by Melody Bish

Created on: December 07, 2009

It's human nature to question and be curious about things we either do not know or cannot understand. This strain of curiosity creates a prurient sense of interest and intrigue when it comes to serial killers.

Though not role models, serial killers fascinate the human mind because their actions are so indescribably heinous and we wonder why; why kill; why repeatedly kill? To this I have no answer but I do know that through history there are names associated with nothing good; in fact with pure evil but there names and stories trip off the tongue. Think about it: Jack the Ripper, The Boston Strangler, Zodiac, Manson Family, Jim Jones, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy; how many names do you recognize? I wager well over fifty percent of the public know at least three of the above listed names and can give a brief outline of their "stories." Now, try this: Madeline Albright, Colin Powell, Harry Kissinger, and Hillary Clinton; another list which I wager has less known names but each of these Secretaries of State are surrounded with positive stories relative to their work. If a book were to be written about each of those named in both lists, the best sellers would be those focusing on the serial killers.

I think we become so enamored of the infamous because so many of them seem like the guy/gal next door and surely we don't have any neighbors with such deep dark secrets; surely the human race is better than a gaggle of serial killers would have one believe. Witness Ted Bundy, a respected law student with a seeming long political career ahead of him and a charming demeanor, yet his penchant for female blood caused him to leave a trail of bloody bodies across the states. If someone "looks" normal, they couldn't kill as Bundy; or could they?

It's disconcerting how enamored some can become of serial killers, both real life, and fictional, such as Hannibal Lecter. Anyone who viewed "Silence of the Lambs" surely exited the theater with a fondness for Lecter and his "courteous" manner. Indeed, both Charles Manson and Jim Jones have been the topic of many books and movies and, if even for a brief moment, became counterculture heros. If polled, most would probably answer questions regarding serial killers in a politically correct fashion; shaking our collective heads at their inhumanity and the heinous nature of their crimes.

While human nature certainly does allow for curiosity, one hopes the infamy of serial killers is short lived and balanced with curiosity about good aspects of positive role models.

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