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Letters, 12/7: Show no compassion for killer

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Friday, Dec 07, 2007 - 12:08:34 am CST

I’ve been glued to the TV for hours, anxiously waiting for identification of the victims in Omaha’s Westroads Mall tragedy. The safety of only one loved one still to be confirmed. I guess the police have a good reason for sitting on victim IDs and keeping hundreds in a state of suspended terror waiting to find out.

We are told the shooter left notes saying he was going to be “famous.” Why did he expect fame? Why didn’t he expect condemnation and revulsion instead?

Because, just as at Columbine, Virginia Tech and all the other copycats, the criminal gets great press. Not one of all of the talking heads today has uttered a single critical word of the killer.

Every report or interview has, without exception, characterized him favorably. A nice kid, well-behaved, funny, regular guy, maybe a target of some bullying, getting his life back on track.

He was “not allowed” to join the Army, rather than “failed to qualify.” Would he have been “not allowed” to be president of the United States if he’d wanted it?

Reporters carefully use words like “senseless” about the overall scene, but steer clear of words like “crime” and “murder.” They use “killed” about victims, but avoid tying “killer” or “killings” too closely to the culprit.

Sure, his loved ones are near the top of the list of victims, and most likely deserve support rather than harsh words at a time like this. And sure, his background must be examined carefully to see what can be done to prevent repetition.

But if we consistently report these heinous crimes casting the villain in a sensitive light, we are whetting the appetites of the wannabes.

This guy was a monster today, no matter how inoffensive he might have been at times in the past. That past doesn’t come close to rating even equal time with the enormity of his despicable crime, let alone taking precedence over over it.

Let’s hear angry condemnation of the killer and his crime, along with compassion for the victims. If Robbie Hawkins’ name is dragged through the mud his crime deserves, instead of enshrined on some scorecard, the lighthouse won’t shine so bright for imitators.

Tom deShazo, Lincoln

Killer was a coward

When Robert Hawkins wrote, “Now I’ll be famous,” he just gave other kids the same idea.

Maybe you should write another story saying now he will be famous as a coward … instead of the man he could have been.

Steven L. Moore, Lincoln

Ours is a nation of terrorists

Another tragic example of domestic terrorism hit very close to home.

A shooter — a terrorist — gunned down eight people in a mall in Omaha. Thus, he assaulted and terrorized an entire community.

I thought that we were in a war against terrorism. What is our government doing about this domestic terrorism?

Since 9/11, we have seen a dramatic increase of domestic terrorism: the snipers, the university in Virginia … the list goes on. Yet, none of the billions of dollars being spent on our war against terrorism is going to fight our domestic terrorism.

Somehow this terrorism is called the work of “troubled individuals.”

These troubled individuals have Web sites and networking. Through media, they have created an informal terrorist movement. Yet, no one is talking about it. No one is identifying it. Thus, no one is seeking responsibility for this movement.

These acts of terrorism are more dangerous than the threat from over the great ocean.

What is wrong with our culture and society that we are producing so many domestic terrorists?

Kim Matthews, Lincoln

Double standards of faith

I am puzzled by Section B of the Dec. 5 Lincoln Journal Star. Page 7 of this section contains an opinion column which decries the injustice of jailing a teacher in Sudan for allowing a teddy bear to be named “Muhammed,” thereby desecrating the faith of Islam.

On pages 1 and 2 is an article explaining the selection of Charles Bessey to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. In truth, it is a story about Nation of Islam leader (and civil rights leader) Malcolm X being not selected to this body. Among the reasons cited on page 2 are that as a Muslim “He … denigrated Christianity.” Presumably, only Christians (whatever that means) are allowed in the hall?

To be clear, if religious militancy is dangerous and wrong there, then it is also dangerous and wrong here. If your faith makes you hate people you don’t know, then you practice a false faith. It doesn’t matter what you call it — it is a false faith.

We need to oppose hatred masquerading as piety wherever it exists. Until we do, there will never be a meaningful peace anywhere.

Religion and spirituality are significant and meaningful things, but hatred is a different thing altogether.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that God loves the world and all that God created. So, we should try, too. Look it up. It doesn’t really matter what religious text you are looking in. It’s there.

Joe Gores, Lincoln


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Jody P. wrote on December 7, 2007 7:40 am:
" Mr. Bush should give some thought to disarming the NRA-supported terrorists in THIS country. "
Remember NBC wrote on December 7, 2007 8:11 am:
" ran the tape of the murdered at Virginia Tech. A lot of people said at that time that it would lead to more of the same, since the killer in that instance got so much publicity. I agree with everything that Tom has written. "
Grundle wrote on December 7, 2007 8:32 am:
" Ms. Matthews, these acts, while horrific, are not terrorism. Terrorism is premeditated, politically motivated violence...there was no political motivation for the killings perpetrated by Mr. Hawkins, there was only personal motivation. While I agree wholeheartedly that more needs to be done to address the problems of our youths to prevent further tragedies, the bottom line is that there is only so far we as a society can probe into one's personal life before we begin to breach constitutional liberties. THEN it becomes terrorism. "
thinkaboutit wrote on December 7, 2007 8:42 am:
" the killer got what he wanted, thanks to Tom, Steven, & Kim in todays letters who continues to write & talk about him. The press & people are going to make him famous as he wanted. The best would be to not talk about him "
Dave wrote on December 7, 2007 8:43 am:
" Joe,as I recall Malcolm X made the comment in 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated that it was a case of Quote: "The Chickens coming home to roost".I believe that's alot different than naming a teddy bear "Muhammed" "
Chris wrote on December 7, 2007 10:08 am:
" What happened in Omaha earlier this week from what we know was not an act of terrorism. Terrorists use terror is a means to some kind of end. For example Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the two most notable domestic terrorists of recent years, bombed the Murrah Federal Building, in protest of the federal government. The end in their view was a hope to influence the government in such law enforcement in such activities as the Waco tragedy. Yes like Robert Hawkins they slaughtered innocent people. Hawkins was certainly a troubled young man, but their is no evidence he was acting on behalf of a group with an agenda and he is obviously not around to reap anything from the slaughter of 8 innocent people. Hawkin's actions can only attributed to man's inhumanity to man. For most of us its difficult to get our minds around why anyone would do such a thing. And my sympathies go out to loved ones of Hawkin's victims. "
Jon wrote on December 7, 2007 10:21 am:
" Joe is right, "Religion and spirituality are significant and meaningful things, but hatred is a different thing altogether." There will always be more disturbed individuals and the key to the problem is taking babies to Sunday School and Church EVERY SUNDAY from the time they are born until they leave the nest! But parents and alot of society want to laugh and smirk at any suggestion of the fact. Oh yes, many many parents say, "my kids are going to choose when they get older whether they want to go to church." Consequently, not only do the kids pay the price, innocent citizens end up paying the price. Parents are put on this earth to teach, guide and lead their children, but instead, look at our world, we have kids, dump them from here to there, marry and remarry a half dozen times and still seperate and there's no home life or love for the kids. In turn, we compensate by teaching them to use guns and are instilling more and more hate. This is the price we ALL are having to pay!! Isn't it funny, its more important to teach the youth to have a gun in their hands rather than a Bible!!!!! How demeaning would that look?????!!!!! "
LC wrote on December 7, 2007 10:53 am:
" I agree with Mr. Gore's sentiment and his statement about false faith, but take it further. ALL faith is essentially false. Look at the requirements of faith: Faith is only necessary when there is no substance. If we have substance, faith becomes pointless. A belief that relies heavily on faith of any nature is supported by thin air. We do not need faith to understand that the sun will be there tomorrow, because today we have the knowledge of the main sequence of hydrogen fusion which means it will burn for another several billion years. But look at ancient literature cobbled together by various illiterate sources with a clear biased agenda, and faith must be utilized to keep believing. There is no reason for Muslims to be angry at a teddy bear named Muhammed IF their god is stronger than a stuffed animal. This is the telltale sign of a weak belief - one that can be threatend by the most trivial of offenses. The same is true for the other two monotheisms, Judaism and Christianity. When you get angry at someone bashing your faith, it can only mean that there is a real threat present. And that threat involves pointing out a huge lack of reason and proof. In any other venue, the requirement of faith would be a dead giveaway of falseness. Only in matters of religion do we rely on blind faith as a necessary tool to prevent the myth from collapsing. "
Jared wrote on December 7, 2007 11:21 am:
" It's very hard for me to say that VA Tech, and this in Omaha are "copy cat" murders, and that having publicized one gave another ideas. We are a nation of over 300 million people. We have a lot of outliers. We should work toward helping them instead of casting them so far out that their only recourse is mass violence. Our nation should be ashamed that we only have feelings instead of true empathy. "
Alan wrote on December 7, 2007 11:23 am:
" There is a special part of Hell reserved for this and the other "shooter". "
Dave wrote on December 7, 2007 11:27 am:
" A 57 year old English woman lets the children in her class name a Teddy Bear "Muhammed". In November 1963 after President Kennedy was assassinated,Malcolm X made the comment that It was just a case of the Chicken's coming home to roost.Which act was based on Hatred? "
Captain Logic wrote on December 7, 2007 11:28 am:
" If Hawkins was characterized favorably in interviews, it would be due to the fact that the person being interviewed characterized him that way. Understanding that not everyone who does these sort of things is a "monster" in everyday life allows us to more accurately study this problem. His "fame" is not "giving kids the same idea"--that's far too simplistic to characterize what influences people who snap. Labeling a "terrorist" or "part of a terrorist movement" is also not helpful. This was a person with mental health issues, not someone trying to push a political ideology (which is the definition of a terrorist). "
David wrote on December 7, 2007 11:53 am:
" Isn't compassion one of the essential characteristics that separates the rest of us from the killer? "
Don wrote on December 7, 2007 12:24 pm:
" Too many broken homes in America. Too many parents not paying attention to their kids. This is the cause of all these random acts of violence in our nation today. We can't just blame the govt. for this. Homes need to change, and this change can only come by faith in God, according to the Bible. "
Chris wrote on December 7, 2007 12:25 pm:
" The NRA does not support terrorists, domestic or otherwise. The NRA is an advocacy group for a basic right guaranteed in the constitution. Whether you agree with this right, is beside the point. Its unfortunate that some are choosing to use this tragedy to pursue a gun control agenda. You can take away all the guns, knifes, and piano wire away and people will still victimize other people without any regard to logic or reason. This happened long before the invention of firearms. I can understand that from a logical standpoint its tough to understand why anyone would do what Robert Hawkins did. But he is responsible for what he did, not the NRA and not supporters of the second ammendment. "
keith wrote on December 7, 2007 1:14 pm:
" The news media just rideing this, without the news. The shoot who asked for media high lights the glory is after the fact, an everyone is supporting his glory by buy newpapers etc news on the tube. Leave this be for now, lets pray for all. "
ET wrote on December 7, 2007 2:01 pm:
" Yeah, bring back the Bible. Anytime anything goes wrong, it's because we're not basing our actions on a book full of violence and hatred. Great reasoning, Don. You, my friend, love to bring up red herrings. People on the other side of the world are killing each other because of the beliefs in their 'bible'. Please, stop it with the 'need the bible in everything' nonsense! "
Right wrote on December 7, 2007 2:07 pm:
" Don, there are plenty of problems with bible-reading, god-fearing, christian families too. "
Puzzled wrote on December 7, 2007 2:12 pm:
" The gunman wanted to be famous, so I am puzzled why the media continues to mention his name and show his photo. Call him the gunman. After two days we've all seen the name and picture. Don't give him the attention he craved. Focus on the innocent lives lost. May the gunman suffer in hell. "
Theresa wrote on December 7, 2007 2:24 pm:
" Violence in this country will not stop until the division between rich and poor, educated and uneducated melts away. Division causes suffering; it always has. "
Hey Jon wrote on December 7, 2007 4:37 pm:
" You think sending kids to Sunday School and church every week while growing up will keep them from committing these horrendous crimes? Maybe you are too young but what about Jonestown? That was a community that was run by a religious leader and all the followers went to church and studied the Bible religiously and look what happened! They murdered a US congressman and everyone ended up committing suicide. So much that going to church and reading the Bible keeps you from committing murder. Bottom line is that anyone, whether devoutly religious or not, is capable of horrendous acts like what happened in Omaha. Maybe the solution is stronger gun control legislation instead of putting guns in everyone's hands. "
Socialist wrote on December 7, 2007 6:34 pm:
" Yes lets get rid of that 2nd Admendment, there is no purpose in that old Civil Right, people are not smart enough to use firearms. I also suggest that we get rid of that silly 1st Admendment thing also, too many people are not smart enough to use that Civil Right either. Why do we even bother with Civil Rights anymore, our Government can do a fine job in telling us what we can think,read, eat, drive, breath, etc. A gun is a tool, an in-animate object, it is the intent of the user on how the tool is used. PLace a gun on the ground it will not kill anything, put it into that hands of an individual brought up without a sense or responsibility and what do we get, the same as we get when a set of keys are picked up after a night of drinking, and a 4000lb weapon travels our highways, with an individual with little personal responsibility at the wheel. Use a gun it is murder, use a automobile it is a drunk driving accident, but the comman denominator is the lack of responsibility of the user. The shooting was a tragic, but the idiocy of the one does not outweigh the rights of the many, or we must also lose our 1st Admendment rights based on the idiocy sometimes shown when that Civil Right is exercised. Oh and by the way, the crime rate in the old Soviet Union was higher even with the "division between rich and poor, educated and uneducated melted away", we are as humans a predator, nature provided that skill, now learning how to control it that is the trick in life. "
Stephen wrote on December 8, 2007 1:53 am:
" It is not my job to judge this murderer. I will pray that God has mercy on his soul. But reason tells me that his troubled life on earth is like a pin prick compared to the torment he shall endure for eternity. "
Anna wrote on December 8, 2007 8:53 am:
" You don't need god or religion to be a good person, I feel a great sadness for the boy that did this. He could have felt a great sense of remorse when he saw what he had done. I'm guessing he felt alone, hopeless and worthless to begin with, not that this is justified by any means. Of course my sympathy is far greater for his victims and their families. "
Response to Tom wrote on December 8, 2007 7:19 pm:
" I really agree you, but the media loves the killer, the lunatic, the miscreant. Holden Caulfield is thier hero, and the depravity will only get worse. "

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