Week 5 - Adriana Goracci A01

In the book masters of war, the chapter: “Empire of Death and the Plague of Civic Violence” reviews the personal cases of some of the most dangerous serial killers that America has ever seen. Amongst the many names such as Ted Bundy, Timothy McVeigh, Randall Woodfield, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jack Wayne Reeves, Warren James Bland, Arthur Shawcross, Richard Ramirez, Valentine Underwood, there is a variety in victims profiles and motivation for killing.  However, they all show severe sociopathic instincts and characteristics to certain extents. The goal of this article is to better demonstrate that there is a strong connection between an increasingly militarized society and the attendant rise of serial and mass murder over the past few decades. By providing real-life examples of serial killers who have either returned from war (Jack Wayne Reeves and Arthur Shawcross), have prestigious positions either in the Navy SEAL or the US military and US marine corps (J Robert and Valentine Underwood) or others who have been influenced by somebody who has been in the U.S. special forces (Richard Ramirez). What was shocking for me to learn, and actively reflect on was the occurrence at which “yellow” women are sexually assaulted and mistreated. Although the whole chapter was difficult to read, because of the lack of humanity and presence of evil that characterizes this world, one of the most mournful section to read was when the author talks about the serial killer Jack Wayne Reeves who not only married 3 times but surely killed 2 of his wives. His last wife is described as a Vietnamese woman who he came in contact with through a site for marriages, and it broke my heart to know that there are some girls in the eastern world who fully give up their freedom marrying a stranger to have some money for their family. In addition, it was shocking for me to learn how some people such as J Robert who hold important positions and therefore responsibilities such as in this case leading the Navy SEAL combat mission, are rewarded as long as they complete the mission. Without taking into account the numerous murders and damages caused in the foreign country and setting of war. In this case, J Robert was responsible for the killing of more than 20 unarmed and defenseless civilians, mostly women and children. However, there was little to no shock by the people in the United States, and once he returned to his country, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Where is the Honor in his actions?

Question: What are the factors that motivate impulses and predilections of violence against people of color?

References:

• Boggs, Carl, and Darrell Y Hamamoto. “Empire of Death and the Plague of Civic Violence.”Masters of War Militarism and Blowback in the Era of American Empire, Taylor and Francis, 2013, pp. 277–292.
• Shaw, Michael. “Everybody Knows the ‘Napalm Girl’ but How Come Nobody Knows the ‘Black Blouse Girl’? 45 Years Later, My Lai, the Military and Sexual Abuse.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Nov. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-shaw/reading-the-pictures-when_b_4252803.html.