Compassion towards a murderer...

[juliust]

I'm sure that all of you know about Brian Nichols' violent actions in the courtroom and his subsequent escape. What I didn't know up until right now is that the hostage that he took, Ashley Smith, did not do what most frightened hostages would have done (cower in fear and hope for the best) - rather, she fed him, read to him from the Bible, and

Comments

hi

[lorims]

Hi julius, this is the first time I've ever been to your live journal... in fact, this is the first time I've ever been to any Live journal. but about your article, up untill the end I know what your saying, and it was very good of her but I am appaled at the last sentence...
"I applaud her fine actions and shamefully look back at my poor and inadequate spirit." what a horrible thing to say! first of all, by your own standards, how can ANYONE'S spirit be inadequite i thought you said that "in spirit" we are all the same... even if it is the spirit of the grass. I don't understand how anyone could recognise anyothers merit and respond to it with shame. It would be understandable if you were empowered or proud of her but shame? would you rather be in a world full of horrable sinning fucks so you wouldn't feel ashamed of yourself, or do you enjoy the shame... the hating yourself. if that self degradation (which i think is far worse that cutting your wrists regularly) then maybe your not the person i thought you were.

Re: hi

[lorims]

* the last sentence should if you enjoy that self degradation...*

Re: hi

[juliust]

This makes perfect sense to me - by that I meant that her actions prompted me to re-exmaine my self...and rightfully feel shame. Shame is a wonderful thing, because it is the end-all of realizations. When we examine ourselves, at one point we see to the truth of the matter (and, if the matter is somehow unpleasant to us, we feel ashamed). My shame is perfectly justified - I should be more compassionate and understanding in my daily life. Automatically assuming that shame is a mark of self-hate is silly - rather, it serves as a method of seeing the truth.

[trogs_rule]

I just thought I would add my two cents. First off I don't believe that she was with him long enough for it to truely be Stockholm syndrome, but then again I could be wrong. I also wouldn't blame yourself for being as "compassionate" as this woman. If anything I would argue that her religion lead her more towards stupidity then compassion, because it was her religion that could have gotten her killed in the first place. So to be honest I don't think it makes too much sense to worship someone that got lucky.

In general however if she wanted to be compassionate to the public, and like help feed the needy or like donate clothing, then yeah, I think that's an honest way of helping, but endangering yourself with a violent criminal ain't the brightest of ideas.

[juliust]

That's exactly what makes it such a wonderful thing - it could be considered stupidity (it probably is, in a certain light), but it's all the more selfless because of the danger involved. I hear there was a Buddhist monk who came to a thief's hideout when the thief took a young child hostage - certainly a stupid act, but selfless and compassionte nonetheless. In the end, the prisoner released both of his hostages due to the monk's persuasion and kindness. It is, of course, much EASIER to donate food and clothing (not harmful to your health) - but to try and help an escaped criminal, that takes a lot of guts (and a bit of stupidity).

[trogs_rule]

Well it's alot like that scene in the Seven Samurai, when we saw it. I'm not saying that people shouldn't be stupid if they want to be, because to them they might not view it as such... I'm just saying I value my own life enough, that I wouldn't take on a criminal unless it affected me directly (and in her case I guess it did.) In any event, I guess there is no way to tell unless you are personally in that situation, cause like if it was one where I had like a knife or something, and he was sleeping... well then, he'd be dead pretty fast.

[ryan_singer]

I'm just saying I value my own life

And you should. Human lives are not lived on the average. You only have one life, and other people may effect you personally, but you are only enhanced or hurt by them to the extent that they help and hurt you.

A human life is an end into itself, and yours is worth exactly how much you value it. This woman either did this as the best way to survive, in which case it is completely selfish (which is a good thing, because it means she enjoys living), or she risked her life for a violent and evil stranger, in which case she needs to seek psychological help before her self image drops so low that she hurts herself or someone else. Like he did.