The World Is A Slightly Better Place

[Divinity]

Now if only we could get rid of the other cult leaders like Pat Robertson, David Miscaviage, and Donald Trump the world would be 1% better.

[Brian37]

I remember seeing a documentary where he was interviewed by mental health experts, who had studied his life on top of his interactions prior to starting the cult. He was abused as a kid, had an arrest record. But, he was an aspiring musician, and got his demo recording rejected by a record company. Turned out one of the houses he had targeted in the murders, was once occupied by the executive who rejected him. So it is most likely all that shit was merely him trying to mask getting even for being rejected.

[Rev. Rye]

I remember seeing a documentary where he was interviewed by mental health experts, who had studied his life on top of his interactions prior to starting the cult. He was abused as a kid, had an arrest record. But, he was an aspiring musician, and got his demo recording rejected by a record company. Turned out one of the houses he had targeted in the murders, was once occupied by the executive who rejected him. So it is most likely all that shit was merely him trying to mask getting even for being rejected.

That certainly seems to be part of it. I recently read Jeff Guinn's book about Manson, and he suggested that part of the timing (apart from the bizarre "Helter Skelter" scenario) was because they got into a fight with a self-aggrandizing pusher named Bernard "Lotsapoppa" Crowe who they ripped off and who claimed he would get the Black Panthers to exact revenge (even though the Panthers were on the wane at that point) and they shot him. They were convinced they had killed him and they decided that they should do the murders to make it seem like Crowe's murder was made by someone else. So, yes, it seems like the whole reason Sharon Tate died is because Charlie wound up in a particularly strange season of Fargo and decided the best way to cover it up was by committing mass murder.

I'm sure it makes sense if you're on enough drugs that a song about a playground slide seems like a scenario for a brutal race war, eat out of the trash, and spend most of your time baking in the hot sun, which the Family were.

[c172]

I guess it depends whether the conditions of that prison are worse than death or not? Maybe he didn't luck out.

Back in that day (before the SCOTUS dp ruling), we used the gas chamber. Now, we primarily use lethal injection, but apparently gas can still be used. LI is supposed to be more peaceful, but, like anything, it can be botched at times.

[Edwardo Piet]

Life in prison can actually be crueler than the death penalty

Yes that's what I'm thinking. I know I'd prefer to die than go to prison any day of the week.

[Dave B]

I would quibble about the use of "slightly" in the title. And I woukd ssy it is a slighgty safer place.


"Safer?" you might ask - yes, listening to an interview with Manson's biographer, Jeff Guinn, that monster had tentacles that extended beyond his almost completely visitor rights free incarceration. His actions and reputation have, it seems, "inspired" many followers even through those prison walls - he did his best, via sales of his sick artworks, to ensure that he and his ideas were not forgotten. 

The picture on Guinn's book shows a man who appears to be an innocent and friendly person. As Guinn said in the interview it is frightening how many can be misled, then and now, by a disturbed but forceful personality. We currently have a prime example of this in power in America.

As Guinn said Manson is an excellent example of why capital punishment, to possibly reduce the chance of a personality cult, is perhsps necessary in extreme cases.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130503-manson

Link to BBC interview, starts at 33 minutes into programme.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09fj9c3

[Brian37]

I feel sorry for the Beatles that that sick fuck quoted their song.

But on an unrelated note, I like Pat Benatar's remake more than the original.