If you'd like a good explanation of what, in all probability, is going through John Albert Gardner's mind, read "The Mask of Sanity" by Hervey Cleckley. It is a terrifying eye opener and will explain just how sorry this inhuman (in the literal sense of the word) monster really is.
I heard part of a phone interview that Mr. Gardner gave to a reporter. He sounded like a calm, reasonable, and intelligent person. Probably the worst kind of serial killer there is.
If you bother reading 1984, it's "Two Minutes Hate" and it refers to agitprop used by a totalitarian state, much remeniscent of the campaign used by Stalin against Trotsky.
I have no idea how any of that applied to this story.
Granted the criminal profiler is out of line to make a professional assessment without an interview, but in this case it's pretty clear that despite that, he's right. John Gardner is mentally ill, he lacks what you call a conscience, or it is so damaged that the effect is the same. He doesen't think like a normal person would and he certainly isn't regarding his own tears like a normal person would.
I know John Gardner personally, I went to high school with him and worked with him, and I have to say you hit the nail on the head. He can go through the motions, and knows what the appropriate reactions an average person should have to things, but his rage is the only place the 'real' John Gardner seems to live. He was always that TOO nice guy that would be truly frightening when he would snap. And I even unfortunatly had a run in with him after his first prison term, and he felt NO remorse for what he did, and played the typical 'wrongly accused' card. I cannot be happier that he is going away for life, I just wished it could have happened sooner :(
When the woman who survived spoke, that is when we saw the real "person" Gardner is. He was full of rage at the idea that she fought him off. He couldnt deal with the fact that he coulnt control her and the people would know that. He is a primitive simian who is evil and without any hope of rehabilitation. If any woman out there begins to write to this piece of garbage, that would be an outrage. A psychiatrist said there was no hope for rehabilitation for this guy in his first case! for a psychiatrist to say that it is amazing and it goes a long way at proving that this subhuman creature who cowardly preys on defenseless underage girls needed to be executed immediately.
I know John Gardner personally, I went to high school with him and worked with him, and I have to say you hit the nail on the head. He can go through the motions, and knows what the appropriate reactions an average person should have to things, but his rage is the only place the 'real' John Gardner seems to live. He was always that TOO nice guy that would be truly frightening when he would snap. And I even unfortunatly had a run in with him after his first prison term, and he felt NO remorse for what he did, and played the typical 'wrongly accused' card. I cannot be happier that he is going away for life, I just wished it could have happened sooner :(
I think it's sad that California doesn't have the death penalty. I know they think they do - but since they've never exercised the penalty - this is just a walk in the park for these "people". With all the budget deficits - schools and basic services being cut back - it's a sad statement that this waste of skin will have all of his bills paid for the rest of his life. Three squares a day and turkey on Thanksgiving. He'll probably even get a private room. All the while bottom feeding lawyers get filthy dirty rich defending them from the death penalty.
I think it's sad that California doesn't have a torture penalty. You know, honey and ants, waterboarding, yanking fingernails, fire, just the usual. The ol' "Death of a Thousand Cuts" would sure hit the spot for this guy.
just trust me, doing death penalty defense work is not the kind of work that make people "filty rich." In fact, many of the lawyers are law school professors or other kinds of lawyers that do it pro bono. The amount it will cost to keep this guy in a cell the rest of his life is NOTHING compared to the cost that it would take to kill him-- a recent article revealed maryland spends $37 million for one execution. Not defending this guy by any means, but if you are worried about schools and basic services, removing the death penalty would be the best bet.
I'd prefer to see him executed. But at the same time I think that it is very dangerous to throw him to the inmates with the hope that he will be raped or murdered etc. There are 2.4 MILLION people in prison and when they are mistreated they COULD come out just like this guy or worse. Let's not manufacture more like this one. There is simply no way to prove whether or not his prior prison experiences contributed to his new crimes. But condoning prison rape / murder is a very dangerous game to play. The Santa Fe prison riots in the 80's are a good place to research what happens when we do this.
As a side note - I have absolutely no love for people who do these things. But they must be coming from somewhere. We are a society that has completely given up on the idea of reform, we simply no longer subscribe to that concept. Is it remotely possible that our complete and total abandonment of rehabilitation is contributing to the creation of these monsters who are increasingly worse and worse every time you turn on the TV set ?
Having said that - I would much prefer to see him executed.
agreed. I am not defending this guys actions in any way, but people are not born this way, something happened in their lives to make them this way. Every prisoner involved in similar crimes always have some, if not many events in their childhoods/lives that lead up to the terrible crimes they commit. I know that the USA is the last western and first world country to still have the death penalty, and I definitely part of the reason we have it is because our rehabilitation system is so defunct compared to the rest of the world
First of all, nothing can MAKE anyone do anything. Yes, people that do these kinds of things tend to have some history of abuse, but there are millions of people who are the victims of abuse and go on to be perfectly productive. Additionally, I wish there was something that could be done to imporve the chances of rehabilitation, but there just isn't. Prison is a different world that is run by different rules. There have been many programs adopted attempting to help inmates rehabilitate, but, once again, you cannot MAKE someone do something.
The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Reply to Comment The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm
ISN'T THAT WE DO TO RABBIT DOGS?
I have no idea how any of that applied to this story.
What's wrong with this picture?
As a side note - I have absolutely no love for people who do these things. But they must be coming from somewhere. We are a society that has completely given up on the idea of reform, we simply no longer subscribe to that concept. Is it remotely possible that our complete and total abandonment of rehabilitation is contributing to the creation of these monsters who are increasingly worse and worse every time you turn on the TV set ?
Having said that - I would much prefer to see him executed.