Joanna Dennehy: serial killer

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A collection of cells, not unlike cancer. It also fits the biological definition of a parasite.

May I refer back to this part of an earlier posting and ask if what you say is true in the very first stages, why do the defences of the body not attack and destroy such a cancerous "parasitic" organism that you so describe.

 

[fowler9]

May I refer back to this part of an earlier posting and ask if what you say is true in the very first stages, why do the defences of the body not attack and destroy such a cancerous "parasitic" organism that you so describe.

With all due respect I would suggest that parasites are not always attacked and destroyed, if they were no parasites would ever exist. As regarding cancerous cells they are sadly quite successful.

 

[Kneedown]

Is the definition of being human "being capable of thought and action" then?
Does someone who, whether through disease or tragic accident, becomes paralysed and brain dead cease to be human?

The bottom line is, a foetus is a viable human being, as is someone who is elderly or severely disabled, and it is nothing short of hypocritical for society to say it is fine to terminate people such as these, but to say it is wrong to execute the most dangerous and evil in society because it is barbaric.

 

[fowler9]

Is the definition of being human "being capable of thought and action" then?
Does someone who, whether through disease or tragic accident, becomes paralysed and brain dead cease to be human?

The bottom line is, a foetus is a viable human being, as is someone who is elderly or severely disabled, and it is nothing short of hypocritical for society to say it is fine to terminate people such as these, but to say it is wrong to execute the most dangerous and evil in society because it is barbaric.

Someone who is brain dead has in fact ceased to be so yes, they are no longer a human being. And as for the elderly or severely disabled no one is saying they should be terminated.I hope not anyway. I honestly fail to see your connection between the elderly and severely disabled and an unborn child. There has to be a cut off point somewhere and I think at the mo in this country we have that at a pretty good point.

 

[EM2]

Is the definition of being human "being capable of thought and action" then?
Does someone who, whether through disease or tragic accident, becomes paralysed and brain dead cease to be human?

Did I mention 'being human'? I said 'cannot be guilty or innocent'. As there are defences in law such as 'while the balance of his mind was disturbed', it follows that the law takes conditions such as these into consideration.

 

[radamfi]

Arguably using contraceptives is killing an unborn child. Abstinence also prevents a baby being born, so could even be considered to be a form of abortion.

 

[EM2]

Arguably using contraceptives is killing an unborn child. Abstinence also prevents a baby being born, so could even be considered to be a form of abortion.

So because my wife has had a hysterectomy, I'm a baby killer? :roll:

 

[radamfi]

Anti-abortionists ignore the immense pain, both physical and emotional, that humans go through when grown to full adults. Then adults have to go through the horror of natural death.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If I may return to the matter of the Dennehy woman and others of her ilk, has there ever been medical research into possible faulty DNA in such people where the sense of the enormity of their crimes is not one that they can comprehend in the same matter as others, which is taken into account by the laws of the land at times such as this ?

 

[radamfi]

Clearly such a person has a psychological disorder. No one in his right mind will commit murder because of the very high risk of being caught, amongst other reasons. The solution has to be reprogramming the brain of children or babies to eliminate mental illness. That would be the most important medical breakthrough of all time, as there would be no more depression.

 

[meridian2]

Clearly such a person has a psychological disorder. No one in his right mind will commit murder because of the very high risk of being caught, amongst other reasons. The solution has to be reprogramming the brain of children or babies to eliminate mental illness. That would be the most important medical breakthrough of all time, as there would be no more depression.

Some would argue that's as inhumane as whole-life sentencing; this notion of 'playing god' with the human genome.

 

[radamfi]

Some would argue that's as inhumane as whole-life sentencing; this notion of 'playing god' with the human genome.

Who would be against eradicating crime and mental illness? Only religious hardliners. It has to be better than the current method of waiting for people to offend then locking them up.

We already do an element of mind-altering with anti-depressants.

 

[asylumxl]

As a late comer to this thread I felt I would add my own 2 pence worth to the discussion.

To those who claim she has no place in a "civilised society", having read articles regarding her upbringing, it would be fair to say she is a product of a so called civilised society. She has come from a middle-class family, with a relatively easy upbringing, in a reasonably well off area of Hertfordshire.

She is a product of the "civilised society" she grew up in. A society obsessed with fame, vanity and wealth. A society that seemingly enjoys depravity, violence and the bizarre. One only has to look at the majority of popular TV programmes of late or even the coverage of cases such as this to see. Big enterprise promotes and glamorises anathemas to further their monetary gain, without a second thought for its effect on the impressionable.

As a result the impressionable begin to spiral in to a world of fantasy, seeking validation and attention to fill the void but always find themselves feeling unfulfilled (Instagram anyone?). For some, their attempts for validation and attention become more and more desperate. With the increased permeation of technology in to our everyday lives, the lines between fantasy and reality become even more blurred for those who already lack lucidity.And thus we end up with people like Joanna Dennehy.

As a society we scratch our heads, puzzled by the motivation for such things, seemingly finding no valid answers. The answers are certainly there, we are just afraid to take a look inward.

 

[Oswyntail]

... The solution has to be reprogramming the brain of children or babies to eliminate mental illness. That would be the most important medical breakthrough of all time, as there would be no more depression.

Who would be against eradicating crime and mental illness? Only religious hardliners. It has to be better than the current method of waiting for people to offend then locking them up.

We already do an element of mind-altering with anti-depressants.

So we have rambled over the whole range of arguments for and against the death penalty, throwing abortion and euthanasia into the mix. But I can honestly say that this post is perhaps the most sickeningly sinister in the whole thread.
Are you really suggesting we should consider "reprogramming" brains from an early age to produce children who fit in to our idea of what is mentally healthy? Do you really believe that "crime" is an illness that can be treated? Would you volunteer to have your mind sanitised in this way? Our ability to not conform is what distinguishes us as individual humans, and if that throws up the occasional psychopath then that is a price worth paying.

 

[radamfi]

So we have rambled over the whole range of arguments for and against the death penalty, throwing abortion and euthanasia into the mix. But I can honestly say that this post is perhaps the most sickeningly sinister in the whole thread.
Are you really suggesting we should consider "reprogramming" brains from an early age to produce children who fit in to our idea of what is mentally healthy? Do you really believe that "crime" is an illness that can be treated? Would you volunteer to have your mind sanitised in this way? Our ability to not conform is what distinguishes us as individual humans, and if that throws up the occasional psychopath then that is a price worth paying.

I just explained, no one in their right mind would commit murder as there is a high chance of being caught. So therefore it must be an illness.

In other words, bad = mad.

Depression is the worst possible illness as regardless of what illness you have, if you are happy then it doesn't really matter. So eliminating depression would be the kindest thing in the world. Yes, I would give anything to be eternally happy. Denying this would be the most callous thing imaginable.

 

[Kneedown]

I just explained, no one in their right mind would commit murder as there is a high chance of being caught. So therefore it must be an illness.

People commit murder for personal gain, whether that gain is financial or sexual or other, but whereas in the past they would have thought long and hard of the consequences, nowadays they know that even if caught, there is a fair chance that they'll walk the streets again while still young enough to enjoy life.
In short, the stakes are much lower.

 

[Oswyntail]

I just explained, no one in their right mind would commit murder as there is a high chance of being caught. So therefore it must be an illness.

In other words, bad = mad.

Depression is the worst possible illness as regardless of what illness you have, if you are happy then it doesn't really matter. So eliminating depression would be the kindest thing in the world. Yes, I would give anything to be eternally happy. Denying this would be the most callous thing imaginable.

And now you equate depression - which is a serious illness, that can destroy lives and affects everyone around the sufferer - with not being happy!:roll: Obviously something you know nothing whatsoever about.
Please stop digging - your hole is quite deep enough.

 

[radamfi]

I've been on Fluoxetine and Citalopram in the past so I do have experience of depression. I was definitely unhappy before taking those drugs.

The fact that we are having an aggressive argument shows that humanity is fatally flawed. I don't think bringing children into a world like this is ethical, while such flaws exist.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Whilst debating the definition of 'human' is interesting, it has to be understood that the legal definition will be different from the medical definition that will be different from the religious definition.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Whilst debating the definition of 'human' is interesting, it has to be understood that the legal definition will be different from the medical definition that will be different from the religious definition.

As ever, we can safely rely upon our resident "legal eagle" to bring light into the darkness.

 

[samxool]

I've been on Fluoxetine and Citalopram in the past so I do have experience of depression. I was definitely unhappy before taking those drugs.

The fact that we are having an aggressive argument shows that humanity is fatally flawed. I don't think bringing children into a world like this is ethical, while such flaws exist.

So you're never having kids then? Also, be sure to curse and rant and rage at your own parents for being so selfish by giving birth to you.

 

[radamfi]

So you're never having kids then? Also, be sure to curse and rant and rage at your own parents for being so selfish by giving birth to you.

No, I don't think it is right for many reasons. The main one is that the child has no say in whether he wants to be born. Also, the environmental damage caused by a human in its lifetime is immense, and that is magnified if that child produces further offspring. That child will inevitably die, so you are causing that child to go through possibly intense pain leading to death.

People only have children because they want to, or by accident. They don't do so for altruistic reasons.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Depression is far too important a subject to be bandied about as a secondary related subject on a thread that has its subject as stated in the title of the thread. Has it ever been claimed that the woman Dennehy suffered from depression which led her into a state of mind in which the murders were committed. ?

A separate thread on depression should be opened on the General Discussion forum where this subject can be discussed in depth.

 

[radamfi]

She may not have had depression but she certainly had some kind of mental disorder.

 

[90019]

A separate thread on depression should be opened on the General Discussion forum where this subject can be discussed in depth.

We did have one a couple of years back.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

She may not have had depression but she certainly had some kind of mental disorder.

There is a whole world of difference between these two in the many variations of both of these two medical conditions

 

[Johnuk123]

I would suggest that the vast majority of murderers have no mental illness or any major personality problem.

Of course drink and drugs at the time of the offence often play a major part.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I would suggest that the vast majority of murderers have no mental illness or any major personality problem.

Of course drink and drugs at the time of the offence often play a major part.

Through what qualification are you making that assumption? 70% of the UK prison population have two or more diagnosed mental health disorders (Psychiatric Morbidity Among Prisoners In England And Wales, 1998).

 

[EM2]

People only have children because they want to, or by accident. They don't do so for altruistic reasons.

They do it so the human race can continue to exist.

 

[radamfi]

They do it so the human race can continue to exist.

Who has children specifically for that reason? Even if that reason is given, in my experience it is always a secondary argument after merely wanting one, or having someone to look after you when you are old.