Comments on: Recommended Reading for October 30

By: Anna

Anna — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:53:11 +0000

Sorry, I’ve been so busy, I hadn’t seen this discussion.

I read the article as implying that he had been murdered because of his autism. However, I read a lot of stories about people being murdered for having a disability.

By: Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:54:45 +0000

I’ve more than once heard the media suggest that a murder victim was somehow less deserving because they had mental health or impairment. One of the worst was a few years ago on, I think, Crimewatch on BBC 1, where a mentally ill man managed to annoy some thug on a London bus by talking to himself. When he tried to leave the bus after being threatened, the thug blocked his path and stabbed him to death. The Crimewatch presenter said something like “he was no angel, was he …” before describing his mental illness.

On other occasions when someone commits a crime, their conditions are considered fair game (OCD and Aspergers in two recent occasions, both involving murders) even though they are shared with thousands of people who aren’t criminals.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:34:54 +0000

Don’t read the comments indeed. Unfortunately, I often have a hard time stopping myself from that. Just…ugh. Always wonderful to hear that the people who lived with me in college and found me weird and disturbing could have murdered me and received sympathy and justifications from others. The ways in which these situations are used to promote segregated educational environments are also quite unbelievable and infuriating.

Also, the comments about this sad situation are ableist in more than one way. There’s ableism directed towards the victim, the identified disabled person. But the comments describing the perpetrator as “psychotic” and whatnot are also ableist. It’s really a very insidious method of inscribing prejudices against people with psychiatric disabilities: anyone who commits a violent crime is mentally ill by definition, therefore we will further stigmatize and marginalize anyone we classify as mentally ill. Because we all know that “normal” people couldn’t possibly commit violent crimes.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..On Passing and Not Existing =-.

By: amandaw

amandaw — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:04:49 +0000

I actually sent in that link – I read it at work via Google News, and didnt have time to read it closely. I thought it WAS being reported as a hate crime. If it isn’t, well, have a few heapings of WTF courtesy amandaw. Seriously.

Kaz & kaninchenzero make some important points though. k0, I wouldn’t necessarily have thought about that connection, but yes, it is funny how these things always end up so prominent in stories about certain types of people, isn’t it?

By: kaninchenzero

kaninchenzero — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:47:33 +0000

As though (and this makes me sick) it's Hawkins' fault and his Aspergers drove his roommate to kill him. Did anyone else read this this way? It's absolutely a valid reading. It follows the same pattern as other 'just snapped' murder articles -- I'm reminded of news articles written about trans people (especially trans women) who are murdered by men who've raped or had sex with them. The trans identity of the victim often gets a lot of column space in those articles, much the same way the victim's autism did here. I'm also reminded of some things Amanda of Ballastexistenz has said about caretakers who kill. And I agree, these should be classed as hate crimes. Especially the ones where the murderers portray themselves as merciful.

By: Kaz

Kaz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:06:55 +0000

As though (and this makes me sick) it’s Hawkins’ fault and his Aspergers drove his roommate to kill him. Did anyone else read this this way?

It’s definitely been interpreted that way in the comments. Along with, you know, some really awful stuff being said about mental illnesses.

…I do not recommend reading the comments. *whimper*

By: LeeLee

LeeLee — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:11:54 +0000

I should say that it seems unnecessary to include that he has Asperger’s *assuming that it had nothing to do with his killing.* Of course, if it’s found to be a contributing factor to the motive, then it’s relevant to the story, and it would clearly be a hate crime.

I’ve been clear as mud today.

By: LeeLee

LeeLee — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:59:25 +0000

It does seem unnecessary that his Asperger’s is included in the story, but it adds to the “human interest” of the story. I don’t mean that in a good way – more in the “if it bleeds, it leads” way. People are murdered every day, but when there is an additional detail that makes it more tragic or lurid or what-have-you, it gets covered.

(Really, I don’t hate the media. Just mistrustful of it. My husband works in media relations for the military, and has literally chased news crews away from funerals that they were specifically *not* invited to.)

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:46:38 +0000

On the story about the student at Sac State killing another student… I’m not sure I understand why they felt it necessary to mention that the victim was autistic. It almost feels like they’re suggesting this is a hate crime, though they fail to say as much. As though (and this makes me sick) it’s Hawkins’ fault and his Aspergers drove his roommate to kill him. Did anyone else read this this way? I know other people with Aspergers who’ve been teased and attacked and this is rather upsetting to me.