I've been at a loss for something to write about the past few days for some reason. Nothing special has been going on. Most days, Tim's coming home from work, and I can't believe the whole day has just flown by. Evan and Bethany have had a lot of basketball this week: Conditioning, practices, games, and a tournament, although, Bethany's still not allowed to play. Brett is, well, Brett. He's here, he's not here - I never know. I think he's here, and he's not. I think I'm here alone, and he's in his room. You have to experience Brett to fully appreciate that of which I speak. At least, he's been in a decent mood (I thought girls were the moody ones!). All of that to say, my mind has been blank when it comes to blogging. At least, for writing on light and happy topics, anyway.
The big thing for me this week was the hearing for Susan Atkins' compassionate release from prison. She is dying of brain cancer and has only a few months to live. Her left leg has been amputated, she's paralyzed on her right side, and is not able to speak very well. She is in a hospital, now, at the state's expense. The release was denied.
I first read Helter Skelter in high school. I don't know what possessed me to purchase this book. I hadn't heard of the crime, the victims, or Charles Manson and "the family." The murders had been committed years earlier. For some reason, and I'm not weird about it, I have been intrigued with the story since then. I may not give it much thought for years, and then one day there will be a story in the news or a documentary that gets me to thinking about it again.
My paperback is either in storage or is long gone, but I found quite a bit of information online. That's what I've been doing this week, reading the old information and discovering new information. Tim had never read anything about any of this, so I updated him on what I'd read during each day, when he would get home in the evenings. This all lead to many long discussions about a myriad of issues directly concerning the crimes and the people involved, all the way to, "what conditions resulted in the hippie movement, anyway?"
Ever since first reading Helter Skelter, I have believed that Manson and the others deserved the death penalty. I have never understood how, after reinstating the death penalty, it was decided that those previously on death row should thereafter be granted life, with the possibility of parole (if you're in for murder, I don't believe parole should be an option). However, after further research and conversations and mulling, I believe that the "family" members - Charles Watson, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins - should not have been held responsible for the murders. Charles Manson was the one responsible.
I do not believe that those people were murderers. The only way they were convinced to kill anyone was to be drugged continuously for at least a year, subjected to the ramblings of the lunatic, Manson. If not for him, they would have merely been another bunch of stoned, confused hippies, in my opinion.
This conclusion is not easily arrived at. Of course, I won't be losing sleep over the fact that these people are in prison. The crimes were beyond horrible. The whole thing has to have been a nightmare for the families ever since. I can't imagine how they've been able to get on with their lives. In 39 years, they have attended, or sent statements to, 57 parole hearings. By the end of 2010, there will have been 61 hearings.
One could argue that compassion was shown when their death sentences were revoked.
More websites:
Manson Family Today
Susan Atkins
The Official Sharon Tate Fansite and the Tate Family Legacy (run by Sharon's sister, Debra Tate)
Charlie Manson
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