A Monster in Every Closet
I'm sure you have all heard about Joseph Duncan. Well, you've probably heard about Shasta Groene, the 8 year old survivor of a horrific assault that has apparently been orchestrated by the hands of Jospeh Duncan, a convicted sex offender. I say apparently because Shasta was merely found with Duncan and it is not clear (to me, and to the general public methinks) what Duncan's involvement is and he has only been charged with the abduction of Shasta and her brother Dylan. His remains were found across state lines and it looks like this will be a federal case.
I find it hard to believe that Duncan did not kill them, despite my ignorance on the matter. I've been reading Duncan's blog, a window into his mind. It's chilling.....not in the "this is scary" chilling but "I am understanding this man better" chilling. I don't care if anyone thinks I am insane for having sympathy for this man, but it's the gross inability of the denizens of America to be able to comprehend anything more advanced than Who Wants To Be A Millionaire round 4 questions that makes events like this as sensational as they are. We are entranced by what we do not understand. Face it, psychopaths and rapists and pedophiles (I known I am just picking 'bad' things here) exist in a state that is chemically different than most people. The general public will never understand what it's like to be clinically depressed, paranoid schizophrenic, obsessive compulsive, have pedophilic urges or intensely homicidal thoughts. Because of this, murders involving these types of people will always be sensational.
Reading Joseph Duncan's blog has been very interesting. I want so much to understand what motivates him. From what his entries describe, he is intelligent and sensitive and bitter. He's in touch with reality and idealisitic at the same time. The crime he commited when he was 16, he speaks very little of the details but very much on the subsequent responsibility he feels and the guilt he feels about using his young age as a rationalization for it. Duncan speaks often about his work and his cats and the simple events of his day as well as the depth of his empathy for people and the disgust he feels for some of the people he met in prison. The plea for readers to see him as human is clear. And I do see him as human.
The blog changes when Duncan reveals he is being charged with another crime. He says he is innocent. I haven't finished reading all the entries yet, but I can see the downward spiral, and since I have read the last two entires (one a few days before the Groene incident), I expect to see some revealing entries. Probably not tell tale enough signs to know the future outcome without benefit of newsmedia...but still.
This is so fucking riveting to me. A look into someone's mind that is so much more clear....I wish Dahlmer had a journal that I could read. People have been bombarding Duncan's blog with angry comments instead of seeing this blog as a fucking goldmine. Almost unrestricted expression of the man's thoughts and feelings. I wish I could read his encrypted journal. Amazing. Chilling. It's a criminal psychologist's candy stash.
I find it hard to believe that Duncan did not kill them, despite my ignorance on the matter. I've been reading Duncan's blog, a window into his mind. It's chilling.....not in the "this is scary" chilling but "I am understanding this man better" chilling. I don't care if anyone thinks I am insane for having sympathy for this man, but it's the gross inability of the denizens of America to be able to comprehend anything more advanced than Who Wants To Be A Millionaire round 4 questions that makes events like this as sensational as they are. We are entranced by what we do not understand. Face it, psychopaths and rapists and pedophiles (I known I am just picking 'bad' things here) exist in a state that is chemically different than most people. The general public will never understand what it's like to be clinically depressed, paranoid schizophrenic, obsessive compulsive, have pedophilic urges or intensely homicidal thoughts. Because of this, murders involving these types of people will always be sensational.
Reading Joseph Duncan's blog has been very interesting. I want so much to understand what motivates him. From what his entries describe, he is intelligent and sensitive and bitter. He's in touch with reality and idealisitic at the same time. The crime he commited when he was 16, he speaks very little of the details but very much on the subsequent responsibility he feels and the guilt he feels about using his young age as a rationalization for it. Duncan speaks often about his work and his cats and the simple events of his day as well as the depth of his empathy for people and the disgust he feels for some of the people he met in prison. The plea for readers to see him as human is clear. And I do see him as human.
The blog changes when Duncan reveals he is being charged with another crime. He says he is innocent. I haven't finished reading all the entries yet, but I can see the downward spiral, and since I have read the last two entires (one a few days before the Groene incident), I expect to see some revealing entries. Probably not tell tale enough signs to know the future outcome without benefit of newsmedia...but still.
This is so fucking riveting to me. A look into someone's mind that is so much more clear....I wish Dahlmer had a journal that I could read. People have been bombarding Duncan's blog with angry comments instead of seeing this blog as a fucking goldmine. Almost unrestricted expression of the man's thoughts and feelings. I wish I could read his encrypted journal. Amazing. Chilling. It's a criminal psychologist's candy stash.
posted by Protagonist at 7:08 PM
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