Monday, November 12, 2007

WHAT'S MISSING?
















I can’t seem to clear my mind of dismemberment—yes, human body parts—ever since reading Harry Hunsicker’s short story “Vivian and Bobby Ray” in the second issue of Murdaland. Bobby Ray’s a rogue cop who entrusts local business owners to show him their latest security measures. Little do they know, Bobby Ray’s casing their joint, desperately seeking funds for his girlfriend’s sick desire to have a perfectly normal leg amputated. She seems to think losing part of herself will make herself whole.

So I started thinking: What is it I hate about myself that I could stand to lose?

Later in the week I hear about a 2-year-old girl from Bangalore, India, with a surplus of limbs. Four arms and four legs to be exact. Surgeons removed the extras. They claimed to have given her a chance at a normal life. I wonder: Just how normal can she be?

Last night, compliments of Detroit’s Channel 4 news, I learned about some teenagers who severed the head of a 26-year-old man just for the thrill of it. I discovered that the victim was once a registered sex offender. Why wasn’t he hanging out with people his own age? Then I realize: losing something means gaining something—or vice versa—even if it’s ill-begotten recognition, dead or alive.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim, I believe some killers like to live in Murdaland! Go see the movie "Saw IV". It was the most terrible gorry movie I have seen in a long time. --Bro, Ron

geewits said...

I can't tell you how weird this is. Just yesterday I was looking up stuff about those people who want to cut off their body parts. I guess it helps us mentally ill people to know that there are people WAY more mentally ill than we are. Geez, I just have panic attacks. Seems like nothing all of a sudden.
And the victim was a registered sex offender? Hmmm, that's always a tough call.

Nosjunkie said...

I heard a bout the little girl too its sad very sad

Cheri said...

Yeah I heard about the kids severing that head today while I was driving on 696, on the Drew & Mike show. Really screwed up, the things that happen around here.

And that little girl.. the parents named her after the Goddess of their religion who had multiple limbs. I wondered how she would function in the years to come, if the limbs that they removed were functioning or not. What would it be like to have four arms that all worked? I sure as hell wouldn't want to get rid of them.

ivan@creativewriting.ca said...

Well, I used to hate my major appurtenance because it led me to all kinds of trouble, but now that it is more or less unemployed, I hate it less.
I am sure my former wife would have gone for dismememberment.

Charles Gramlich said...

I remember an episode of Nip/Tuck where they had one of those fellows who psychologically desires to have part of his body amputated. As for the headless sex offender, I'm not all that torn up.

ShadowFalcon said...

I heard about that poor girl its terrible but I immediatly though about that episode of x-files...anyway I think I'd like to hold on to all my body arts if given a choice

Anonymous said...

Sad statement of our society. I'm sure he thinks he's a big gangsta.
Canton Highschool, if he hasn't graduated, he should be an easy GED/ No? MW

the walking man said...

I think the sex offender rap needs to be cleared up some, the guy was 18 he thought his girlfriend was 16, he had been living in her parents house, when he left he got a PPO against the girl. Her mother in retaliation charged that he had used his finger during a make out session to penetrate her. WWW.FREEP.COM Brian Dickerson's column has the facts as given him by the Illinois prosecutor who prosecuted the case.

Although I do believe that pedophiles and rapists should qualify for the death penalty, his sex offender status was more a case of teenage hormone offense. He was 26 at the time of his death and had been in no type of trouble since the rap in 1998.

Besides who deserves to die by multiple stab wounds, throat slit and then decapitated? Search around on the net I'm pretty sure you can still find some of the video where the Jihadists cut a Phillipino mans head off with a knife. Lovely sight.

Also he wasn't "hanging around" with these two teen agers apparently they owed him money for pot and lured him to the killing floor.

JR's Thumbprints said...

TWM,
I hear you loud and clear on this one; but ask yourself, "Why was he selling to a younger clientele?" I stand by my words "hanging out." He didn't deserve his fate.