SOMETIMES
A
VIOLENT
ACT
IS
SO
FRIGHTENING
THAT
WE
CALL
THE
PERPETRATOR
A
MONSTER,
BUT
AS
YOU’LL
SEE,
IT
IS
BY
FINDING
HIS
HUMANNESS
—
HIS
SIMILARITY
TO
YOU
AND
ME
—
THAT
SUCH
AN
ACT
CAN
BE
PREDICTED.
WE
WANT
TO
BELIEVE
THAT
WITH
ALL
THE
POSSIBLE
COMBINATIONS
OF
HUMAN
BEINGS
AND
HUMAN
FEELINGS,
PREDICTING
VIOLENCE
IS
AS
DIFFICULT
AS
PICKING
THE
WINNING
LOTTERY
TICKET,
YET
IT
USUALLY
ISN’T
DIFFICULT
AT
ALL.
WE
WANT
TO
BELIEVE
THAT
HUMAN
VIOLENCE
IS
SOMEHOW
BEYOND
OUR
UNDERSTANDING,
BECAUSE
AS
LONG
AS
IT
REMAINS
A
MYSTERY,
WE
HAVE
NO
DUTY
TO
AVOID
IT,
EXPLORE
IT,
OR
ANTICIPATE
IT.
WE
NEED
FEEL
NO
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR
FAILING
TO
READ
SIGNALS
IF
THERE
ARE
NONE
TO
READ.
WE
CAN
TELL
OURSELVES
THAT
VIOLENCE
JUST
HAPPENS
WITHOUT
WARNING,
AND
USUALLY
TO
OTHERS,
BUT
IN
SERVICE
OF
THESE
COMFORTABLE
MYTHS,
VICTIMS
SUFFER
AND
CRIMINALS
PROSPER.