I just emailed Court TV

by Sabine 28 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Ghost of Esmeralda

  Hey Tyler,

  I don't know about other countries, but I would say that yes, good looking people can get away with anything, including murder, in the U.S. Horrible, but true, sadly. Good looking and church going? Can't possibly do anything wrong! (gag).

  Celebrity will also get you a free pass in most situations over here (look at OJ Simpson, for one...) It's disgusting. I wonder if Bill Clinton had looked like Eisenhower if anyone would've bought his charming all american bit at all!

  Not that I'm comparing Clinton to Longo, not by any means. Just an example, and probably a very poor one.

  As far as Longo goes...I don't care what religion you grew up in, anyone who would do what this man did DESERVES a fiery hell. I wish there was one sometimes for monsters like him. Death is too good for the b****rd. His wife should've left him. The kids had no choice, she should have gotten them out of there. She just trusted him too much, apparently, or maybe she trusted in Jehovah that He'd keep them safe??? Anyone who murders children is an animal, and I have no sympathy at ALL.

  essie
• 

  RunningMan

  As much as I detest the organization and all of the things it does to people, after reading this story I can't help but feel that his religion was little more than incidental to the story.

  If anything, the organization tried to correct his behaviour on several occasions, then finally punished him. This is probably one of the few occasions where disfellowshipping was properly used.

  I suppose a case could be made that a religion should never write off a person, but rather, try to help him. Also, perhaps his desire to keep up appearances was enhanced by the social structure of the organization. But overall, I don't think his downward spiral had much to do with his religion.
• 

  teenyuck

  I don't think he deserves any mercy. The fact he was a JW has nothing to do with being a psycho. He had to be psycho to kill his wife and children.

  I have Court TV on right now and he is very cold. He is very articulate and unemotional. He has not cried or *acted* like he was upset by what he did.

  As Ghost said, he deserves his sentence.

  WTF? Is this odd or is American news reporting like this? I have noticed in TV movies how in cout cases the defence refurs to how the defendant is a 'church goer' like it makes a differance. I even get the impression that being 'good looking' is a line of defence in America. Am I wrong, or am I being naieve and it goes on here in UK as well? Curious on your thoughts.

  Tyler, here is the US, it is very common to use someone's looks and whether or not they go to church as a way to determine their character. If they are a *church* goer they will appeal to most juries. It depends on the crime and where the crime is being tried. It seems quite effective in getting the jury emotionally involved in the defense and feeling sympathethic towards the defendant.
• 

  cruzanheart

  He allegedly admitted to a federal agent that his looks and speaking skills had helped him get away with innumerable cons and crimes along the way. "That's been my downfall," he said.

  [*sniff* *sheds a tear*] If ONLY he'd been UGLY! If ONLY he'd gotten more "W's" in the Theocratic Ministry School! Then he wouldn't have felt compelled to kill his wife and children. What a waste of humanity this scumbucket is.

  Nina
• 

  Tyler

  Mulan, I'm all for bringing down the tower and giving them the bad publicity they deserve, but to use this guy's murders would be seriously counterproductive. He was after all an Ex Witness, and yes, it's the cruel treatment that X's are treated with that may make some of us do stupid things, but it can also be interperated that it is because he was like this that they kicked him out. He was after all a lier and a con man before adding murder to his vices.

  He is the model XJW to JW's. He will be pointed to by Jw pairents the world over and they'll say "Look children, that is what you will become like if you ever leave Jehovah and his organisation!!"

  It is exactly the image we want to shatter for the sake of entrapped JW's. For potential JW converts it is important to highlight the vices of actual JW's who are still in it. What can you posably say in your Emails that might help towards the cause?

  On the 'good looking' thing, it think the article was written by some single and desperate woman who was ovulating like an Easter chockolate factory. The picture shown is misleading as it shows him with his head down as if in remorse. Shows how the media can be misleading. Fortunatly the rest of the article goes on to be a little more honest, but those first few images can colour how you read the rest of the article.

  It was just something that grated at me as it comes over as a bit Fachist. Watching US TV I can't help but sence that America is imitating pre war Nazi Germany. Geeks are the new Jews, they seem to be unflichingly mocked at every opportunity in programs like Smallvile, Buffy, Boy meets World, Saved By The Bell, and others who's title escape me. I might start another thread just about this. But hey what do you think?
• 

  Billygoat

  Tyler,

  Geeks are the new Jews, they seem to be unflichingly mocked at every opportunity in programs like Smallvile, Buffy, Boy meets World, Saved By The Bell, and others who's title escape me. I might start another thread just about this. But hey what do you think?

  Just curious...how old are you? Because nobody except very young teenagers watch this schtuff! (I'd like to call it something else, but Simon has a rule against it.) THIS American TV does NOT reflect true American Society at all and MOST people with half a brain here in the US know that. Watching TV from a country is not always an accurate guage of the people or society.

  JMO,

  Andi
• 

  Princess

  Watching TV from a country is not always an accurate guage of the people or society.

  You mean all Brits aren't like Mr Bean??????? OMG!

  Good one Andi. I think Tyler has completely misunderstood the entire thread.
• 

  Mulan

  Tyler, you still miss the point. The bad publicity would be for the benefit of the public, not the mindless dubs. I tried to get my mother to watch the Court proceedings but he is disfellowshipped. I forgot about that part.

  Everyone seems to totally misunderstand what Sabine and I meant, and I guess I am not expressing it well. So forget it! We thought it was a great idea and still do.
• 

  amac

  The bad publicity would be for the benefit of the public, not the mindless dubs.

  How would the public benefit? If his being a JW is capitalized on, the only connections the public could make is "Hmmm, he was a JW and it made him a murderer" OR "Hmmm, why are they reporting on him being a JW? Whatever he is, he killed his family." Why would you want to detract from any conclusion that places the blame for KILLING his FAMILY solely on him?

  We thought it was a great idea and still do.

  I don't mean to harp on you, I simply think you are mixing your own desires to expose the mind control of JWs with the responsibility this man has for his actions. There is NO excuse for KILLING your family, and being a JW is not the problem, this man is the problem.
• 

  Sabine

  Oh boy, this is why I rarely post anymore...I am not good at expressing myself somehow. I in no way excused his behavior, in my email (which I wasn't savvy enough to save) to court tv I said he seemed to be a textbook case of a sociopath. I mentioned that it is not an isolated case where being disfellowshipped leads to desperate/tragic outcomes. I stated what happened to my daughter as an example.

  I think his disassociated/bland demeanor is very typical of what I have come across with JWs. When my daughter died, it became even more evident. Being part of a cult where you cannot think for yourself leads to this type of deadpan/lack of empathy behavior. Many of my former "friends" had to call the local elders to ask how they should respond to the death of my daughter, someone they knew for years as one of the best examples of a "fine young witness". They can't think for themselves, they don't even have normal reactions/emotions....

  My intention was not in anyway to excuse Mr. Longo, just to stir the pot, so to speak, maybe spark curiosity by mentioning other murder/suicides committed by disfellowshiped jws. I think his being raised a jw has a lot to do with his personality. I knew brothers who had parents that totally spoiled them, provided them with jobs and money, tried to shield them from the real world, Mak and I did janitorial work for a couple of these brothers and they tried to screw us out of money and just had an attitude that the world revolved around them...Mr. Longo reminds me of several of these brothers, it sends chills down my spine.