do you think she was a witch as opposed to being brainwashed or do you think a bit of both?
i've always thought that none of this would have happened if it werent for charles manson. ie, he brainwashed the family. i'm sure if it werent for manson a lot of the family would have gotten in trouble with the law but i very much doubt they would have committed murder just for the sake of it.
does anyone know when susan's case will be assessed?

An interview Dyan Sawyer did with S. Atkins in "recent" years. There is also some very short clips of Sawyers interview with Manson that I haven't seen anywhere else.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5176220&page=1

I've heard people argue that we shouldn't have compassion for Susan, because back then in '69 she didn't show any mercy for her victims. I wonder if that's right, I think we do have the ability to differentiate ourselves from the 18 year old girl she was almost fourty years ago. What do we win in keeping a dying person locked up in prison? And will she even notice she's being held at all?

In our country, we had a sort of simular situation with four Nazi-criminals from the Second World War. They weren't big fish, but they were directly or indirectly responsible for the death of other people. Their death sentences were commuted to life in prison. Because 'life is life' in our country, there was no possibility of an early release. In 1966 one of them became seriously ill and was set free to spend his last few months with his family. But he miraciously recovered and didn't die until 1971. However, during those years he stayed out of the news. Nobody noticed him, while the focus stayed on the three remaining prisoners. Every couple of years discussions came up in Parliament and the Press (should we hold them any longer or not), tearing open old war wounds.

One of the three remaining died in prison, halfway the seventies. The other two were finally released in 1981. The oldest was 88 years old by then, the other 80. The excuse was: it didn't serve any good purpose to keep such old people locked up. They hardly were aware of what was going on and did no longer realize why they were being held in prison. It sparked big discussions again, old war wounds were torn open again etc.

But then finally, the issue stayed out of the news, except for two minor messages in the newsbulletins when the first of them died a month after gaining freedom and then again when the second one died half a year later.

also, the reason i tend to believe that the killers (bobby, bruce and clem included) have changed and are remourseful is because (with the exception of davis) they were all so young when they met charlie. all cults, terrorist organizations, neo-nazi groups, etc recruit new members when they are in their mid-late teens because that is when they are the easiest to mould. and they tend to stay with these groups because they are always around them. i dont think its a coincidence that when the manson killers were put in jail where they had no contact with charlie they started to realsie what they did was wrong.
i'm not excusing what they did for one second but i think you have to look at it realisticly. its too easy just to sit here and say f*ck 'em they deserve to die.

also, you have to give credit where credit is due. if you look at the prison records of the killers (especially pat krenwinckel) they are very impressive and they have done a lot for other people and have probably directly or indirectly saved lives through the rehab and other programs they are associated with. and none of this would have happened if the death penalty hadnt been abolished. again i'm not excusing what they did and i'm not saying them possibly saving lives makes up for ending lives because it doesnt. but at least they have made something worthwhile of the rest of their lives.

Many killers die behind bars. If a Susan Atkins is not completely deserving of dying in prison then who is?

But lets face it. She's already in a hospital bed missing a leg. So, if she gains her freedom, they are going to move her from an institutional hospital room to a civilian hospital room? Doesn't sound much like freedom to me....

Each day in our country in our inner cities gang members committ drive by shootings.

In some cases they 'waste' entire families in the attempt to murder opposing gang members.

Do you know what the average time for first degree murder is in this country? 7-10 years. An parole after 4.

Those that committed the murders in the 1960s. Were BRAINWASHED, drugged out KIDS under the control of Mister Manson ( a hardened criminal and con).

They repaided their debt to society long long long time ago.


The ONLY reason the likes of Susan and the rest remain in prision it is not about Justice. The only reason they remain there is because of the "Vicitm" INDUSTRY (an I do mean industry) that sprung up around this case.

From profession "tears on cue" faces at the parole boards. Especially when media camera's are around) to book deals, to appearences on sensational "media" interviewers such as Geraldo It all makes for good ratings and selling books.

Meanwhile, people that were in their teens at the time of murder under the control of a cult leader and massive amounts of drugs (which btw were developed by the US Government) remain in their cells and will die there. Paraded out every four years to play lets Pretend that we're a Civilized Society.


Nightshade

Mach2 wrote:

Many killers die behind bars. If a Susan Atkins is not completely deserving of dying in prison then who is?

How does everyone feel about her parole hearing statements? I've often seen people comment that they think she's a complete fake at the hearings.

Complete fake?. Can't say I agree with that statement. Just, it's hard to judge someone who's spent the better part of their lives in a jail cell from out here. I've seen people comment about Bruce Davis, saying how they don't like his "swagger", that kind of thing. But the guy is in a prison for crying out loud, if he didn't act tough, he'd get "eaten" alive.

All the interviews Ive seen of Charlie end up with Charlie telling us what we have done to him.

oh man if Bill O'Reily interviewed him i'd probably take Charlie's side., lol. I cant stand him. "Fair & Balanced"- Bulls**t!!!

I'm a HUGE Letterman fan tho. that would be worth a watch!