I don't watch much television. In fact, the channel played most in my house is Cartoon Network. I could write an essay on Ben Ten and his alien watch thing, or on Courage the Cowardly Dog, but as for real adult programming, uh, not so much.
So last time I was at the movie theater I saw an ad for a show called "Saving Grace" starring the fabulous and talented Holly Hunter. I thought, "Hmmm, that looks good. Maybe I'll watch it."
Last night I did.
Holly plays a cop with an angel, a real from heaven angel, as a buddy. The angel doesn't seem to do anything supernatural or fantastic, at least he didn't last night. Of course there are sub plots with the other officers who are her friends, lots of alchohol and "deserved" police brutality, but most of it was only alluded to last night.
All that to say, I like the show and would like to see all the previous episodes. Now I just have to figure out how to do it.
But that's not the point of this article.
Really.
It was the last few minutes of a show before Saving Grace. I didn't care for what I saw of it, the acting was WAY over done....but some people like their shows blackened, others raw. I fall in the latter category.
So, in this before Saving Grace show, a man murders his adopted son who is about 16 with a hammer. Why? The kid is psycho. He puts hamsters down the garbage disposal, chops up the family dog, etc.
The reason this grabbed my attention was because in the show, the father said he did everything else first. Took the kid to shrinks, disciplined him, military schools, even tried to send him back to Russia from where he was adopted.
Of course he couldn't see the future but the implication was clear.
Serial killer.
Which got me to thinking.........which led to this question............
IF you knew a child/teen was going to grow into a serial killer, (say you babysat Adolph Hitler, or Jeffery Dahmner, and in a flash of clairvoyance, a vision from God, whatever, but you knew with every fiber of your being it was true), saw their future atrocities, would you kill him?
If you saw with crystal clear vision people being herded into railroad cars, gassed in chambers, starved and experimented on in concentration camps, adults and children alike, then dumped like so much rubbish in mass graves, would you do it?
Frankly, I know what my answer SHOULD be....but as I watched Saving Grace after this question popped into my head...and saw a little boy whose father drugged him, then burned him alive, except the boy didn't stay unconscious, his dad had to hold him down as the flames melted the skin from his body, boiled his internal organs, oh and the kid SURVIVED, to look forward to years of agony, I thought man, I know what my answer should be, but honestly?
I'm still thinkin.........
I do not believe in killing, period. So, my answer would be 'no.'
That said, every effort should be made to prevent a killer from becoming a killer. That effort should include, but not be limited to, in my humble opinion, reducing the glamour and prevalence of violence in our culture.
Be well.
Finally an eye rolling smiley! WOOT
Thanks, Tova! I have had "The Good Son" on tape for weeks looking for a time to watch it...now I don't need to.
This is a great hypothetical question. For me, the answer would be a resounding no but, as Sodaiho suggests, I would do everything I could to ensure the child didn't kill. According to Buddhist philosophy (and my most basic understanding of them) violence, or 'deadly force', as you put it, is never an option.
There is a Dean Koontz novel kind of about this too. I think it might be called 'Lightning'.
Never? You wouldn't kill to protect your wife? Say you had, oh I dunno, lets make it fantastic. Say you were tied to a chair, but in your pocket was a tiny nuclear rod. Your wife is being brutally raped and beaten and the perp assures you he is going to kill her. Slow.
You can reach the rod and touch him with it and stop him, but the downside is, it will kill him on contact, 0 chances of survival.
You still watch tapes?
Heh, it sucked anyway...
My kids say I have a one track mind. Not really. I have an 8 track mind but no one makes the tapes anymore.
Wow...lookit all them faces! I didn't know...
Yes I watch tapes...I even have a BetaMax downstairs that would work great if I could find that little tiny drive belt.....
Is that 2 of the tracks?
I know this is going to sound improbable, but the person I would disappoint the most, besides myself, if I did indeed kill would be her. Having said that, I really don't know what I'd do given the situation above. If I could nudge him and make him sick, that would be as far as I'd like to go.
Ok Mason, I can respect that.
There are certain lines in our existence I think once crossed, merit immediate death, game over.
A father who lights his child on fire, yup, that is def one.
OOOOOOHHH YEAHHHHHH
I just ordered the first season of Saving Grace after watching the four full episodes on tnt.com.
MAN I LOVE THIS SHOW. Holly Hunter is brilliant as Grace. (And that is one skinny woman. You know if you look thin on film or in television you are friggin ANOREXIC looking in real life. Television really does add weight.) But she looks good on the show, wiry, buff, good.
I am going to have to check out this show. 3 out of the 4 shows I watched are cancelled. Does that tell you about my taste? hmph....It's all good. I probably should give it up anyway, but I just can't.
I been interested in the show but still haven't seen one episode. A friend said she loves it and that it was way better than The Closer which gets more exposure. I'll probably be my old procrastinating self and watch it on DVD sometime later this year or early next year.
What can I say I'm slow. In fact, I'm watching the John Adams miniseries right now.
I love both of the shows you are talking about. The Closer is wonderful and Love Saving Grace. Both ladies are up for Emmys.
Also if you go to www.hulu.com and sign up (its free) they have amost all the episodes on there. Also if you go to http://www.tnt.tv/series/savinggrace/ you can watch a few on there too.
About you question... Really a good one.
No I could never kill my child or any child. If I had an idea that this child was going to grow up to be killer and a sick person, I think I would find a way to have them put away somewhere. Safe for them and society. Shoot I have a hard time killing a bug..
But I don't think there is a clear cut answer to this question. Wrong can NEVER be right. I guess there is one.
Welcome to my blog Rose and to JU.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.
I like the phrase but don't think it's quite realistic. I generally think it is wrong to murder people. Yet when we are at war, when a soldier waits to ambush an unsuspecting enemy, well I don't think that's wrong.
See my point?
I personally couldn't kill my own kid. Period. Even if it meant the rest of the world suffered.
Someone else's kid? hahahah...well I know a few kids who....JUST KIDDING.
If you do see it let me know what you think. I wonder how guys will see this woman. My husband could take it or leave it. I ordered the first season and am willing to share.
If you like it, after I finish watching the first season on dvd (if I ever get them, haven't even gotten a "we've sent your item" email yet) I will send them to you.
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