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Bulger Wasn't Hardwired to Be a Murderer. No One Is
Townhall.com ^ | September 24, 2015 | Jeff Jacoby

Posted on 09/24/2015 12:57:07 PM PDT by Kaslin

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To: Chuzzlewit

Thanks.


41 posted on 09/24/2015 2:55:23 PM PDT by Tax-chick (I want to live my cat's life.)
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To: Kaslin

Maybe it was the CIA’s LSD experiments that he was part of in the 50’s that did it?


42 posted on 09/24/2015 3:13:05 PM PDT by Dr. Ursus
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To: Kaslin
Some people are born with predilections for aberrant behavior. Some people are born under circumstances that tend to abet bad behavior. In short, many people would not do evil things if not forced to by their government. But a lot of that is hardwired.

That doesn't excuse their behavior. German soldiers during WWII who murdered mothers and infants or helped with the executions do not get a free pass because they were following orders.

Everybody has vices or some urges that aren't healthy. But we must all fight them. Giving in to an urge because it's "natural" is no excuse.

43 posted on 09/24/2015 3:24:58 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: T-Bone Texan; mjp
You just convinced me to never spank my kid ever again.

There's nothing as damaging as robbing your kid the discipline he/she has worked so hard to earn and deserve:

Proverbs
13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

Spanking with your hand is probably not a good idea. Nrither is mocking, ridiculing, or shaming him/her with the rod of your mouth. Rather, you need to use a rod of a size fit for the child.s age: for the baby, a soda straw; for the toddler through preschool, a segment clipped from the straight bar of a plastic hanger; for grade school, a sturdy ruler; after that, a willow rod. All should be applied to the seat of learning, the gluteus maximus. And the correction should be applied up to, but not beyond the point where the child ceases to resist and becomes compliant.

When one has come into some sort of reasoning relationship with God the Father, He disciplines through the Word, through the local church, and through social/psychological situations. But if one is not disciplined of God when it is clearly appropriate, that person had better examine himself to see if he be of The Faith, or only deluded as to his salvation.

Heb 12:6-11 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Modern psychology and its rejection of correctly executed corporal punishment does nothing but create more self-serving, incorrigible social warts and criminals, not redeemable by the schools, evangelists, or prison/welfare systems, from what I've seen.

In my own case, I was not chastened enough as a child and youth. Avoiding the confrontations with the razor strap may have salved my Dad's liberal conscience for the time, but was to my detriment and his shame as a pastor in later years. Until I finally came to account and shaped up, that is.

44 posted on 09/24/2015 3:28:15 PM PDT by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: Elsie

Yup.


45 posted on 09/24/2015 3:29:31 PM PDT by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: Tax-chick
We're all hardwired to do certain things. Humans have natural urges just like other animals. It's just that we've had moral instruction and a bigger brain. I give born killers no slack. Their removal from society is imperative.

Incidentally, I was watching a documentary about the children of Nazi war criminals a few weeks ago. Amon Goeth's daughter was one of the children in the doc.

All the children despised their parents, and a number of them underwent sterilization believing that by doing so, they would eliminate the possibility of future monsters in their families. I happen to believe everybody probably has some bad genetic material.

46 posted on 09/24/2015 3:34:08 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: Tax-chick
I’m puzzled that people are disagreeing with Jacoby’s conclusions. If Mr. Bulger were “hard-wired,” then he had no personal agency in has actions, and he bears no personal guilt.

There is evidence that psychopaths are born, not made. They really do not have the capacity to empathize with other people. They have no remorse, they feel no guilt. Brain scans show that they are missing the "empathy" regions of their brains.

That said, it is not a foregone conclusion that psychopaths are murderers. To a large degree, how they are socialized as children determines how they behave later on.

47 posted on 09/24/2015 3:52:43 PM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: I want the USA back
There is no hard wiring. Stupid concept. Stems from a materialistic understanding of the human organism.

So, then, if I decide tomorrow to begin dressing like a man and trying to act like a man, and tell people to refer to me as "he" and "him", it's okay? Because that whole concept of gender is so materialistic, and I should be able to use any gender I feel like using?

48 posted on 09/24/2015 3:54:58 PM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: Robert DeLong

Of course, I agree, but I despise the open-borders Jacoby:)


49 posted on 09/24/2015 4:21:58 PM PDT by LongWayHome
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To: LongWayHome

Oh I wasn’t familiar with that aspect of him. I agree he is a schmuck then.


50 posted on 09/24/2015 5:37:19 PM PDT by Robert DeLong (u)
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To: Robert DeLong

Jeff is horrible on the immigration issue. Total open borders nutcase.


51 posted on 09/24/2015 5:59:44 PM PDT by LongWayHome
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To: exDemMom
There is evidence that psychopaths are born, not made. They really do not have the capacity to empathize with other people. They have no remorse, they feel no guilt. Brain scans show that they are missing the "empathy" regions of their brains.

True. And they tend to partner with each other.

52 posted on 09/24/2015 7:14:51 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: imardmd1

Looking back, it is apparent that I was not disciplined enough or correctly.

I spent 20 years of my life farting around until I had an epiphany and came correct. Essentially 20 years wasted.

I want better for my kid(s).


53 posted on 09/25/2015 5:08:55 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (The economic collapse is imminent. Buy staple food and OTC meds now, before prices skyrocket.)
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To: Albion Wilde

I’m very humbled by this award; it was an honor just to be nominated. I want to thank my parents and my parole officer. I’ll remember this day for as long as I can...


54 posted on 09/25/2015 8:25:13 AM PDT by DPMD
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To: Albion Wilde

I’m very humbled by this award; it was an honor just to be nominated. I want to thank my parents and my parole officer. I’ll remember this day for as long as I can...


55 posted on 09/25/2015 8:30:43 AM PDT by DPMD
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To: stephenjohnbanker

How can you be a life-long conservative if you ever lived in Boston? Did you hide your political views while you lived there?


56 posted on 09/25/2015 8:37:04 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: T-Bone Texan
I want better for my kid(s).

My prayer is that your example of obedience toward our Father God, and continual respect of His authority, and acknowlegement of His love would be copied in your children by their obedience, respect, and love toward you.

Goals, limitations, consequences, and rewards have to be set, explained, and uniformly administered with generous doses of warm affection and spiritual maturity.

May the Lord bless this great venture of raising children.

57 posted on 09/25/2015 8:41:55 AM PDT by imardmd1 (Fiat Lux)
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To: DPMD
I’m very humbled by this award; it was an honor just to be nominated. I want to thank my parents and my parole officer. I’ll remember this day for as long as I can...

LOL! I was too busy to type "Post of the Day!!"

58 posted on 09/25/2015 11:01:55 AM PDT by Albion Wilde (If you can't make a deal with a politician, you can't make a deal. --Donald Trump)
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