person" or "the person" seems fine.

[stray]

I'd rather know everything about them....Including their names.

Take Hitler, for instance. I think we're better off, for future's sake, knowing ALL about the "human being" who was Adolf Hitler rather than just considering him "that Nazi fuckhead".

Same goes for these other types. If we try to understand the people behind the act, who they are, and where they came from, then maybe there's a slight chance one could recognize similar traits in future fuckheads (not saying that's definite, but I think it's better than just associating them with their victims).

Hmm...Or maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

[Samwise]

People who take potshots at celebrities sometimes are motivated primarily by the desire to be (in)famous.  (Like that guy who wanted to impress Jodie Foster.)  Granting that desire, in theory, just encourages other nutjobs with similar motivations to try the same thing.

[Llava]

I don't want to kill the thread, so I will simply recommend, rather than post, that folks might take a look at the lyrics from a number of songs in Marilyn Manson's "Holy Wood" for further discourse on this sort of thing.

[schild]

The problem here is that these "people" do have names, genders and lives. As such we should know everything possible about them. Or else history repeats itself sooner rather than later.

[tazelbain]

removed.

[Paelos]

The problem here is that these "people" do have names, genders and lives. As such we should know everything possible about them. Or else history repeats itself sooner rather than later.

While I agree with this idea in the pyschological field, I don't think it applies to your average man on the street. The general public is not qualified to notice traits in potential assassins. They just want to know the why, and the funny thing is the killers don't know why themselves.

[Ironwood]

Bald head, red tie, sharp suit and a pair of 'Ballers are usually a fairly good indication tho'.

"Ah, Good, You've opened the door.  You're even better than the previous subjects !"

[Evangolis]

Let me be clear, I don't have a problem with discussing them, or their lives.  I just think we should leave out the names.  Everything else can stay, but I would like to see all news accounts refer only to the 'man/woman who shot/stabbed/killed X'.

[stray]

Let me be clear, I don't have a problem with discussing them, or their lives.  I just think we should leave out the names.  Everything else can stay, but I would like to see all news accounts refer only to the 'man/woman who shot/stabbed/killed X'.

Not to insult you or anything, but it just reminds of the same thing Fox News does with certain things. "Homicide Bombers" for instance. 

Leaving out the name of some jackass is not exactly being the "news", as it's trying to fit some commentary in the story (which is probably going to happen anyways....But what the hell. It's better not to be so blatant about it).

So anyways (and again, I'm really not trying to be insulting)....It's a Useless Plan indeed.

[voodoolily]

No offense, Evangolis, but your plan will always fail because of the American fascination with the morbid. We want to know these killers. Perhaps we share traits with them. Could we be that close to the brink? We want to use their middle names. We want to see the documentary about the dude who killed so 'n so on Crime TV, even if the people they kill aren't famous. Hell, I read Helter Skelter when was 11, and all I really wanted was to see more pictures of the bloody scene and all those crazy hippies (wait - why don't we use Manson's middle name?).

[kaid]

Cause he didn't kill the people himself. Only the people who get their hands dirty get the honor of the middle name.

[schild]

Personally, if I didn't know the names of serial killers, they'd be less interesting to me. Except for Zodiac.

[Furiously]

I see the merit in your plan. And wish to subscribe to your newsletter. However, what do you think about giving them nicknames? That way we can still have trading cards with their names on it. 

[Signe]

Good Grief!  I thought you were just fooling around but there really are serial killer trading cards!