This column is designed to spark a dialogue on a serious issue requiring all our hearts and minds to appreciate and understand the phenomenon. My question is: Why is Suspect A not a terrorist? Why is he not the same as and equivalent to the 9/11 murderers and terrorists?
Why is it we are at a loss for words in describing this as the acts of a madman and a terrorist who was insane and whose heart was devoid of any kind of feelings of love, but rather filled a kind of unstated anger or even with the hatred of the terrorists who blew up the Twin Towers of New York?
After all, when it is so close to the other Swedish massacre, why do not use the same brush of paint in calling both these madmen the same: terrorists?
This reminds me of a rhetorical question in the field of behavioural science: \”Is such behaviour purely a choice and unhindered option for the perpetrator or was the community (including all actors), and system of laws and regulations, equally responsible for the despicable act?
This gets us to the more fundamental and sociological question and debate of ‘nature versus nurture\’. Were his ‘incorrect behaviour\’ part and parcel of his nature, or, was he really a victim of his nurture?
Was he always psychologically inclined towards harm of such a form, or was he totally innocent and it was merely the media world and American freedom with guns and ammunition that condoned and cajoled such behaviour?
The answers to these issues and questions raise the mantle of issues and concerns towards our implicit theory about the nature of man.
Depending on one\’s worldview, we can choose to apply different theories about the nature of man and our conclusion of whether he is sane or insane will vary. It will also dictate why we do or do not call him a terrorist.
Theories of human nature
There are many theories of human nature, but a comprehensive coverage is not one of my goals here. Suffice to reduce it to two opposite but simple to understand theories: of ‘man is good from birth\’ versus ‘man is evil from birth.\’
If man is good from birth, then this madman of Colorado was essentially a good and hard working student and a citizen who was close to achieving his PhD, except that he failed his comprehensive examinations. He then became ‘evil\’ and committed his terrorist act.
The alternative theory is that his nature is evil and was always inclined to do acts of evil; except that his one noticeable and despicable act became so tragic that he has now become world famous, even if the media, including me, refuse to mention his name.
But is that enough, to deal with all this meaningless killing and murder? Why not ban guns in the United States? Does the human right to self-protection extend to such wilful and volitional acts of cowardice? I know how to protect myself in Malaysia, and I can do it without a gun.
Why not in America too? Is the gun lobby in the US so strong that the so-called \”best democracy in the world that knows how to celebrate the rights of ‘potential terrorists\’ but cannot protect the non-gun loving lives of the simple and ordinary people of America?
Twelve of them are dead through no fault of theirs, other than to choose to watch a movie after midnight.
My hypothesis
It is my personal hypothesis that the media world is largely responsible for the dastardly killing of the 12 in the Aurora, Colorado movie theatre. My hypothesis is that this young man lacked love within the community. He is a loner and extremely smart, but was deploying his mind towards his self-aggrandisation and fame.
What he lacks most is the sense of love for him from his community. I am sure his parents love and care for him, but that he is now an adult and lives on his own; his parents cannot be held accountable for ‘his state in life!\’
There was a time once, when one famous US television talk show host asked Mother Teresa in an interview with her what was the greatest problem facing America from her point of view. She replied, \”Loneliness!\”
I think the suspect was also suffering from loneliness and when his impending failure in college was more apparent. Basically, he was well aware that he is lonely in life and essentially wanted to find fame and importance.
Humanity has to review the theories about the nature of man and our many false or incorrect ideas about our social nature theories.
In America, before this presidential election on Nov 6, it is my hope and prayer that both candidates standing to become the US president will review their theories about the nature of man and move forward to become a civilised society; by our Asian values.
We in Asia believe that society is more primary than the individual, and even if we recognise individual human rights and dignity of human conscience and choice, society\’s rights to live peaceably cannot be defined by one nation\’s love affairs with its Wild, Wild West!
Therefore I agree with Pierce Morgan and Mayor Bloomberg on this issue. I hope all Americans will wake up and agree that the interest of society prevails over and above those of individuals, in cases like this!
I write about this issue as an Asian and I write it as a column on the World Wide Web! Alternative views and arguments will be entertained and discourse over the next few columns. May God continue to protect Malaysia against the rise of illegal guns and perpetrators!
