Then I heard that the Italian government charged the country’s top seismologist and six other scientists with manslaughter. They are currently on trial for failing to predict the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake that killed 308 people. That shocked me. It’s such an inexact science I can’t imagine how someone could be responsible for failing to see into the future.
The recent finger pointing and blame made me think...are mystery and thriller writers expected to anticipate negative, perhaps disastrous, consequences of unknowingly inspiring a person to commit a crime? In this atmosphere of blame will we be held responsible for another’s action?
Certainly there have been copycat crimes inspired by novels in the past. Frederick Forsyth’s thrillers have been used as blueprints for several real life crimes. Agatha Christie’s novel, The Pale Horse, purportedly gave a killer the knowledge to murder using thallium.
In his July 1994 thriller, Storming Heaven, author Dale Brown wrote about a terrorist who flies an unmanned Cessna packed with explosives into the White House. In September of the same year a pilot stole a Cessna and rammed it into the White House. According to his online newsletter, Brown had some rather scary interviews with the Secret Service. They asked where he received his detailed information about the geographic coordinates of the White House and if he had been contacted by the pilot. While he wasn’t accused, he was thoroughly scrutinized.
Contrary to popular writing advice, some argue that writers should not be accurate about the details of how to commit murder or carry out a terrorist attack. Their goal is to try and prevent information from getting into the wrong hands. They believe most readers wouldn’t realize or care about inaccuracies or missing details. Some authors like Catherine Aird write inaccurately on purpose. She makes sure that the poisons used in her books wouldn’t actually kill anyone.
Others counter that a disturbed person already inclined to harm or kill would find a way to do it by using freely available information found in a book, on the internet or by watching the news. Dale Brown said that he would tear himself up if something happened to someone close to him based on events in one of his books, but he still wouldn’t change his style of writing.
Do you think writers should be held accountable for giving people ideas and methods for murder?
Of course not, Kara. Anyone can go on the Internet and find out how to build a bomb. Instead of fingerpointing, those groups and individuals should be focused on solving whatever problem they are complaining about. Pointing blame denies blame of self.
ReplyDeleteMost mystery books use common killing methods. When a writer creates a complicated scenario it shows their creativity. No one can anticipate someone using their work in a destructive manner.
When I hear of courts prosecuting party hosts because guests left their homes drunk and killed someone, I always wonder why. We can't be held responsible for others' actions. If that is the case, then the U.S. government must be held accountable for nuclear arms since we developed it.
It is concerning when courts prosecute people for others' actions, E.B. I wonder if it will eventually trickle down to writers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I know it’s an ongoing debate between balancing the details of crime writing with ethical issues. While just about everything is on the internet and has been already imagined there's also the idea that you are responsible for what you "put out there." Laura Lippman takes a middle ground to being a socially responsible writer. In a Skokie Public Library interview she said that she wouldn't rule any subject out but she believes a writer shouldn't sensationalize violence.
Kara, I believe (with Laura Lippman) that a writer shouldn't sensationalize violence, but I don't think a writer can be held responsible for someone else's murder or violence based on something s/he's created if the information used to create it is readily available.
ReplyDeleteIf the U.S. government (or some part of it) gives a writer access to classified data, and the writer makes it public for his own enrichment, yes, hold him responsible. But that's not likely to happen, is it? If I can find it, some nutjob can, also.
As far as charging seismologist with manslaughter for not predicting fatal earthquakes, just as well hold the TV weatherman responsible for not predicting the tornado or flood that does damage.
Very interesting question. My gut feeling is no, you can't ultimately hold writers, artists, film-makers, etc, accountable for other peoples actions. Mainly because where would that end? Everyone is constantly affecting each other all the time. If someone were to commit murder based on something that happened in a book, if you held the author accountable, wouldn't we also have to hold their parents accountable, for potentially raising that person to be inclined towards violence? How about children who bullied that person at school? Lovers who rejected them? etc etc etc...
ReplyDeleteSaying that, we can't ignore the fact that we DO influence people. We affect their feelings and ideas. That's what writing is all about, isn't it?
It's a tricky one. But if we keep finger pointing, we will eventually find out that we probably ALL have some part to play in someone else's wrong doing, whether we're a writer or not. That's just how life works.
Great post! :)
Why not blame the Japanese for 911? During World War II Japanese pilots flew their planes into aircraft carriers.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a somebody else must be to blame era. I think I might join Linda in a class action suit blaming meteorologists for an unpredicted rainy weekend. We could find a lawyer, I know. Lawyers are to blame for crowded court schedules. We ought to sue.
LOL, Warren. Yes, you and I will sue the lawyers for the crowded court schedules! I love it!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds almost like the guy, who refused to take the blame saying "God made me do it." Some comedian once said that, but I can't remember who it was.
ReplyDeleteMy son was painting his treehouse once when the spray can stopped working so he hit it with an ax. Well, he was green from head to toe. It even went through his coat and shoes. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt but there was no hope for his clothes or shoes. His excuse? "You told me not to throw spray cans in a fire. You never told me not to hit one with an ax.
It seems that too many people these days have a very immature way of looking at things and trying to pass the blame without accepting any responsibility for their own actions - understandable in an eight year old, but not in adults.
Thank you for your thoughtful answer, JC! You make a good point that we constantly affect each other. We may not set out to influence someone else but it happens and we just can’t control what the other person does with the information!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I agree that it is dangerously easy for anyone to find all kinds of information online. It must be difficult for law enforcement to stay one step ahead of criminals who have access to this knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI can’t imagine that the Italian courts will find the seismologists guilty of manslaughter but trial outcomes aren’t always easy to predict. You and Warren may have a shot at a class action lawsuit blaming incorrect weather forecasters :)
Gloria, comedian Flip Wilson used to say, “The devil made me do it” when he was playing a female character named Geraldine Jones.
ReplyDeleteYour son's reasoning sounds similar to reasoning used by politicians to excuse bad behavior.