Why do I feel sympathetic towards the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

[Anonymous]

I hope he pleads guilty and its a speedy trial. It would also be nice if the media didnt cover it until we know his sentence.
We don't need to spend more tax dollars on this person.
I would like it if we heard about the victims who's lives have changed forever, not this murderer and his family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They don't think the same so they don't talk or act the same as you or I because they are driven by different motivators. however there is no indication here that he showed any signs of having a personality disorder or a reasonable explanation for why his thinking might be distorted to the point that this act was logical or rational to him.

And this, for me at least, is the scary part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because he's white and good looking, basically. People are literally that dumb.

Yup. I've noticed that people have a lot more sympathy for the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and James Holmes than they did for Lee Boyd Malvo or Seung Cho. Many people react to the former two as tragic characters who had something that "turned" them wrong. And far more people react to the latter two as "they are evil". I heard so many people say that the black Malvo was destined to be a criminal because he's black and that Cho was a terrorist and that because of him we need to improve our border security because you can't trust "them."

So many people do react so subconsciously just seeing the non-white killers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Free will..he had a choice..every time you feel bad think of the eight year he put a bomb next too..this will cure you of feeling bad

You seem like a complex and morally developed individual.

[Anonymous]

OP, it's okay to feel sorrow or sympathy for him. It's a strength. You have a lot of empathy and a big heart.

I don't know if you are Christian, but it's a bit of how I think God must see us. If we are God's children, I think he sees both our goodness and our badness and loves us for our good parts. I think God is sad when we make bad choices that cause harm to other people. I think God is especially sad when our pain makes us make choices that hurt other people.

The hardest part of being Christian is doing good to those that harm you. It's hard to seek mercy and justice when all you really want is revenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it's okay to feel sorrow or sympathy for him. It's a strength. You have a lot of empathy and a big heart.

I don't know if you are Christian, but it's a bit of how I think God must see us. If we are God's children, I think he sees both our goodness and our badness and loves us for our good parts. I think God is sad when we make bad choices that cause harm to other people. I think God is especially sad when our pain makes us make choices that hurt other people.

The hardest part of being Christian is doing good to those that harm you. It's hard to seek mercy and justice when all you really want is revenge.

Where was this Christian compassion after 9/11 when America destabilized the entire region in a temper tantrum? People are so emotionally lazy that looking white, a few mentions of sports and good grades and they completely lose the plot. This is like the "he's a good father" you get after a husband kills his wife and kids. Or after a rape. It's pathetic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it's okay to feel sorrow or sympathy for him. It's a strength. You have a lot of empathy and a big heart.

I don't know if you are Christian, but it's a bit of how I think God must see us. If we are God's children, I think he sees both our goodness and our badness and loves us for our good parts. I think God is sad when we make bad choices that cause harm to other people. I think God is especially sad when our pain makes us make choices that hurt other people.

The hardest part of being Christian is doing good to those that harm you. It's hard to seek mercy and justice when all you really want is revenge.

As a fellow Christian, I would rewrite this last phrase as It's hard to seek mercy and grace when all you really want is justice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's an adult FFS and he is responsible for his actions... I may be sorry that a smartish guy like him got deluded like this (as it appears) but that will not equate to sympathy for him.

He is not a victim, he's a murderer.

Exactly. I appreciate the kindness that's behind the concerns voiced by OP and others, but you're mistakenly applying "normal people" logic to this situation. As someone who has very troubled family members with personality disorders, I can tell you that you're off base in trying to identify a rational reason for this man's actions. He doesn't have the same world view or motivations you have. What's logical and rational to him is probably not something kind and empathetic people can ever really grasp.

But usually there is a reason why people act in a way that is illogical or irrational to our world view and motivation. In the case of your family that is because they have personality disorders. For other people it is political or religious radicalism. There are usually indicators that someone has a world view that is out of synch with everyone around them. That is how people get diagnosed. They don't think the same so they don't talk or act the same as you or I because they are driven by different motivators. however there is no indication here that he showed any signs of having a personality disorder or a reasonable explanation for why his thinking might be distorted to the point that this act was logical or rational to him.

I appreciate your perspective and you make very good points. I'm not a trained mental health expert (so I could very well be wrong), but I think that someone who commits such heinous acts and then behaves in a calm, normal fashion immediately after destroying people's lives must be lacking a conscience, and so probably does have a personality disorder.

There've been many people saying he's a such nice normal person that they never had any idea he was capable of such thing, but I think it's likely that the ongoing investigation will uncover other people who noticed something "off" about him.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's because it took the family too long to get into a stable environment for the older brother. He was 15 by the time they got to the US. Dzhokhar was 8, he had a good chance for a good life. The older brother, maybe not so much.

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand some of what you're feeling. I see a 19 year old who may have been damaged in some way we don't yet know about, or under the influence of an older brother or family/trusted friend in an unhealthy way, etc... We just don't know. But I too feel some concern for him - and especially his family. I am glad that the police were able to bring him in alive - I think it speaks very well for everyone involved that he was brought in with a chance to shed some light on what happened and for his family to perhaps have a chance to see him again.

It's tremendously sad all the way around. To the posters who think it's a racial thing to feel sympathy towards one person rather than another - that isn't necessarily the case. I had many similar (even stronger/more clear) feelings of sympathy for Lee Boyd Malvo. To me age plays a larger role than anything else.

Either way, I think the ability of people to see the complexities of a situation, and feel empathy for all parties, is reflection on the basic goodness of humanity and the mature, thoughtful abilities of grown ups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because he's white and good looking, basically. People are literally that dumb.

Yup. I've noticed that people have a lot more sympathy for the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and James Holmes than they did for Lee Boyd Malvo or Seung Cho. Many people react to the former two as tragic characters who had something that "turned" them wrong. And far more people react to the latter two as "they are evil". I heard so many people say that the black Malvo was destined to be a criminal because he's black and that Cho was a terrorist and that because of him we need to improve our border security because you can't trust "them."

So many people do react so subconsciously just seeing the non-white killers.

I am a PP who posted agreement with the OP. Huge differences among the cases you name. Holmes and Cho were clearly mentally ill. I do feel a similar kind of sympathy for Malvo - seemed like a kid lacking direction who ended up being guided and having his character shaped by a psychopath - as I do for Dzhokhar, who also seems to have been heavily influenced, in his case by his brother. But I think the difference is that we have such a complete picture of Dzhokhar - his twitter feed, photos of him and his friends, so many testimonials as to his character and social ease, that he is easier for us to identify with - or at least easier to see our friends or sons or neighbors resembling.

[Anonymous]

I saw that man in the wheelchair with the flesh blown from his legs. That one spindly leg bone hanging down with no meat on it, and that gray shocked look on his face. I think of that sweet little boy who wanted peace, blown to bits and his sister's leg blown off. His momma with brain damage. Should I go on? The person who did this, chose to. And he look into the eyes of his victim as he dropped the bomb at their feet. He walked off knowing that they would be killed. He deserves no sympathy.

[Anonymous]

OP It is people like you that let killers go free. There is evil in the world. He killed a number of people. He drove over his brother while his brother lay dying. Save your sympathy for those who deserve it. How about the parents of the boy? The crippled guy? The young and dead police officer? Every evil person has a "story" many of them sound good. That does not make a killer good. I do hope you are disqualified for jury duty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I understand some of what you're feeling. I see a 19 year old who may have been damaged in some way we don't yet know about, or under the influence of an older brother or family/trusted friend in an unhealthy way, etc... We just don't know. But I too feel some concern for him - and especially his family. I am glad that the police were able to bring him in alive - I think it speaks very well for everyone involved that he was brought in with a chance to shed some light on what happened and for his family to perhaps have a chance to see him again.

It's tremendously sad all the way around. To the posters who think it's a racial thing to feel sympathy towards one person rather than another - that isn't necessarily the case. I had many similar (even stronger/more clear) feelings of sympathy for Lee Boyd Malvo. To me age plays a larger role than anything else.

Either way, I think the ability of people to see the complexities of a situation, and feel empathy for all parties, is reflection on the basic goodness of humanity and the mature, thoughtful abilities of grown ups.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I saw that man in the wheelchair with the flesh blown from his legs. That one spindly leg bone hanging down with no meat on it, and that gray shocked look on his face. I think of that sweet little boy who wanted peace, blown to bits and his sister's leg blown off. His momma with brain damage. Should I go on? The person who did this, chose to. And he look into the eyes of his victim as he dropped the bomb at their feet. He walked off knowing that they would be killed. He deserves no sympathy.

Can we politely agree that we have a slight difference of opinion and that's okay? As an echo of the teamwork we saw demonstrated in Boston, it'd be nice if this thread didn't dissolve into vitriol but a place for people to respectfully state their opinions. There is enough room here for all of our perspectives.