Why do I feel sympathetic towards the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does everyone feel about the Menendez brothers - Lyle and Eric shotgunned their parents in cold blood to get their hands on their parents' money? Think Eric was 19 and Lyle 21 at the time. They look whitish.

I think (and have long thought) there was probably something very very wrong in their home growing up. It does not excuse what they did, but children from a relatively normal home without major mental problems just do not murder their parents.

When I saw the photo of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev it made me sick to my stomach. I have nephews this age, and it was an inability to understand how this happens to a kid that seems so normal. Everything he did is unforgivable, but that does not mean it makes sense or it will not scare people (particularly parents) when they see a path that a child has chosen to walk down that is so disturbed. It is easier to accept if you can attribute it to mental illness.

I have a relative in DH's family that I think has mild anti-social personality disorder. Because he has a strong interest in self preservation, I think it is unlikely he would ever do anything truly awful, and he has never harmed anyone to my knowledge. But if he did there would NOT be a line of people reporting how normal and well liked he was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And this exactly how terrorists play Americans. Sympathy wins out, they turn on those who see radicalism for what it is, discredit and destroy them, then someone else loses their life and limb. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Some of us believe that the terrorists win when they make us forget our common humanity and fill us with so much fear we can't afford to be sympathetic. No one here is saying Dzhokhar doesn't deserve to feel the full weight of our justice system, just that we shouldn't lose ourselves and our values in the face of tragic criminal acts.

There is such a thing as misplaced empathy. This is it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread literally is making me ill. Please come to police week in may and talk to the surviving families of deceased law enforcement officers like the MIT officer they shot in cold blood. Tell them how a hug and cuddle will make this 19 year old terrorist all better.

Better yet, how about we release him into your care with your kids.

Fucking loonies.

Oh please. I work in this field and it still saddens me to see young people who are misdirected committing such grave attacks. You can grieve for the loss and still have compassion for the aggressor.

Do you know saddens me? Sean Collier. Erika Brannock, the preschool teacher who lost her leg.

"Young people who are misdirected?" You've GOT to be kidding. What field do you work in? As a criminal justice professional I seriously hope it's not mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The only Chechen relative I feel sorry for so far is the one in Gaithersburg. The others are taking an FU attitude towards the USA and these criminals.

Lanza parents should have done something - but the mother was also a gun enthusiast beyond venison once per year. Weird.

Is the sympathy for DT or for anyone who was some one's child and committed an atrocity? Jeffrey Dahmer had parents:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/17/lkl.00.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The only Chechen relative I feel sorry for so far is the one in Gaithersburg. The others are taking an FU attitude towards the USA and these criminals.

Lanza parents should have done something - but the mother was also a gun enthusiast beyond venison once per year. Weird.

Is the sympathy for DT or for anyone who was some one's child and committed an atrocity? Jeffrey Dahmer had parents:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/17/lkl.00.html

I read that the mom was a country girl who grew up with guns. So gun ownership and sport was usual for her and her family.

[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.

Wow. Everything you said is what I've been thinking/feeling for the past couple of days. Glad to know I'm not the only one thinking/feeling this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Why do people like YOU assume that if someone has sympathy for someone like Dzhokhar it automatically means they don't have as much or more sympathy for the victims and their families? One doesn't automatically negate the other.

[Anonymous]

I don't think any of us really know anything about this young man beyond the crimes he is accused of committing. I heard a lot of commentary by family members and casual acquaintances (a classmate, a casual friend from the neighborhood, etc.) on any number of "news" stations. These accounts don't paint a total picture and yet people are jumping to conclusions that his brother brainwashed him, he was a sweet kid, etc. I am inclined to believe his actions are the greatest indication of who he is, and to look someone in the eye knowing you are about to blow them apart speaks volumes about this man if he is indeed guilty. I am not usually one to jump on the appearance as an excuse bandwagon, but I do believe that young and "innocent" appearance portrayed in many of the pictures we have see (not at the marathon) is swaying people and causing some to identify and some to seek a plausible explanation. this was a well planned and deliberate attack. It wasn't a spur of the moment response to some tragedy. It was deliberate, vicious and cannot be excused because he looks like the innocent kid next door. Many people suffer horrific abuse and do not turn out to be murderers of strangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And this exactly how terrorists play Americans. Sympathy wins out, they turn on those who see radicalism for what it is, discredit and destroy them, then someone else loses their life and limb. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Some of us believe that the terrorists win when they make us forget our common humanity and fill us with so much fear we can't afford to be sympathetic. No one here is saying Dzhokhar doesn't deserve to feel the full weight of our justice system, just that we shouldn't lose ourselves and our values in the face of tragic criminal acts.

+1000

There's nothing particularly laudable in letting one's lizard brain off its leash. No one gets a cookie for screaming "burn him" the loudest. In fact this is a form of narsicissm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think any of us really know anything about this young man beyond the crimes he is accused of committing. I heard a lot of commentary by family members and casual acquaintances (a classmate, a casual friend from the neighborhood, etc.) on any number of "news" stations. These accounts don't paint a total picture and yet people are jumping to conclusions that his brother brainwashed him, he was a sweet kid, etc. I am inclined to believe his actions are the greatest indication of who he is, and to look someone in the eye knowing you are about to blow them apart speaks volumes about this man if he is indeed guilty. I am not usually one to jump on the appearance as an excuse bandwagon, but I do believe that young and "innocent" appearance portrayed in many of the pictures we have see (not at the marathon) is swaying people and causing some to identify and some to seek a plausible explanation. this was a well planned and deliberate attack. It wasn't a spur of the moment response to some tragedy. It was deliberate, vicious and cannot be excused because he looks like the innocent kid next door. Many people suffer horrific abuse and do not turn out to be murderers of strangers.

PP, I agree. Apparently, he's a sociopath.

[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 hate to be this jaded and cynical, but I have to agree with these two pps.

[Anonymous]

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

ITA. You hit it on the head. People feel more sympathy with criminals they can identify with. DT could be their son.

[Anonymous]

I don't think we can conclude that people feel sympathy because he is white. I think people are expressing sympathy because he is young and attractive and these two traits make it difficult to fathom that he could be a monster. It would be easier for the mind to see old and ugly = monster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think we can conclude that people feel sympathy because he is white. I think people are expressing sympathy because he is young and attractive and these two traits make it difficult to fathom that he could be a monster. It would be easier for the mind to see old and ugly = monster.

Did you feel sympathy for the 9/11 terrorists, speculate about their upbringing, wonder went wrong in their upbringing to lead them to kill people?

If Dzhokhar were more brown and less white, "middle class kid" looking, no one would feel an ounce of sympathy. He and his brother did a horrible thing that required plenty of planning and premeditation. Their weapons of destructions literally tore people - including children - to shreds. He's a monster and while, of course, he started out life as someone's child, he was old enough to understand his actions.

What's also telling is that he didn't stop at the bombing. He and his brother then killed a policeman and engaged in a shootout. These are psychopaths.

[Anonymous]

He is not attractive. He is average looking. Not enough symmetry.