Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not understand why Charles Manson is in prison?

116 replies

LuckyStrikes · 01/09/2013 12:48

Maybe I haven't looked into the case deep enough or have a good enough understanding.

But from what I can gather he never actually killed anyone. And yes he might have brainwashed his followers who did murder those 7 people but surely they are accountable for their own actions?

I'm not saying he's a good person who doesn't deserve to be there, I'm just confused as to what he was charged with to be in prison for the rest of his life.

OP posts:
TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 01/09/2013 13:16

You start a thread wondering why someone who caused the horrific deaths of 7 people is in prison... AND ACCUSE OTHERS OF BEING NASTY?

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 01/09/2013 13:17

Sorry, not sure what happened with the double post.

BitBewildered · 01/09/2013 13:21

Yes, YADBU.

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 01/09/2013 13:25

blimey first post to flounce in twenty minutes is that a record??

lljkk · 01/09/2013 13:26

okay so I'm from SoCal & the Manson family are real to us (people like Brenda Spencer are, too). Hands up who else has read Helter Skelter?

Whereas moving to UK, I couldn't understand why Myra Hindley couldn't be released.

See, it's about emotions and retribution, not risk or logic.

friday16 · 01/09/2013 13:31

"Have you read what happened to Sharon Tate?
That she begged them to take her hostage "

But Susan Atkins then stabbed her, stating that she had no mercy and then, while laughing about it at her trial, that she was fed up with the pleading. Atkins quite properly died in jail, although not without managing to do the usual "born again Christian" bullshit that scum like her use to fool the naive, and getting up quite the campaign for her release.

FlutteringButterflie · 01/09/2013 13:33

you are surprised that people pointed out it was a silly question?

That's unfair. You should never say that any question is silly. It makes the person feel stupid and stops them from asking further questions which breeds ignorance.

No question is silly in my eyes if the person asking it is trying to get a better understanding of something.

Tee2072 · 01/09/2013 13:35

Wow. Your reaction is so over the top to the answer to your question now I wonder what your stake in Manson is.

squoosh · 01/09/2013 13:35

Slightly off topic but watching the news yesterday there was a piece about two women presenting a petition at Downing Street to have Charles Bronson released. I'm forever baffled at people who spend their time and energy on such unworthy causes or even that they expect others to agree with them.

MurderOfGoths · 01/09/2013 13:36

squoosh I was reading about that yesterday, it's crazy isn't it?

FlutteringButterflie · 01/09/2013 13:38

Wow. Your reaction is so over the top to the answer to your question now I wonder what your stake in Manson is.

Hmm

MN sure does make me laugh. Perhaps it's Charles Manson himself asking this trying to gain supporters.

MrsWilberforce · 01/09/2013 13:42

See, it's about emotions and retribution, not risk or logic

Actually it's about emotions and retribution (as is all Justice) and risk and logic. One of the reasons Hindley could never be released is that there would have been a serious risk of her being attacked or of public order offences if people found out she was in their area. Releasing Manson would present the same problem.

Pagwatch · 01/09/2013 13:42

Friday16

Yes. I know. I was trying to illustrate why this case upsets people. The op wanted to know why everyone was being a big old meanie. I was giving the case some context - what with her saying she didn't understand.

Kundry · 01/09/2013 13:46

Fine you have a question, you'd like some more information about a topic.

Why not google it, read the Wikipedia page, read a book, look at the masses and masses of readily available info there is about this topic?

No you thought you'd just ask some randoms on the internet because you can't be bothered to do proper research. And when they were surprised at your question, because you appeared to have no knowledge at all and hadn't taken normal simple steps that people do when they are interested in a topic, you flounced. Oh dear.

Clawdy · 01/09/2013 13:47

I can still remember picking up the newspaper and reading the headline as the Sharon Tate story broke. I watched the news each night and followed the performances given in the court by Manson and his "followers". They were weak and deranged. Manson was terrifying. I don't use the word evil lightly but I think he was,and probably still is.

ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm · 01/09/2013 14:52

+1 To Google.

How hard is it?

Ezio · 01/09/2013 14:57

People capable of such despicable evil, rarely ever change.

McNewPants2013 · 01/09/2013 16:04

There wasn't any evidence that Hitler killed anyone, but he was an evil dictator.

People like this should be locked up as they are dangerous and manipulative.

HungryHorace · 01/09/2013 16:09

lljkk I've read Helter Skelter a few times over the last 18 years. It's so interesting that I've ended up buying it 2 or 3 times as I've loaned it out and it's not been returned, and I want to keep a copy of it.

For anyone who does want to know more, it's well worth a read.

MrsDavidBowie · 01/09/2013 16:12

A terrible man.
Doesn't he have a swastika tattoed on his forehead?

Helter Skelter is definitely worth a read.

FlutteringButterflie · 01/09/2013 16:18

I should read it ... I always wondered what was so "special" about him that he managed to brainwash those people into doing unspeakable acts.

I am very glad that Susan Aitken was never released. She might be "sorry" and a born again Christian but it doesn't change the past.

SarahAndFuck · 01/09/2013 16:22

OP he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and convicted through something called the 'joint responsibility law' (or maybe it was rule) and it's as someone described above.

Each person found to be involved in the conspiracy is guilty of the crime, even if just one of them carried out the actual act of murder.

He's been in prison more than once, for some pretty terrible crimes, and was facing the death penalty for his part in the murders but that was changed to life imprisonment.

I don't think you were being unreasonable to say you didn't understand the point of law that has put him or kept him there. I think that's different to sympathising with him or thinking he shouldn't be there. Nothing wrong with asking about something you don't understand.

Original poster
LuckyStrikes · 01/09/2013 16:58

I don't think you were being unreasonable to say you didn't understand the point of law that has put him or kept him there. I think that's different to sympathising with him or thinking he shouldn't be there. Nothing wrong with asking about something you don't understand.

Sad

Thank you Sarah, that's all I wanted to know and you've answered my exact question.

Thank you for doing it in a kind way without making me look stupid or thinking I was a supporter of mass murder.

OP posts:
WhereYouLeftIt · 01/09/2013 17:10

"I was asking as a discussion so I could get a better understanding."
I normally just google things I want to know more about. Confused

I'm really not sure what you expected the response to your question to be.

redandblacks · 01/09/2013 17:16

I think that the OP was phrased in a way which suggested that he might not be as guilty as all that.

Swipe left for the next trending thread