The Unabomber Case Essay

Since the beginning of civilization, the methods of man have developed and adapted to the environment of which he is in. The actions of today that are deemed socially acceptable highly contrast from those that were commonplace in the times of ancestors before. Warriors and hunters evolved into the workers and everyday people that roam the world today. While both mind and man have both developed to standards of today, the foundation of the human mind can revert to it’s natural state in a moments notice. The previously mentioned mind that once was responsible for keeping those warriors and hunters alive. Roots of the mortal mind run deep and the ability to separate oneself from their nature easily becomes an impossible task. Making a criminal
“His (the Unabomber) resting heart rate is 48 beats per minute, and his brain scans are more similar to those of many murderers than of normal people. Without doubt, environmental factors also play a role in tipping someone towards crime. Indeed, it often takes both bad biology and bad surroundings to induce criminal behaviour” (Holmes, 1). The Unabomber’s case was then argued henceforth with a crutch of mental illness. While it was never confirmed that the Unabomber struggled with a MAOA deficiency, it is clearly shown that there is a physical difference between a “normal” mind and a “criminal” mind. Although a deficiency in MAOA does have side effects of aggression and violence for most people, it can leave others with hypersexuality, sleep disorder and extreme mood swings; which is also known as Brunner syndrome (Hunter, 1). Dick Hickock himself dealt with extreme mood swings, shown when he ran over a dog with a car when Perry tried to discuss the murder that had just taken place and exclaimed, “‘Boy! We sure splattered him!’”(Capote 178). Though, Dick’s issue with hypersexuality can be seen at multiple times throughout the book, most notably on pages 305 to