Long Vang

ASA 2

10/18/15

In “Empire of Death”, Hamamoto theorize the relation of war time and its effect on serial murders.  Mass murderers and serial killers are influenced early on by their sociocultural milieu.  Their environment cause them to be fascinated or curious about acts of violence.  There are cases of war veterans coming home from war and using what they learn to exact violence on the innocents in America.  I am lead to believe that war even when ended in words and through peace conferences are never over in the minds of those who participated.  The acts of killing to survive and torturing for information stays and without help will manifest into ill intent for others.  There were many accounts in the article about Vietnam veterans that tortured and killed Asian women.  The war is not over for those who have safely returned and may never be over for them.  It isn’t just for veterans that goes off to war that is affected by this act of committing violence on minority race or the race of those who America goes to war with.  War causes fear and hatred for those that are different from us.  I read that many mass murderers are predominately white and 95 percent are male. (Hamamoto, pg 279)  This led me to believe that the killings are directed towards race and the fear of being taken over by the minorities.  It pains to see war in other countries, but it pains me more to not notice that there is an inner war between races.  How do we resolve this inner tension between race and the increase in serial murders?