Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Ready, Set, Vote

After Pat appeared on CNN Headlines with Erica Hill last week to discuss the two lifelong felons on parole that raped and murdered a mother and two children in Connecticut, I thought to myself, at what point will enough be enough forcing State governments to create and implement meaningful legislation to prevent scumbag, waste-of-skin offenders from offending again? I was angry, horrified, and outraged over what was done to this family. Well here’s the thing. I am wrong to be frustrated with the actions or inaction of lawmakers. Why? Because I haven’t called, wrote a letter, or sent an e-mail to my own elected officials in quite awhile. Like most everyone else, I’m wrapped up in my family, my work, and everything happening in my life. Shame on me. Shame on all of us. How can we expect anything to change if we don’t change it? What can we do to improve our justice system?

Vote.

"Democracy is not about trust; it is about distrust. It is about accountability, exposure, open debate, critical challenge, and popular input and feedback from the citizenry. It is about responsible government. We have to get our fellow Americans to trust their leaders less and themselves more, trust their own questions and suspicions, and their own desire to know what is going on." Michael Parenti

We must restore faith in our system of government. Last week, a commenter on RonniRants Blog said, "Vote? That's been proven not to work." Many Americans feel the same way. In reality, voting does work, it always has and still does. It’s working perfectly for special interest groups and politicians with personal agendas. Consider this. Roughly 20- 25% of registered voters go to the polls on Election Day. Who knows how many have not bothered to register at all. The way I see it, if lobbyists only have to target the relatively small number of people who actually do vote, how hard can it be to manipulate people and issues to get the desired results? The system itself remains largely intact and still works for those who use it. The point is, it DOES still work. If you ask me, I think it would work even better if we did away with the Electoral College and had a popular vote where each ballot counted.

"Television is altering the meaning of "being informed" by creating a species of information that might properly be called disinformation... Disinformation does not mean false information. It means misleading information - misplaced, irrelevant, fragmented, or superficial information - information that creates the illusion of knowing something, but which in fact leads one away from knowing."Neil Postman

Lack of participation by the many has allowed exploitation by the few. I believe this promotes not only loss of faith in our government, but also loss of faith in ourselves. Some are concerned about this, but they have convinced themselves they have no chance of going up against the monolith. We have our small groups of conspiracy theorists, extremists, and self-styled revolutionaries. But let’s face it; the vast majority of Americans are now just a great big flock of apathetic, uninformed sheep. A whole generation out there thinks they are learning about current events by watching Jerry Springer. And their parents find it acceptable that the content published or broadcast by our news media is controlled by corporations, advertising revenues, and ratings. How can millions of Americans not see how truly dangerous this is? Throughout history, these conditions have created a mechanism for manipulation, repression, and abuse of the people by governments in every part of the world. It’s happening right now. Of course, it is a bit more complex than that, but it’s enough. Are you scared yet? You should be. Is this the legacy we will leave for future generations?

No, absolutely not!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness” The Declaration of Independence

The American people have something no other country on earth has, The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States. I am so in awe of these documents. I dare you to read them right now and not feel a great swelling of patriotism and pride. Those words were written for you, for all of us, by men who willingly and courageously risked everything they possessed, including their lives “in Order to form a more perfect Union... and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,” Since then, for over two centuries, countless American men and women have worked, lived, and died protecting our Country and our Liberty. Are we going to denigrate their sacrifice and turn our backs on our responsibilities?

No, we most definitely will not!

So how do we begin? Where do we start? Well, I have some suggestions.

We can start utilizing our republican form of government built on a foundation of basic principles, unalienable rights, and majority rule. "We the people" are our government, just as we have been from the beginning. There is one catch, the only way this works is if we actively participate in its processes.

Become informed and do what you can to further public awareness; talk to your friends, neighbors, coworkers, your children. But don’t just talk about who is to blame for what's wrong. Try to focus on how you think we can do better regarding specific issues. Courageously explore new possibilities with thoughtful consideration. Ask others for their ideas on a particular subject; listen to their words with your heart and mind open to all the potential of new understanding. So it went with our Founding Fathers in homes, town halls, and taverns; giving birth to a new nation

Make it a new rule to talk about politics without using the words Democrat, Republican, Liberal, or Conservative. Today, these partisan labels little resemble their original meanings and only serve to divide and separate people, pitting them against each other. Picking one side to join in discussion discourages independent thought and limits the resources and tools needed to find workable solutions for the good of all the United States. Strong emotion and passionate discourse are precursors to positive action. However, hot debate can quickly become over-heated argument. Above all, never give up your self-respect by disrespecting others, lose control, and degenerate into name-calling and abusive profanity.

On Election Day, invite a friend or neighbor to ride along with you to vote. Or volunteer to be a poll worker.

Learn about the workings of Congress, and how bills and resolutions become law. Find out what is being proposed and debated on the House floor and in House Committee meetings. Your Representatives will vote on these bills and resolutions. So, call or write their offices to let them know how you stand on a particular issue and urge them to vote yes or no. This is not a full time job; it only takes a few minutes of your time. Here are some handy resources to make it easy for you:

"GovTrack.us is an independent, non-partisan, non-commercial website…bringing together information on the status of federal legislation, voting records, and other congressional data from official sources, and turning it into an understandable and trackable free information resource for everyday citizens…”

Find your House and Senate Representatives, research bills & votes, and track Congressional activity by feed or e-mail on subjects that interest you (with links to State Representatives and legislation).

Information about crime and justice related bills and resolutions that have been proposed by members of Congress in this legislative session, and their status on the way to becoming law. House Committee on the Judiciary and Senate Committee on the Judiciary

More on the legislative process and its history:

THOMAS-In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress

The truth is, our leaders, protectors, and others in positions of public service are only as honest, accountable, and deserving of our trust as we insist that they be. And they should only have the position at all because the greatest majority of citizens want them to have it, not because the vast majority of citizens doesn’t care if they have the position or not. We take many of our rights as citizens of this country for granted, and by doing so. we fail to do our duty as Americans. They are not only rights; they are responsibilities.

So let’s get going everyone, c’mon - we have work to do!

Do a little reading, and call or write your U.S. and State Representatives, your Governor, or Mayor. Let them know you are interested, and that you are watching them. Then exercise your right to vote. If enough people participate in our governmental process, elected officials will be forced into making decisions and casting votes based on the will of the majority of their constituency, not on the desires of special interest groups, or they are OUT. That is why they are called Representatives.

Yes, I do believe it can be that simple, if we want it to be.

Donna Weaver

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Nonviolent Offenders Act Violently

The Connecticut parole board apparently is surprised that two "nonviolent" offenders have suddenly committed one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the state. While it was true that each one of this team of offenders had at least twenty burglaries in their past, the board claimed they felt serving one third of their most recent sentences seemed appropriate. Robert Farr, the chairman of the board, was shocked saying their behavior didn't fit the normal mode.

But, now, Joshua Komisarjevsky, 26, of Cheshire, and Steven Hayes, 44, of Winsted have been charged with assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, robbery, arson, larceny and homicide. Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was strangled and her daughters, 17-year-old Hayley and 11-year-old Michaela, died of smoke inhalation. Mr. Petit was beaten but survived. Hawke-Petit and the youngest daughter, Michaela, were both raped.

This is the problem with prediction. Psychopaths are not predictable. Furthermore, the parole board only knew what the men were convicted of, not what they might have been charged with (like rape which was plead down to burglary when the evidence wasn't strong enough) and what they have never been arrested for (like other burglaries, possible rapes, and maybe serial killings).

When these men re-offended, they should have gotten a stronger sentence. When they offended again, they should have gotten a very long sentence. One crime might be a stupid mistake, twice proves you haven't learned your lesson, and three times pretty much tells me I don't want that offender to have another chance. While we were giving these two creeps a short sentence of a few years, we gave a mom and her two daughters the death penalty and her husband and all her relatives and friends a life sentence.

The next time we parole these criminals to halfway houses we better ask what they are half the way to doing and who they are going to be doing it to.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Sexism in Victimology

A man deals drugs in his neighborhood and gets shot and killed in a gang war. The newspaper does not simply say he was the father of three, helped out at the shelter, and had a secret life as a medicine distributor. He is called a drug dealer who got murdered because he was breaking the law and got wasted by his criminal associates. A man breaking into a home gets shot by the home owner. The newspaper does not write that he was a father of three who went to church on Sundays and had a secret life as an unauthorized enterer of homes. He is called a burglar who got shot because he threatened the life of an innocent citizen.

Yet, when a woman is breaking the law, the papers often soften her criminal side and if one dares state what her lawbreaking was about, it is seen as cruel by many. But the law is the same for both males and females and if females break the law and act badly, there is nothing wrong in pointing this out, both for the purposes of honesty and for the purposes of being properly informed so that all of us can react appropriately.

For a profiler, the police and the public, we cannot search for suspects properly or turn in information unless we know the truth and don't water it down. There is possibly a killer out there that we need to get off the streets. It may be a serial killer who targets prostitutes or a ticked off ex-husband who is disgusted with Paige Birgfeld's behaviors. She could have ripped off a john or gotten involved in yet another illegal activity that cost her her life.

As far as blaming the victim, one has to be realistic. Becoming a victim of a murderer can be just bad luck or the victim may have worked overtime to get herself into the murderer's hands and brain. Paige created one very long list of possible killers for the police and public to sort out. She is responsible for who she is and what she did that might have gotten her in trouble or, worse, gotten her killed. Paige likely has already paid the ultimate price for poor decisions and there is a killer out there who needs to pay the price for his.

Let's keep it real and not be sexist when women commit crimes and those crimes do them in. People who live by the sword often die by the sword; the truth may be painful, but it is illuminating.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Blaming the Victim Does Not Solve Cases

Anonymous posted a comment to Pat Brown’s Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Yes, Paige Birgfeld, Missing Mom, is a Hooker,

“You disgust me. I hope you NEVER have to suffer through what Paige's family and friends are going through right now."

We usually don't answer comments like this, but I am going to answer this one.

My family and I know exactly what Paige Birgfeld’s family and friends are going through right now. Our loved one has been missing for more than 23 years. I hope Paige's family and friends won’t have to suffer like that. No one should suffer like that. But unfortunately, the loved ones of more than 100,000 missing adults and children in this country alone do live with that kind of pain.

Pat's article emphasized the importance of a complete victim profile because it significantly increases investigative avenues and the list of possible suspects. The less that is known about any missing person, the less chance there is of finding him or her. No one is doing Paige any good by denying the truth about her behavior and possible associates. While it is important to understand the relationship between high-risk behavior and victims of crime, it doesn’t mean someone deserves to be a victim, or that the perpetrator of the crime is any less guilty. Blaming the victim is wrong, and is one of the reasons why many cases go unsolved. We believe in solving cases here.

Apparently, my loved one was no angel either, but I didn't get close to the truth of what may have happened to him until I learned the truth about his activities and the persons associated with those activities. I didn't know about these things or people when he was alive, and as painful as it was when I finally did find out, I wish it had been much sooner. Although I was hurt and angry, it did not affect my resolve to find him and bring his killer to justice. Bringing attention to what Paige was involved in may generate important leads for investigators, and just could mean the difference between finding her or not.

To learn what you can do to help missing persons, please visit The Doe Network- International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons , The North American Missing Persons Network, and Missing Pieces Radio.

Donna Weaver

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Yes, Paige Birgfeld, Missing Mom, is a Hooker

Remember the Duke lacrosse team rape accuser? The exotic dancer who worked for an escort service to "pay her college tuition?" I called the woman a hooker when I was doing television interviews and I always got a shocked response. "Oh, no!" the host would exclaim! "She was a dancer!" Yeah, right. If a girl continues to work for an escort service after going out on a couple of "dates," she isn't keeping her job by refusing to provide the services her clients want.

When Virginia Tech killer Cho paid for a "dancer" to come to his hotel room, he was expecting to get sex. Everyone tiptoed around that as well. Do we in this society refuse to believe that prostitution exists in this country?

Paige Birgfeld, single mother of three, disappeared from Grand Junction, Colorado on June 23. Her abandoned car was found on fire across town. Soon after, her family and friends were surprised to find she had been leading a double life: not only did she sell kitchenware, make dishes for sick friends, and sew costumes for her children’s dance group, but she also worked as an escort. Her friends in the play group thought there might be something going on in her life they didn’t know about, but they never pried.

Someone has to say it. All this tiptoeing around the truth is about driving me nuts! Yes, Birgfeld had another line of income. She advertised her services as an “escort” named Carrie on her “Naughtynightlife” website which includes “extra” services that the police believe may have crossed legal boundries. May? Please. This single mother’s only other source of income is occasionally teaching dance to little children and selling Pampered Chef cookware at home parties, yet she lives in a house worth over a million dollars and doesn’t seem to be suffering from money problems.

Her site advertises in-call and out-call erotic massages which she offers in her office or at your home or hotel. She starts the massage dressed in a mini-skirt. She used to advertise her business as one offering acupuncture. She dressed in skimpy clothing and high heels for that procedure as well. All her clients were men and came (pun intended) after hours when the building was locked. The other tenants were suspicious she probably wasn’t doing medical procedures to relieve pain. I can’t imagine what could have tipped them off.

Birgfeld had worked as an exotic dancer before she met her second husband. When his finances went south during their marriage, Birgfeld told her hubby she was going back dancing to make money. Apparently, he found her dancing style a little disturbing when he found underwear in her car that wasn’t hers. This husband stated that he believed she was performing topless massages “at the least,” meaning her clients would getting a hand job while looking at her boobs.

Aw, come on, folks, let’s call a hooker a hooker. Yes, Paige Birgfeld is a hooker, a prostitute, a sex worker by any name you want to call her. She has sex with men for money and has done so for years. She may be a fun lady, a good friend, even a nice mommy (not a good mommy because clearly Birgfeld would not be working as a hooker if she were). There are other ways to make ends meet and I am sure her kids would have preferred she found another career while raising them.

It is important that we recognize Birgfeld is a hooker because it changes the profile of the victim and it lengthens the suspect list considerably. She has two ex-husbands and a boatload of scuzzy males who might have become angry with her. Birgfeld supposedly had been back dating her first husband. Did he not realize she was a pro? Might he not have gotten upset if he found that out? And what kind of guy would he be if he didn’t care? Her second ex-husband was supposedly upset that she was hooking while raising their children. I guess I can understand that emotion and he certainly could have a motive for wanting her out of his children's lives. Then, there are all her johns. One of them might be a serial killer or other kind of sex pervert.

Paige Birgfeld was making poor choices in her life. She put herself and her children’s lives in danger. She was a clearly a liar if her children, her parents, and her friends did not know the truth about her profession. She lied as well to at least one of her ex-husbands. Birgfeld was also lawbreaker which makes her a criminal. If the police found evidence of a violent crime in Birgfeld’s car, then she was likely murdered by one of the pissed off exes or one of her creepy tricks. If there is no sign of foul play, it is possible Birgfeld decided to take off and live a freer life as clearly she had a limited amount of concern for her children's well-being. Either way, the police can’t do their job and the public can’t bring them proper information if we are going to sugar-coat this woman’s life. If she was willing to put her picture up on a website called “Naughtynightlife” and spend time with strange men, why are we having such a problem labeling her a hooker? She is what she is and Mother Teresa she ain’t.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Welcome to the "I Made a Mistake" System

Here in the twin cities a young woman working at a video store let her boyfriend and his friends in after hours to steal some 1000 plus videos. The loss to the store was enough to charge these thieves with a felony. The story wouldn’t have been particularly eye catching if it hadn’t been for a statement made by one of the detectives that the behavior of the girl and her accomplices was “stupid young adult behavior.” Hello? Just stupid behavior? Theft is stupid behavior? I always thought maybe getting carried away with sex as a teenager and getting pregnant was stupid behavior or maybe drinking too much was a stupid behavior. I guess society has really gone downhill so far that juvenile and young adult crime is now considered nothing but a folly of youth.

When I was seven years old, I found a pen on the playground half buried in the dirt under a bush. I took it home and cleaned it off. I found it was a very pretty copper pen and I liked it; so I kept it. I hid it in my keepsake box where I have it to this day. I felt horribly guilty about not taking it into the school office where the rightful owner might recover it. I knew I was wrong for keeping the pen when it was not legitimately mine and I knew I was a thief, I hid the pen and felt ashamed for years. I never stole again.

This story would be laughable today. But, when I was growing up, I knew if I showed the pen to my mother she would have asked where I got it from and then she would tell me it wasn’t mine to keep and she would have marched me up to the school to give it back. Apparently, both my mother and I knew right from wrong and even a little school kid back in those days knew that taking or keeping what was not honestly obtained was criminal or at least highly unethical behavior. Now, it seems, breaking the law is not a criminal act but a stupid one. It is a "mistake,” not an evil act. Even murder is often labeled "just" a bad choice, a moment of stupidity, or an error.

I hate to see what genocide is now considered.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Heartless Shoppers Step Over Dying Woman

According to this story in the Wichita Eagle, Wichita police say a convenience store video shows five different people stepping over 27 year old LaShanda Calloway as she lay on the floor dying after being stabbed during an altercation with another woman. The first 911 call was made approximately two minutes later. Calloway is also seen attempting to stand and falling back to the floor three times while customers ignored her to continue their shopping. One woman is seen stepping over the victim four times then pausing to take a picture of Calloway with her cell phone.

This horrific lack of concern for another human being is more common than you might think. Social psychologists call it the “bystander effect.” Studies show that people are more likely to assist someone in trouble when they are alone, and a group of bystanders is less likely to render aid. The larger the group is, the less chance that someone will help. Some of the factors that may contribute to the bystander effect are degree of danger, not knowing what to do, embarrassment, and diffusion of responsibility.

In this day and age many of us are hesitant about stopping to help someone because we may be putting ourselves in danger. Obviously not the case here, as it wasn’t too dangerous to continue shopping and walking around the store. Embarrassment is no excuse, nor is not knowing what to do. What you should do is call 911 immediately. That leaves diffusion of responsibility.

Diffusion of responsibility is when individual members of a group are unwilling to take personal responsibility for acting because the responsibility is shared by all. Therefore, the responsibility of each group member is lower than it would be for each individual. We have all seen this shameful behavior in cases of fan violence, riots, as well as acts of violence against individuals.

Social psychologists may call it diffusion of responsibility. I call it a crime. Every single person who stepped over LaShanda Calloway as she lay dying on the floor should be held legally accountable for not helping her, or at least not stopping to summon help right away. Having no human decency and a lack of personal responsibility should be against the law.

Donna Weaver

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: When Judges have Impaired Judgment

Over in Sheboygan, Wisconsin is another judge (the newpaper did not bother to name him) who needs to find employment in the fast food industry. He gave a couple of brothers bail , David Goetsch, 52, and Thomas Goetsch, 51– they are free on $75,000 cash bonds – who have plead no contest to two counts of felony stalking and three counts of felony threat to injure. These men, who the judge deemed no danger to the community, have spent nearly a year stalking a real estate agent and threatening to kill her. We don’t have to take just her word for it: she has more than fifty handwritten letters as proof. The letters describe her movements and activities, describe her in a crude sexually explicit manner, include pornographic images, and threaten to kill her. The brothers also stalked her sister and sent letters to five of her clients threatening to burn their homes down or kill them if they didn’t get a different real estate agent.

The judge feels these two are not a threat to the community, this woman, her sister, or her clients. I guess his argument would be that they have been threatening her for almost a year and still haven’t killed anyone. Thanks, Judge, I am sure we all feel comforted by that fact. I guess now that the brothers are facing twelve years in prison, they wouldn’t consider adding to their sentences or retaliating against this poor woman for turning them in.

Judges should be so sure of releasing these creeps into the community that they are willing to be charged with aiding and abetting any crime they commit once they are handed their one-more-opportunity-before-jail pass. Unfortunately, our country doesn’t even seem to have any methodology for citizens to get rid of these judges. They seem to stay on the bench no matter how egregious their actions might be. It is time we change this tenure for life problem with our judiciary instead of just shaking our heads about it.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Chris Benoit and Bobby Cutts: Did They just Snap?

Once again we have stunned and confused friends and relatives of a killer swearing that he was a great guy. We heard this story when Bobby Cutts was arrested for murdering his girlfriend and unborn baby and we are hearing it again in the case of wrestler Chris Benoit who killed his wife, son, and then himself. There is a sense of disbelief among these folks who cannot match the person they thought they knew as friendly, fun, kind, and sweet to a cold blooded killer who would brutally slay his significant other and an innocent child to boot. They claim there must have been drugs that radically changed brain chemistry or some bizarre circumstance that sent a decent man over the edge.

What most of these truly well-meaning people aren't understanding is the nature of abusive men. Abusive men often take out all their insecurities and feelings of failure inside the home while they keep up their pretense on the outside. In the world, usually the world of men, abusers want to appear manly, one of the guys, a great buddy, etc. They work overtime at being a stellar person in the public eye. Often this is the type of man who will leave his wife alone on the Saturday he promised to spend with her to go help a friend move. He will fix his brother’s car while his wife’s car still has the bad brakes he promised to fix one month ago. He will complain about his wife spending ten dollars and then turn around and give a relative one thousand dollars to pay off a gambling debt. He won’t raise his voice in public but he will beat his wife so badly she won’t leave the house for weeks.

Bobby Cutts murdered (allegedly) Jessie and the baby because he wanted to party with other women and he didn’t want to support another child. Although he made good jokes at work and coached kids’ sports, he was also a liar, a cheat, an abuser, and likely a psychopathic murderer. Chris Benoit, Mr. Good Buddy to the outside world, was also likely a role-playing psychopath who found when he couldn’t control his wife and child the way he wanted, preferred to strangle them and have done with it. He only likely killed himself because he realized he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison (and since he took so long to get around to it I am guessing he wasn’t all that suicidal to start with).

Not all people toward the end of the psychopathic continuum are serial killers or even murderers. They may be successful lawyers, politicians or preachers! They may be con men or abusive husbands or womanizers. Some may be violent and some might not be. Some of those who aren’t quite so far down the continuum to obtain the full psychopathic label may get a lesser designation because they don’t lie, cheat and manipulate quite as much; they may be labeled as borderline personality disorders or narcissists. These men and women might actually be fairly decent citizens (because they get kudos for doing so) and, at times seem quite normal. Still they will have difficulty with remorse and empathy because they cannot understand or care about another person’s needs or rights. There are a lot more of these in the world than there are those at the very end of the spectrum and we deal with them quite often in business and family. We may never even realize that they have that much of a problem because they function so well within society. Often, we think we are the ones with the problem: that we are being unreasonable or too demanding or too critical. They make sure we feel that way.

It is very difficult to recognize exactly how far down the psychopath continuum our friend or mate is lurking. Some human beings slide further down the scale as they lose more power and control in their lives. Perhaps Chris Benoit could be labeled borderline personality disorder, one who is always seeking attention and validation and as long as he got enough of it, he wouldn’t go off the deep end. But when age starts threatening one’s career, the wife is not the babe she used to be that made you feel good as a man (and you now wants some younger one), the wife is not the doting young thing she was when she married you (and now is older, wiser, and more demanding), and your son is an embarrassment (because it is hard to brag over your special needs kid as your creation), then maybe you get angry that everyone is doing you wrong. Maybe Bobby Cutts would have continued as the narcissistic/psychopathic womanizer for years if he had learned the meaning of birth control but, since he kept the babies coming and money problems were increasing, he decided these women and babies were messing up the life he deserved.

As the weeks go on, the truth about the private lives of Cutts and Benoit will come out bit by bit. I can guarantee you we won’t be hearing about domestic bliss. Never have I found a case where, in spite of the fact the man was truly a wonderful husband in all his behaviors and a fine dad as well, he suddenly murders his family. It simply doesn’t happen. A pussycat doesn’t suddenly become a pit bull just because he drank too much one night or took some steroids. The personality and concerning behaviors were always there before the drugs or alcohol came along and, for that matter, may be the exact reason why he uses them to begin with. Nothing comes from nothing anywhere in nature and this includes homicide.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Store Customer Called Hero for Shooting Armed Robbers

While we are on the topic of gun ownership and personal protection, I wanted to share this story about a 71-year-old South Florida man who many are calling a hero. John Lovell is a former Marine and pilot who was a member of the helicopter detail for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. At about 11:15 pm this past Wednesday Lovell had just finished his meal at a Subway sandwich shop when two armed men rushed in and demanded cash from the lone employee behind the counter. The gunmen then tried to rob Lovell and force him into the store’s restroom. Believing his life was in danger, Lovell pulled his .45 caliber handgun from his back and fired seven rounds, hitting Donicio Arrindell and killing him The second gunman, Fredrick Gadson, was shot once and fled the scene, but was soon found nearby by police dogs and arrested.

Under Florida law, individuals have the right of "self-defense without the duty to retreat" meaning that they can use deadly force to prevent death or serious injury. Police say that Lovell, who has had a concealed carry permit since 1990, will likely not face any charges. Florida law also states that anyone who commits a felony such as armed robbery resulting in a death can be charged with murder. Under the law Gadson faces several felony charges, including the murder of Arrindell. Incredibly, the friends and family of the armed robbers have made public statements wanting to know how Lovell "could shoot two people and not go to jail." I suspect these individuals would not feel the same way if the two people shot were the store employee and Lovell.

(photo courtesy of Sun Sentinel)

Donna Weaver

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: What Criminal Profiler Pat Brown REALLY thinks about Guns

Just so that I can’t be misquoted or misunderstood or have my words taken out of context, I thought I would put in writing exactly my position on gun ownership. Then, if you disagree with me or think I am an idiot, at least you will be basing your conclusions on what I really believe and not some distorted version of my opinion.

1) American citizens should have the right to protect themselves from criminals. It would be a lovely world if we did not have to worry about being harmed by others. While there are some people who feel their communities are extremely safe and have no desire to own a gun, many other citizens feel the need to protect themselves and their family members. Just as no pioneer would have lived on the plains or in the forests of America without a gun and no one would walk without a rifle through the Serengeti in Africa unless he didn’t mind a lion making dinner of him, some citizens feel they are simply sitting ducks if they are not able to defend themselves.

2) Our country is rife with criminals with guns. Washington DC had the strictest gun laws in the country until recently (nobody living in the District was allowed to own a gun unless he was a police officer) and also had the highest number of guns per capita (mostly owned by criminals). If criminals have guns, it makes no sense to prevent honest citizens from purchasing them.

3) All citizens who have clean criminal records and do not have a mental history should be permitted to purchase a firearm.

4) All citizens who purchase a firearm should be required to register said firearm and pass a gun safety exam. For all those who think that no citizen should have to let the government know he owns a firearm needs to grow a brain and realize that no tiny pocket of armed citizens is going to have any hope against the military might of the United States Armed Forces. It may have worked in the 1800s but those days are long gone. Sorry.

5) All citizens who purchase firearms ought to sign a legal contract (or we need a law to be passed) that the owner of the weapon accepts all responsibility for the proper discharge of that weapon and that the weapon will only be used in a legal manner. This means if a gun lying on a table, stuck in a drawer hidden under the mattress or left about in an unlocked car is used in a crime (like a school massacre) or discharged by another accidentally causing bodily harm or death, the owner will be charged with aiding and abetting the crime or contributing to manslaughter. By signing this form, the owner acknowledges that he is responsible for the firearm at all times meaning the gun is either in a lock box or on his person. Guns stolen from locked containers or vehicles should be reported immediately to the police. The owner is not responsible for the misuse of a weapon no longer in his possession due to theft.

6). Concealed carry should be permitted in all fifty states with federal permits so that a citizen does not run into a legal problem every time his car crosses into another jurisdiction. Concealed carry is better than open carry in that it does not antagonize others or cause fear for those citizens uncomfortable around guns. Furthermore, it is good for criminals not to know which citizens are carrying thereby making the criminal unwilling to take the risk of getting shot by the unexpectedly armed citizen.

6) Gun child safety locks are idiotic. The gun shouldn’t be accessible to the child and the adult needs a gun that works instantly. Since no one can be sure the owner is using the safety lock after the gun is purchased, this feel-good law is a joke.

7) “No Guns Permitted” signs are stupid (except to prevent companies from getting sued in this litigious country). Criminals are happy that no one entering the building will be armed except them.

8) Because of disparity of force, a gun may be the only protection for a female fighting a male even if he has no weapon, or for a male fighting more than one male (or a larger male) even if he has no weapon.

9) Calling 911 is no substitute for a firearm when seconds count.

10) The anti-gun people need to recognize the citizens’ right to protect themselves. The pro-gun people need to recognize the citizen’s responsibility to monitor gun sales and gun security. There should be no objection to providing both citizen safety and gun safety. If we could all get on the same page, then we could finally focus on the major contributor to firearm deaths: criminals.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Are all Gun Owners Dangerous to Women?

Wasn’t it just a few months ago that I got wailed on by the left during the Virginia Tech massacre for suggesting kids should carry guns to school to protect themselves? Sometime during the many interviews I did that week I said something to the effect that if we allowed concealed carry on campuses maybe someone would have taken Cho out. I am a big fan of concealed carry because I know criminals carry concealed weapons all the time and I would like to even the field with some honest citizens carrying a few themselves so criminals don’t think no one will shoot back. I think of how many lives would be saved if only someone in the school or company could defend against mass murderers and keep these killers from mowing down a bunch of sitting ducks who desperately try to hide behind furniture to save their lives.

Now, after doing interviews on the Jessie Davis murder, those from the right are taking one statement out of context and going nuts about it. It seems they think that I believe any man who owns a gun is a danger to women. If I thought that, I guess I would be talking about my own father and my own son. They have guns for personal protection. For that matter, my daughter has guns for personal protection and I also own firearms for personal protection. I am all for gun ownership for personal protection. Clearly, I was not saying a man with a gun is a psychopath.

Nor was I saying a man who might have a collection of guns is a psychopath. I know many of these men as well. They are hunters or lovers of antiques or do a lot of target shooting. What I was talking about during the Paula Zahn Show was the combination of psychopathic behavior and an obsession with weaponry as psychopaths love weapons because it gives them a feeling of power and control. Psychopaths do indeed have a fascination with guns and knives and just because the rest of us might happen to own weapons or even have a number of them as a hobby doesn’t eliminate the fact that psychopaths may also be shopping at the gun store with us.

Women must learn to differentiate between psychologically healthy men and men who are not psychologically healthy if they want to keep from getting into a dangerous life threatening situation. No one trait will be proof that an individual is a psychopath, but add a bunch of traits together and this is a warning. A kind, honorable, honest man with a gun collection is not a psychopath or a danger to anyone but a lying, manipulative, arrogant creep who has a cache of twenty weapons is someone a woman wants to get the hell away from. A man who teaches history at the local junior high school and happens to have a collection of Asian swords is not someone a woman should be frightened of but a man who obsessively watches ninja flicks, brags about how he used to be in the CIA, can’t keep a job, calls women sluts and whores, and owns a huge collection of swords and daggers, now there is a guy a woman wants should avoid like the plague.

Anyone who watched the actual Paula Zahn Show and paid attention to the whole conversation and intent would clearly know I was not labeling gun owners psychopaths. Unfortunately, when words are taken out of context and printed on the Internet, often the meaning of those words get misunderstood. I apologize to any gun owners (who aren’t psychopaths) who thought they were the target of my statements. I respect your constitutional rights to own firearms and would never want to see those taken away. I, like you, want to be sure I can protect myself and my family. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Bank Robbery for Dummies

For all you folks a little short on money and brains, the once almost impossible crime of bank robbery has been dumbed down for you. No longer are bank robberies the forte of masked, armed gangs of criminals who must plan a big operation and have lots of guts to take the big risk of getting shot or caught and put away for life. Now, pony-tailed young women are getting into the act without bothering to carry weapons and spending months planning the details. They aren’t even worried about doing much jail time. Why? Because these criminals know that because they are getting less than $5000 a pop from the tellers they approach and aren't pointing a gun at them, they likely won’t get all that long of a sentence if they do get caught.

So, while the rest of us have to work hard to get money and even have to show an ID when we ask for one hundred dollars of our own money, these pieces of riff-raff just saunter into the bank and ask for a thousands. No security guards or double locking doors are in place to deter them. The banks have decided to save money on personnel and security equipment because the U.S. government (read: us taxpayers) will foot the loss. Besides, those security measures are unnerving and unsightly for customers. How sad is it that the banks just give away money to criminals without even a blink. The tellers are told just to hand it over rather than make a fuss. Then the criminal justice system shrugs and hardly adds much fear to the commission of the crime for the offenders.

No wonder we are overrun with crime. If we are not willing to take a stand on right and wrong, criminals will think we don’t care if they rob us. Maybe we really don’t.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Let's Eliminate Probation and Parole

I know a bunch of folks are going to write me some angry hate mail on this one but I am willing to take the risk. I think it is time we call a spade a spade and eliminate probation, parole, and phony rehabilitation. Let’s examine what these programs actually are:

Probation: you have committed a crime and you know what the supposed punishment is but we are not actually going to punish you; instead w will give you a warning not to do it again. If you do, maybe we will punish you the next time around. As a parent, I know full well that parents who use this method in child rearing create disrespectful brats. A legal system which uses this method of handling lawbreakers creates unrepentant criminals.

Parole: You have committed a crime and you know what the supposed punishment is but if you act all nicey-nicey in the pokey will give you a get-out-of jail-early card. Then, we will let you slither back into society and recommit crimes unless we get lucky enough to catch you this time around. Parents who let their kids out of their punishments early raise disrespectful brats. A legal system which uses this method of handling lawbreakers creates unrepentant criminals. Yes, I repeat myself.

Phony rehabilitation: Here we either allow the criminal not to be punished or be released from punishment early if he agrees to go into some psychological program. Noting the lesser of two evils, the criminal happily agrees to play a game he figures fools have put together. Parents who let their kids out of punishments by allowing them to wash the dishes or write a “sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry” note raise disrespectful brats. A legal system which uses this method of handling lawbreakers creates unrepentant criminals.

How about treating a crime as a crime and improving one’s life as two separate issues? Anyone who commits a crime should be willing to do the time and anyone who wants to change he life should be willing to do so without the threat of doing time. We as a society should be clear that these are two different projects. Let me pose a scenario:

I tell my kid if he lies and sneaks out of the house to go to a party he will be grounded for one month. He lies and sneaks out. I find out. I can do one of four things:

1) Tell him I am disappointed and don’t do it again.
2) Punish him for thee days and then tell him I am disappointed and don’t do it again.
3) Punish him for a week and then tell him if he sets the table for the rest of the month he can go hang out with his friends again.
4) Punish him for the month and then tell him that he could use to rebuild our trust in him again, spend time teaching him the worth of trust, and then offer him a chance to do so.

Common sense should tell us that the first three are a mockery of authority and responsibility. The same holds true for criminals. There are only two kinds of criminals: those who will always be unrepentant and those who actually are repentant. The only way to keep the unrepentant from committing crimes is to lock them up or make them fear being locked up. For the repentant ones who recognize they are screw ups and are willing to do their time, let’s give them good programs which they can voluntarily sign up for after they get out. However, since we citizens and judges will never be absolutely sure which group is which until after the fact, all those convicted should do the maximum time we feel as a society they should serve and then offer real opportunities to those who want help upon release. We need to make life imprisonment a reality for those who commit heinous crimes (rape, murder, child molestation, etc.) as these creeps are psychopaths who don’t know the meaning of repentance and reasonable sentences for those criminals who might learn from their time in the pen. The criminal justice system needs to get out of the business of psychoanalyzing and rolling the dice on recidivism. Only then might we see a drop in crime and an increase in public safety.


Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: That nice "Mr. Brooks."

The scariest thing about the new Kevin Costner film isn’t that Demi Moore looks like a wax mannequin, or that there are more plots in this movie than can be found in a veteran’s cemetery, or that a number of well known actors are so desperate for work that they agreed to be in this ridiculous piece of crap. What is really frightening is that I, a criminal profiler, apparently had no clue that serial killers could be such totally wonderful human beings (minus the killing stuff). It seems that Mr. Brooks doesn’t have a psychopathic bone in his body, just a little glitch in his brain chemistry that suddenly makes him need to do a thrill kill, a glitch of biology that he has sadly passed down to his daughter who also interrupts who her fine behavior with a violent hatchet slaying.

Mr. Brooks, as far as I can see, is able to work hard and achieve long term goals, marry and be faithful to an intelligent woman, raise and adore his daughter and be willing to do anything for her (yeah, like kill another person in her college town while she is home to get the police off her trail), enjoy a hobby with a high level of expertise, show depth of emotion, be forthright and honest (except about the killing), and truly feel remorse about being a killer (but oddly never about the victims – wait, that might be an odd bit of psychopathy).

Oh, Mr. Script-hack, please call me next time you write a serial killer movie for a bit of consulting! Serial homicide isn’t in the genes; you don’t inherit it. Psychopaths become that way through early childhood problems coupled with a personality type. And they don’t grow up to be fine members of society without a trace of creepiness. All the serial killers I have met or studied show every psychopathic trait without exception. They are all pathological liars, manipulators, have flat affect and have shallow emotions, lack empathy, have grandiose thinking, are narcissistic, and refuse to accept responsibility for their actions, etc. Few serial killers accomplish much in their lives either, outside of racking up murders.

Actually, we can be thankful that this movie is full of hooey. If serial killers were really like Mr. Brooks, we would have zero warning signs to go on and we wouldn’t be able to trust anyone out there. While people often say after a serial killer is arrested, “He seemed like a nice man,” or “I can’t believe he would do something like this,” the serial killer has always shown psychopathic behaviors that a good many people recognized and preferred not to be around.

I think the most upsetting thing about this movie (besides the fact I tossed $8.50 to see it) is that we are actually supposed to like the serial killer. We feel sorry for Mr. Brooks and hope he feels better soon. Never mind those pesky victims that he so cold-bloodily shot. We didn’t like them nearly as much as we like him. How sad is that…..

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: The Madeleine McCann Letter

Someone has sent a letter to the Dutch press claiming that he knows where little Madeleine McCann is buried. Apparently this fellow had sent a similar letter last year when the police were searching for the missing Belgian sisters, Stacy and Nathalie, which arrived just on the day they were found. Is this a hoax or could this be the abductor of all three girls? Now, there was an arrest made in the case of the murdered Belgian girls, but this letter writer is said to have known where they were buried by the train tracks and so the police are taking the Madeleine letter fairly seriously.

Let’s profile this letter and see what the possibilities are. First of all, the Belgian girls were killed within hours of their abduction and if Madeleine’s body really is where this writer says it is – seven miles from the resort from which she was taken – I think we can eliminate the pedophile ring scenario (a scenario I never really bought). The Belgian girls were raped and killed quickly; there was no transporting of them anywhere and certainly no time to do any selling of them or videotaping of them being tortured and murdered. If Madeleine is found right in the vicinity of the resort, we can eliminate any fancy sex ring kidnapping little kids for profit.

Therefore, in both cases, we would have a pedophile or a pedophile duo grabbing and amusing themselves, not involving themselves in organized crime. The letter writer could, in theory, be a traveling man and have gone to Belgium, found a couple of victims, left the country and sent the letter when he was back at home in Holland. He could have been on the road again, come across another child left unattended (the Belgian girls were left to play in the street at midnight while their parents were drinking it up inside a bar), grabbed her, raped her and killed her, and then gone back home to Holland where he once again writes a letter at leisure to the newspaper he must read all the time. He would be a publicity lover and get a kick out of having the girls found and reading about the discovery over his morning coffee. Of course, there was a man convicted of the sisters’ murder but it is possible he isn’t guilty, just a dupe, and the real killer finds this annoying and wants to set the record straight.

This is one possible scenario. However, there is a problem with it. It is said that the letter writer was right on the money as to where the sisters’ bodies would be found. I beg to differ. The letter writer marked a location that turned out to be one mile away from where the girls were found. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if he was one mile off from where he claimed Madeleine would be found – six miles or seven miles on a lonely road – well, maybe he just didn’t remember exactly how far he drove, but being one mile off of the sisters’ dump site is a different story entirely.

The sisters’ bodies were found within 300 meters of the bar, not over a mile from the bar. I would think a killer well know the difference between “at the end of the block” and “more than a mile down the road.” Furthermore, a killer who leaves the kids at the end of the block probably doesn’t have a car and the one who would leave them more than a mile away would have to have a car to carry them that far.

At this point, unless Madeleine is found exactly where the letter writer claims, the letters were probably the work of an armchair detective who just guessed where he thought they might be. If you add to this toss of the dice to all the possible locations any other tipster gave and all the psychics gave, someone is likely to get lucky and get close to the right spot.

The police, of course, would be remiss not to check this out just to be sure they aren’t ignoring a serial killer’s clues. But, chances are, there are two different pedophiles at work in these crimes. Unattended children are easy targets for pedophiles and just because the MO is similar, it doesn’t mean there is just one guy committing the crimes. Yes, there is a serial killer of children out there, but whether there is one serial killer or two serial killers involved in these crimes remains to be seen.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Why Was America Attacked on September 11, 2001?

All those who believe it was because the terrorists are jealous of us and our capitalistic society, raise your hands. Those were the reasons President Bush gave for the murders of thousands of innocent people shortly after the attack on September 11th. For God sake, put your hands down, and think! Why would those men dare to attack America, knowing full well they would incur the great and mighty wrath of our government and military in return? Remember this is not a small group of crazed extremists, but rather a large, organized, well-funded network.

I did not buy that jealousy crap for a second, and I thought, what would drive me to do such a thing? What could fill me with that much rage? The answer is to avenge and protect my loved ones, my home, and my country. I am not for one second saying the terrorists had a right to attack and kill innocent civilians, or that the perpetrators should not be hunted down, stand trial, and pay with their own lives. However, the fact remains we will never be safe until we know the truth about the complex issues behind the reasons for the attack of 9-11 and other attacks against the U.S.

Congressman Ron Paul had the courage to point out the proverbial elephant in the room, which not many are willing to face. During the GOP debate in South Carolina last month, Rep. Paul “who has long served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, explained how 50 years of American interventionism in the Middle East has helped compromise our national security…” Rudy Giuliani interrupted saying he had "never heard anything so absurd.” Dr. Paul then advised Mr. Giuliani to read the 9-11 Commission Report. Andy Bacevich wrote this about Giuliani’s remarks to Dr. Paul’s statement in his essay published in the Atlantic Monthly, “indignation is not an argument, and 'How dare you!' is not a response”. So before anyone makes a similar comment here, I have a reading assignment for you too. Only then, can there be an exchange of opposing viewpoints-if you still have one.

It happens that Dr. Paul’s explanation is also supported by well-documented facts contained in our National Security Archives. I am a big fan of our National Archives, and have spent countless hours reading documents written by our nation’s leaders and policy makers on a variety of subjects. It is here that you can read for yourself about how individuals with an unquenchable thirst for money and power have manipulated elections, economies, and the lives of people in other countries in the name of the United States of America, because it was beneficial to American business interests. For example this January 25, 2001, memo on al-Qaeda from counter terrorism coordinator Richard Clarke to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. Or the enlightening 1999 Desert Crossing Seminar documents. “In late April 1999, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), led by Marine General Anthony Zinni (ret.), conducted a series of war games known as Desert Crossing in order to assess potential outcomes of an invasion of Iraq aimed at unseating Saddam Hussein.” Over seventy participants including the Dept. of State, the CIA, the Dept.of Defense, and the National Security Council took part in the event. And there is plenty more to read about 50 years of U.S. interventionism in the Middle East and South Asia document collection. When you have finished reading about the Middle East, I suggest the section on Latin American Affairs.

Those that have the courage to seek the truth are true patriots. Not only is it our right as American citizens to question the actions of our leaders and hold them accountable, it is our responsibility. It is up to us to see that our representatives conduct themselves with honor, integrity, and decency on behalf of our beloved America. We the People have our work cut out for us, and because I love my country so deeply, I will continue to question my government and its actions. It is the least I can do.

Donna Weaver

For My Honey, I am so proud of your devotion, strength and courage !!

Panthers, 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne- All The Way!! H-Minus!!

May God keep you safe and bring you home to us soon.

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Who the Hell is Danielle Cramer?

The name Danielle Cramer doesn’t ring a bell does it? This poor fifteen-year-old girl went missing a year ago in Connecticut and was found locked in a specially designed little room underneath a staircase in the home of a business associate of her family, a business associate with a history of “questionable involvement with minors.” Now, I do television commentary on just this sort of case all the time but I couldn’t for the life of me recall ever even hearing about this child. Clearly, she got no national publicity went she went missing, unlike Natalee Holloway, little Madeleine or Ben Ownby.

It wasn’t like there wasn’t a good possibility someone had done something bad to her considering her family had creepy people hanging around in the form of possible sex offenders. Police were concerned that Danielle had met a less than pleasant fate and finally found out that this was true, although thankfully Danielle at least was found alive after a year of searching. So, why, were there no news stories?

First of all, Danielle wasn’t seen being abducted by a friend or a camera. She just vanished. There was no exciting visual to stick in people’s minds, to show over and over on the news, or for someone to excitedly relate the story again as he got his fifteen minutes of fame. She just disappeared without any fanfare.

Secondly, she had vanished before because she was had been a repeat runaway. This was undoubtedly the number one reason there was only a halfhearted effort to find out what happened to her. If the media ran a story every time a teen took off and the police started a full fledged investigation every time some kid decided to go hang somewhere else, there would be no other news and the resources of law enforcement would be heavily strained.

The third reason Danielle didn’t get much press was that her family didn’t work very hard at it. The moms of the missing Natalee and Madeleine clearly made it their life’s work to find their kids. This family either didn’t care that much or lacked the resources to put forth such an effort. I would guess both which brings me to the saddest part of this kind of story,

Some kids just don’t get a break. They are born into less than functional families. This is why Danielle ended up being the kind of kid who is a runaway. She probably had reasons to want to runaway. Either there was abuse in the family – physical, sexual, or emotional – or there was neglect. This is the perfect child to become a victim of predators. They are easy to entice, they often won’t be missed, and the family may do little to search for them. Even if the parents do make an attempt to reach out to the public and police about their missing child, they often won’t be believed or liked well enough for a strong positive response. No one may feel sorry enough for them or their missing child. Sad, but true.

Children at risk are often put at risk by their own families and if the community cannot lend a hand, these children often end up in a bad way. It doesn’t necessarily take a community to raise a child if that child has wonderful parents but it does take a community to save a child if the parents are not up to the job.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: AIDS prevents Solving of Murders

There is one odd side effect of AIDS awareness that few people are aware exists. Some rapists and serial killers are terrified of becoming HIV positive and so they use condoms in the commission of their crimes. They may not actually be using condoms to thwart identification by law enforcement or to prevent the linkage of crimes, but simply because they don’t want to get a disease. How about that for getting the message across about safe sex?Yes, while serial killers don’t mind taking the lives of others, most have a real aversion to losing their own. Consequently, they don’t take on victims that will fight back, they avoid death penalty states, and some wear condoms to protect themselves from contracting HIV. Of course, some attack children and those they consider possible innocents, but, if they can’t get those victims, a condom will do.

The number of serial homicide cases without semen evidence is on the rise. While the missing semen may be due to the inability of the killer to function sexually or that he has reach such a level of experience that he is careful not to leave DNA, we shouldn’t jump to that conclusion. It may just be that he is a health nut.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown

Criminal Profiling Topic of the Day: Less than Great Expectations

I went to see the new movie Knocked Up last night. The website “Rotten Tomatoes” gave it a 92% rating by the critics so one would think this movie would be pretty great and maybe have a nice message as well. Yeah, well, who the hell are these critics anymore? Don’t they know anything about great film making or even good film making? How about pleasingly entertaining with a sense of decency? Knocked Up couldn’t rate in any of these categories.

First, it is a porn film. Yes, really, how did it get an R rating? Okay, I will admit I didn’t see his private part (although we did see hers during the birth when the baby’s head crowned and this was meant to gross us out as it did the friend of the father who happened into the room at the time). We did see the two in the sex act (humping away with sound effects and such) before and during pregnancy. We also see films of women cavorting with each other and we get constant crude body part jokes. This was the good part of the film

The part though that really irked me was that making of yet another film about male losers who end up with awesome, talented women. Sideways really ticked me off for that reason and now we have Allison and Ben representing another couple less than likely to succeed. Allison is a gorgeous, talented, well-employed woman on the rise. Ben is a fat slob who has never held a job in his twenty-three years, smokes pot and does ‘shrooms, lives in a pigpen with the worst group of losers one can imagine, and has the emotional age of a thirteen-year-old (and here I insult thirteen-year-old boys). His biggest thrill is making a website which notes at what point in each film women get naked. Woo hoo!

First of all, there is nothing attractive enough about this schlep to make me think Allison should find him sexy enough for a one night stand (hey, I am over fifty and I wouldn’t want to nail him) much less hook up with him for a lifetime. Of course, by the end of the movie, we find out that he really is a diamond in the rough. He gets a real job, finds a little apartment and decorates it for the baby, and tada! Allison’s frog has turned into a prince.

Oh, please, let me try not to roll my eyes. As a profiler I know darn well people don’t change that radically. We are pretty much what we are and although we can grow up and mature to some extent, that this much of a loser is about as likely to become a great husband and daddy as a major cheater is about to stay honest to his next wife.

Sadly, the audience seemed to like the movie, an audience full of teens. What kind of message are we actually sending our young girls except to keep your standards low and maybe you will end up lucky in the long run? Too few girls even think enough of themselves these days to want to continue their education, find a good profession, and contribute to the world rather than just become some guy’s girlfriend and have him become their “baby daddy.” Yet, this stupid flick is actually supposed to be an “inspiring” film with a happy ending. Give us a break……please.

Criminal Profiler Pat Brown