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Recreating Iraq in Newcastle: Raoul Moat, honor killings, glorification of narcissism and abuse
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At the same time of the ongoing fuss about Raoul Moat in Britain, over on the other side of the Atlantic, there is a Marie Claire article about honor killings in the USA, there is a campaign there called Leave Islam Safely, and so on and so on. When such murders happen associated with some non-religious and very rich guy in the USA, they're called O.J. Simpson (see footnote below); when they're associated with some not-so-rich and non-religious bloke in Newcastle in England, they're called Raoul Moat; when they happen in Iraq or the USA with some Muslims, they're called honor killings (or honour killings, if you prefer). Just what's the connection? It isn't Islam. It isn't even religion in any broader sense. It's narcissism; narcissism and identity. It's murdering others when they refuse to live by your demands for how they should bolster your own identity.
Already there are various op-ed screeds telling us we should feel sorry for Raoul Moat. There is even a radio interview on the Ian Collins Late Show with the founder of a Facebook page made for Raoul Moat supporters (see bottom of this blog post), as well as other highly inappropriate expressions of support for him.
Pity is the last thing one should express for Raoul Moat, because to express pity is in some way to imply his actions were justified or beyond his control. Let's just go over what he did again, shall we? He reportedly raped Marissa Reid violently. He physically abused Samantha Stobbart. He maltreated and abused his own children. Then he got all resentful and broody when Samantha Stobbart left him, and he went and murdered her new partner, he shot her, and he shot a policeman in an unprovoked attack, as well as threatening to kill others. Notwithstanding Raoul Moat's previous requests for psychiatric assistance, he was not acting under any compulsion. Moat's words, planning and actions show he was not insane in any legal or moral sense; he may well have had a personality disorder, but he was not acting under compulsion, and mental illness did not force Raoul Moat to kill Chris Brown, or to attempt to kill Samantha Stobbart or PC David Rathband. Raoul Moat acted out of free will, and he was sane; troubled, but sane, and in control of his actions. There is no excuse to be made for him on that score.
This is all part of wider violence against women. Don't imagine honor killings are just some patriarchal oppression of women; look at the expressions of support for Raoul Moat from some British women, look at how mothers-in-law are guilty often of the dowry-related murders of brides in India.
If you allow or enable a culture or subculture to build up that glorifies violence against women for whatever reasons, that at the same time thinks of murderers being hunted as somehow deserving of pity, and you build into that all an us-versus-them attitude regarding police, then you will end up with a situation that resembles India or Iraq with regard to violence against women.
For more information generally, please see:
Stop Honour Killings
The White Ribbon Campaign in England
The White Ribbon Campain in Scotland
and also see Lifelinking's blog pieces on ending violence against women
and the PC Bloggs blog posts on the matter;
and the blog posts from Inspector Gadget on it.
Footnote: I am indebted to the blogger The Last Psychiatrist for his insights in this (the O.J. Simpson part comes directly from him), and for bringing up the Marie Claire article.
Radio interview on the Ian Collins Late Show with the founder of a Facebook page made for Raoul Moat supporters:
Already there are various op-ed screeds telling us we should feel sorry for Raoul Moat. There is even a radio interview on the Ian Collins Late Show with the founder of a Facebook page made for Raoul Moat supporters (see bottom of this blog post), as well as other highly inappropriate expressions of support for him.
Pity is the last thing one should express for Raoul Moat, because to express pity is in some way to imply his actions were justified or beyond his control. Let's just go over what he did again, shall we? He reportedly raped Marissa Reid violently. He physically abused Samantha Stobbart. He maltreated and abused his own children. Then he got all resentful and broody when Samantha Stobbart left him, and he went and murdered her new partner, he shot her, and he shot a policeman in an unprovoked attack, as well as threatening to kill others. Notwithstanding Raoul Moat's previous requests for psychiatric assistance, he was not acting under any compulsion. Moat's words, planning and actions show he was not insane in any legal or moral sense; he may well have had a personality disorder, but he was not acting under compulsion, and mental illness did not force Raoul Moat to kill Chris Brown, or to attempt to kill Samantha Stobbart or PC David Rathband. Raoul Moat acted out of free will, and he was sane; troubled, but sane, and in control of his actions. There is no excuse to be made for him on that score.
This is all part of wider violence against women. Don't imagine honor killings are just some patriarchal oppression of women; look at the expressions of support for Raoul Moat from some British women, look at how mothers-in-law are guilty often of the dowry-related murders of brides in India.
If you allow or enable a culture or subculture to build up that glorifies violence against women for whatever reasons, that at the same time thinks of murderers being hunted as somehow deserving of pity, and you build into that all an us-versus-them attitude regarding police, then you will end up with a situation that resembles India or Iraq with regard to violence against women.
For more information generally, please see:
Stop Honour Killings
The White Ribbon Campaign in England
The White Ribbon Campain in Scotland
and also see Lifelinking's blog pieces on ending violence against women
and the PC Bloggs blog posts on the matter;
and the blog posts from Inspector Gadget on it.
Footnote: I am indebted to the blogger The Last Psychiatrist for his insights in this (the O.J. Simpson part comes directly from him), and for bringing up the Marie Claire article.
Radio interview on the Ian Collins Late Show with the founder of a Facebook page made for Raoul Moat supporters:
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Violence against women is an extreme example of everyday lack of regard for women in general. Many men who would never dream of committing physical violence will commit mental, emotional, or extreme verbal abuse against the women in their lives, and generally act with a lack of respect for them as human beings. Eh, people suck.Posted 15-Jul-2010 at 04:49 PM (16:49) by Unregistered -
Eh, the trick is, Unregistered, to find those who do not suck, and to stick to them like glue, and to support them in thier unsuckiness.Quote:Originally Posted by Unregistered
... Eh, people suck.Posted 15-Jul-2010 at 09:47 PM (21:47) by Gurdur 
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Catching up on my reading today was worthwhile if for no other reason than to see the word unsuckiness used in a sentence. But seriously, great post Gurdur.Posted 18-Jul-2010 at 10:22 PM (22:22) by lifelinking 
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Well-meant, but I'm afraid it won't work, if the other party is blindly intent on throwing themselves into the fire. I've emailed this page four times to my mother, but she is hell bent on reuniting with my father, no matter how much he's screamed at her, abused her, lied, cheated, etc. Meh. I'm cutting my travel plans short to try to talk some sense into her personally.Quote:Eh, the trick is, Unregistered, to find those who do not suck, and to stick to them like glue, and to support them in thier unsuckiness.
Did I mention he thinks Moat was misunderstood? Misunderstood? I mean, what the fuck?
Thanks anyway.Posted 19-Jul-2010 at 05:03 PM (17:03) by Unregistered -
I'm really bloody sorry, Unregistered; unfortunately, such stories are far from rare. The only thing that will eventually help your mother is if she can build up a strong viable sense of identity for herself that does not depend on anyone else, and that takes time as well as willingness.Quote:Originally Posted by Unregistered
Well-meant, but I'm afraid it won't work, if the other party is blindly intent on throwing themselves into the fire. I've emailed this page four times to my mother, but she is hell bent on reuniting with my father, no matter how much he's screamed at her, abused her, lied, cheated, etc. Meh. I'm cutting my travel plans short to try to talk some sense into her personally.
Did I mention he thinks Moat was misunderstood? Misunderstood? I mean, what the fuck?
Thanks anyway.Posted 19-Jul-2010 at 09:28 PM (21:28) by Gurdur
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ljniayu
....Posted 22-Jul-2010 at 09:50 PM (21:50) by ljniayu
Updated 22-Jul-2010 at 11:14 PM (23:14) by Gurdur
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Recreating Iraq in Newcastle: Raoul Moat, honor killings, glorification of narcissism and abuse - blog by Gurdur - Blogs on the Heathen Hub
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