First lady Quote by Peter Vronsky
““Few would disagree that Herbert Mullin, who thought he was saving California from the great earthquake by killing people, and Ed Gein, who was making chairs out of human skin, were entirely insane when they committed their acts. The question becomes more difficult with somebody like law student Ted Bundy, who killed twenty women while at the same time working as a suicide prevention counselor, or John Wayne Gacy, who escorted the first lady and then went home to sleep of thirty-three trussed-up corpses under his house. On one hand their crimes seem "insane," yet on the other hand, Bundy and Gacy knew exactly what they were doing. How insane were they?””
About This Quote
Source Book: Serial Killers: The Method and Madness, 2015
Some criminals appear rational while committing horrific acts, blurring the line between sanity and insanity.
In simple terms: Criminals can be both sane and insane.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about mental illness and crime.
Themes
crime
sanity
psychopathy
morality
justice
Mood
somber
introspective
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- legal analysis
- psychological assessment
- media coverage
- public policy
Key Concepts
Criminology
ethical ambiguity
dual nature of evil
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we differentiate calculated evil from mental illness?
- What responsibilities do societies have to prevent such crimes?
A Different Perspective
Legal definitions of insanity are limited.
![“I think the fact that she [Eleanor Roosevelt] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies by definition in those days were women. There's always been a problem and still is, about the role the first lady should play, of course. Everybody's seen…” quote by William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dbf/william-a-rusher-20922_clinton_i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosev_133419.jpg)
