Why I don't Commit Murder

This is an essay response to the YouTube video by CDK007 asking the question "why don't you commit murder?" I don't have a video camera at the moment, so it's all Texty McTextington for me. I suggest you watch his video before reading my usual and wonderful comments and asides. I've taken the liberty of embedding it for you, since I'm so nice (give me a hug).



Just so you know where I'm coming from (look behind you), I'd like to say that I enjoyed the video, and thought he had some good points to bring up in regards to the typical morality arguments. Obviously, this video is geared toward the adherents of theism and defending an atheistic morality (though, just to be clear, atheism itself has no morality as it is not a thing. It is only the lack of a belief in a divine being. That's it.) Basically this boils down to "people who are not religious have reasons not to murder too". (If you don't agree with that I'll fucking kill you).

The reason I am writing this essay is not to bash CDK007, or to argue with him, because, as I've stated above, I agree with his points. This is to simply expand the on idea, as I found it interesting that my personal reasons for not committing murder were never mentioned in the video.

There are three examples listed by the creator of the video (a video has to have a creator) as being common reasons that a person would object to committing murder. (As a quick aside, why does one "commit" murder? How many other things do you "commit"? Besides your crazy nephew who keeps trying to lick all the fish in your aquarium of course. Do you commit drinking? Do you commit taking a dump? Do you dump commitment?).

The first example is the rule of law. However, as he points out, just because something is against the law, does not mean that it will prevent people from doing something, though it does work with some folks. I'd have to agree, the law is usually not the first place I look to determine much of anything, not that I'm pro Judas Priest ("Breaking The Law").

Next he cites personal punishment. This makes a good deal of sense I think, as the thought of spending a lifetime in jail for doing something against the law does not sound very pleasing to my groin.

Lastly he uses God. He assumes many religious people think that since God commanded that we do not kill (then kills a bunch of people just to fuck with us), that they will think of that as their primary means of purposeful death deterrent.

These examples are all well and good (and well), but during the course of watching, I was yelling out my personal objections to murder, and for some reason (he's probably just stubborn), he neglected to add my shouted comments to his video in real time. What a jerk!

For what it's worth, I have thought about how to commit the perfect murder many times, but in my mind, it is more about the complex puzzle of how not to get caught, or leave false evidence, or perhaps do something that everyone would talk about, and becomes famous (infamous). (Inflammable means flammable?!) I would not actually do it in real life, most likely, I'd just try and incorporate it into a novel or screenplay. That's why imagination is so fun. In my imagination, I also have friends.

The primary reason I do not murder goes right to the heart of how we create a functioning society. For a social society to exist in a fairly decent way, we have to figure out a way that each individual gets to still be an individual, while also benefiting the collective. In short it works like this: I, myself, do not want to be murdered. Therefore I cannot murder someone else. The basic, "treat others as you would be treated" manta. If we all mostly agree to this ideology, we can begin to make a somewhat balanced, and functional version of a community.

The secondary reason that I do not murder, is the fact that, as an overly emotional person who dwells on everything, (and still feels like shit for things I did in kindergarten), I could not handle the emotional weight of being solely responsible for ending someone's existence. It would fill me with guilt and depression for the rest of my days, making my own life practically unbearable. As it is, my life is approaching that 'unbearability' mark, and that's without a murder on my mind/hands to push me over the line.

The last reason I do not murder has do with external punishment (which differs from the personal punishment as I will explain using a Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring). Why would people murder? I would assume (which makes you an ass) that usually people are brought to that state of action because they are very angry at someone, or at least really emotional in some form. The goal in this mindset is to cause the other person harm, pain, and to punish. Well, if the goal would be to punish the other person, to me, death is not a punishment. For all we know death is it. (Like advertising Coke. "DEATH IS IT!")

If that is true, in death, they would not be conscious or aware to be punished (so we think), therefore it is a crap punishment. Life is a greater punishement. Better yet, "restricted life". By that I mean existing in a state in which you can only contemplate your actions, and all amenities and luxuries are made not available to you. Something with deep emotional and mental consequences, something to make people feel (or, in some cases, learn) guilt and responsibility, and with the eventual goal of rehabilitation. Yes, I would still advocate trying to get people to become better for society, but not in the "1984" way, or in a drone/zombie/labotomy way.

I'm sure you said, "you mean like prison?" And I would say, "Hey, guy, don't interrupt me." But no, our prisons are not doing what I just said. They are basically a more bland and dangerous Hilton, where everything is provided for you. That does not bring the significant emotional and mental punishment, plus the rehabilitation I mentioned, unless they aired non-stop reruns of Full House.

Mr. 007 closes his video by giving the reason he does not kill: because it makes him feel sick.

I don't have any problem with this, as it is a beneficial trait for the good of society as a whole, however, due to my insatiable curiosity, I would ask where did that feeling come from? Is it inherent in our brains, and somehow selected for over time? Possibly. However I would argue that it is societally based, and infused. I'm sure your parents instilled at least a modicum of this concept in you over the years. And if not, (well, first, your parents were terrible, but), it's everywhere in our culture from TV shows to books to commercials. Even if the message is not supposed to be a heavy-handed "don't murder kids!" (Or "don't murder (comma) kids". Two different ideas there) the concept of "murder is bad" is still built into the way we think and perceive things. We show, naturally, the consequences of murder as being bad, and people who do it are bad and usually crazy.

So again, would you feel that way about murder if it were not instilled into you and learned by parents and society?

Just curious.



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Tags: why commit murder social society morals youtube atheist atheism god cdk007 philosophy