Sleeper Cell

“Clayton, you are sooo crazy!”

No, I’m actually quite sane and this is just a phrase that’s worked its way into everyday conversation. I don’t feel no type of way by having someone call me crazy…because it’s only a joke or rather the stigma of mental illness is a joke. Far too many people take this topic lightly and I believe it’s time for us to stop that. What happens when people don’t get the help that they need? What happens when a cry out for help goes unanswered?

Get your notebooks out for this one…

How many people out there know that John Allen Muhammad (the DC Sniper) attorney’s submitted an appeal  to the U.S. Supreme Court (prior to his execution) stating that he had extensive medical issues?  What’s even worse is that jurors were never allowed to hear Muhammad had brain damage, brain dysfunction and neurological deficits, as well as psychotic and delusional behavior before he was convicted. I wonder why this was kept a secret? I would have wanted to know that about him BEFORE his death. Who knew about that BEFORE his killing spree? Further evidence submitted to the courts included MRI brain scans, which confirmed Muhammad had three congenital malformations of the brain, two of which are found with greater frequency in people with schizophrenia.

Muhammad was not the only serial killer with these type of mental issues. You can also add Bobby Joe Long, David Berkowitz, Kenneth Bianchi, John Gacy, and serial killer Carl Panzram, who even realized that his behavior was unique and singular compared to the behavior of his immediate law-abiding, normal family members. Does this mean that the ‘crazy’ people even realized they were crazy?

While researching this article I found out that after the brains of 70 notorious serial killers were examined, it showed that all 70 had some frontal lobe damage which would have been caused as children.  Now to understand why this is important you need to understand what this part of the brain is responsible for. The frontal lobe located in the most anterior part of the brains hemispheres, and has been concluded by scientists to act as your conscience.  It’s essential functions are Self-control, planning, judgment, the balance of individual verses social needs, and many other essential functions underlying effective social intercourse are mediated by the frontal structures of the brain. Just think of it as the part of your brain that makes you ‘play nice with others’, it’s the part of our brain that allows us to be conditioned to live withing our society.

Let me break it down further for you...(pull out notebooks now)

The hypothalamus regulates the hormonal system and emotions. The “higher” brain has limited control over the hypothalamus. Because of the physical closeness of sexual and aggressive centers within the hypothalamus, sexual instinct and violence become connected for lust murderers. The hypothalamus may be damaged through malnutrition or injury.

The limbic brain is the part of the brain associated with emotion and motivation. When the limbic brain is damaged, the individual loses control over primary emotions such as fear and rage. The predatory gaze of the psychopath, according to Meloy, lacks emotions, and is as cold as a reptile’s blank stare. Reptiles are missing the limbic part of their brain, where memories, emotions, socializing, and parental instincts reside. In other words, serial killers are aptly described as “cold-blooded,” just like a reptile. 

The temporal lobe is highly susceptible to injury, located where the skull bone is thinnest. Blunt injuries, including falling on a hard surface, can easily damage this section of the brain, creating lesions, which cause forms of amnesia and epileptic seizures. Damage to the temporal lobe can result in hair-trigger violent reactions and increased aggressive responses. As a child, Ken Bianchi fell off of a jungle gym, and landed on the back of his head. He soon began to have epileptic seizures.

Head injuries are not uncommon, especially when dealing with an adolescent. How many times have you observed children at play and noticed the one that likes to climb (and eventually bust their azz). I can readily recall a few instances where I was running about my little boy life looking for adventure and cracked my skull in play or by pure accident. I’m not a killer (<==disclaimer==>) or am I?

I got a friend, you got a friend, we all have a friend that USED to act fine…until that spill off that motorcycle or that accident at work. Hell, I even know a dude that was hit hard during football and turned into a different person once those bandages came off. It’s almost like he died that day on the field because I have NO IDEA who the guy  was that took over his body and behavior. I couldn’t get to know him either since his erratic violent temper and lack of effort caused him to be kicked out of school not too far after his return from recovering from his injury. Strange ending for a guy who was previously one of the nicest, most normal, easy-going dudes you could meet, on the honor society and Dean’s list.

You won’t know if a person is capable of random acts of violence until they do them. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people slipping through the cracks. Don’t let the media distract you on this one by having you believe these murderers (and the hundreds of thousands that now sit on death row in thousands of prisons across the country) are calculating, evil wrong doers that took innocent lives.

As with anything else, there is (almost) always an underlying reason for people’s ill behavior. The news will tell you to keep an eye out for terrorist activity. I’m telling you to keep an eye out for those around you that are suffering in the kind of pain that you or I can’t see. I’m asking you to put on your 3rd eye shades and identify those in your personal life that may be in need of an ear. Do you know someone suffering a mental illness? Do you ridicule them or do you pay attention and try to empathize with what they are feeling? Do you know of any mental health resources that you could pass along on Twitter? Even a kind word of encouragement to get help a fellow human get by might mean the world to a person. It would mean even more to the lives that could be saved if and when that dormant ‘sleeper’ cells wakes up. And speaking of saving a life, I also wonder at what point does a criminal lose their “human rights”. I say America is not as ‘civilized’ as you may think. Check out part two of this post over at http://tracyreneejones.com/, she’s holding court in her crib right now. If we rush, we’ll get there right in time. Are you with me?

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