Week 5 – Isabel Fajardo

Isabel Fajardo

Week O5

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            I thought one of this week’s readings was really interesting. The beginning of the “Empire of Death and the Plague of Civic Violence” starts off with quoting two Mansons, which caught my eye. I am surprised that this author used Marilyn Manson – of all people – as someone to quote from, since his name is literally taken from the serial killer. I am not sure how that was not taken into consideration when choosing quotes, but I digress.

            I really liked how this chapter compared serial killers to the killing of indigenous people. I have never thought abaout it before in that light, but many European countries in this case would be serial killers, like Great Britain or the United States. The most interesting point for me was about slavery; it really was a genocide, but it might not seem that way to people since it spanned over a couple of years. Besides the time-frame, by all means, it was a genocide of people. It honestly makes me sick to think of all the horrible things America has done to marginalized people.

            I also think it is an undeniable fact that most serial killers and mass murders are Caucasian and male. I find no fault when a POC or marginalized person says they are afraid of them, simply based on race. Time and time again, we see white people try and silence our voices or treat us in a less than humane matter, so I think our fear is justified. Not to act very flippant about it, but the amount of privilege white people have – whether known or not – is frightening. I think another interesting view that I got from this reading is that serial killers view their victims as people, but not to the same level that they are on. They recognize their humanity to the point where it is something that they can take away from them. My question is: why is it so easy for serial killers to dehumanize their victims?

References:

            Broad Motives of Killers [Chart]. (n.d.). In Radford University/FGCU Serial Killer Database. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from http://strategyandanalytics.com/9-facts-serial-killers-wish-never-knew/

            Hamamoto, Y. Darrell. “Empire of Death and the Plague of Civic Violence.” Masters of War: Militarism and Blowback in the Era of American Empire, by Carl Boggs, Routledge, 2003, pp. 277-292.