My Insight on Dahmer, the Video

Deneale K. Williams, Yahoo Contributor Network
Jul 18, 2007

 

I have decided to do my video analysis on Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer.

 

The reason for my choosing him as my video analysis is quite simple, and before you assume, I will explain. 

 

I have always thought of Jeffrey Dahmer as a very honest person, when asked questions he answers them, and he always accepts all blame, and never blames the way he is on his parents. 

 

The other reasons are because he lived around me, in Ohio, and it became familiar with me, because it was always in the News Papers. 

 

A lot of people think that if you believe or support, or even understand Dahmer, that you are a hater of gays. That is not true with me; in fact it is farthest from my reasoning in trying to understand the man, the person behind the crime.

 

Now let me tell you about the video titled "Dahmer" that portrays the life of this man. This man was a cannibal. The video portrays him as having family, and parental problems. When in fact, the interviews by Newscasters, and TV personalities Dahmer answered questions and point blankly said his parents didn't make him this way, and that he did not have an abusive childhood. The man continued to state that he was a loaner and that God had in fact led him to believe to focus on the gay men of society, as they were a danger. Dahmer admitted also in interviews that he had a taste and desire for human bodies.

The video plays out on this man being gay himself, having parental problems, and as being a complete and total basket case. Admittedly, yes, being a cannibal turns one's stomach. But in all reality, many native tribes have survived on eating other humans. How they did it, or why, is not known. They may have murdered the people, or ate them as soon as they died; no one is certain. I am not condoning this in any way shape or form. The cannibalism is not the problem with Dahmer, murdering people is. You may say, or think they go hand in hand, and that is your choice. But the true crime here is murder.

For years Dahmer survived on human flesh, and hid body parts in his freezer, and anywhere else he could find. When he was in Ohio, Dahmer hid the pieces and parts of the bones buried in the yard. This too, was public knowledge, because he later admitted to it.

In Nineteen eighty six, Dahmer was arrested for Lewd and Lascivious behaviors for urinating in front of children. He spent ten months in jail. In Nineteen ninety one, Milwaukee police saw a dazed man stumbling toward them, he had handcuffs on one wrist. The man informed them that Dahmer had tried to kill him. So they investigated it, to find Polaroid's of body parts, and mutilated corpses. In his freezer were lungs and various other body parts, which Dahmer said to the officers, that he was saving to eat later. At that time, there was also a head in the refrigerator and various other body parts all over, in total the Police claim to have found eleven bodies around this vicinity. Dahmer himself confessed to killing seventeen. He stood trial and was convicted on seventeen counts of murder, necrophilia and cannibalism. On November twenty eighth, Nineteen ninety four, Dahmer was attacked and killed in Prison.
 
You want to know something that I was surprised and learned in this video. I was surprised how the video perpetrates him, blaming his parents, his Grandmother, and the whole nine yards. Dahmer chose to drink heavily, no one forced him. He craved the taste for human flesh, no one trained him, to force him to eat and or like it. The video makes him out to be gay, but Dahmer never admitted to being gay, he did however claim as he was being questioned that he knew they were a danger to society, that God had told him to use them for his cravings.

Yes, I admit I think he needed counseling, and proper teaching. Maybe his parents were in fact distant with him, maybe the fact that they divorced, made him feel guilty, or the cause- that is in fact common among children of divorcees. Before we could further investigate Dahmer, learn from him, do more research, and what not; another prisoner choose to end Dahmer's life.
 
Rumor has it, that many inmates wanted Dahmer gone and out of there, because they didn't want to be his next meal ticket, and they didn't want an alleged "fag" around them. I feel Dahmer was misunderstood, all through his life, and yes the video does represent that this was fact. I happen to agree with that factor, just not how the video portrays and points you to think and lay blame.
You also want to know how this video relates to our class and real life. I can tell you, no one likes cannibalism, and or they don't understand it. It is thought of being gross, and yes- I agree. Dahmer woke a lot of people up, when he was discovered and found out to be a true criminal. He had been a lot of places, and there were traces of him and what he had done through out.

One thing that always makes me think, when it comes to criminals, is their stupidity. How could he or anyone else think, that they wouldn't eventually get caught? He left evidence in plain sight, he was not organized, he was not careful. He didn't think before he acted, and sometimes I wonder if he, and any other criminal for that matter-want caught.

Because they cannot stop on their own recognizance. Dahmer was extremely careless, and that was because he point blank- did not care.

Inside of every criminal there is or was at one time, a real person. The key is to find out what went wrong, and try to fix it. Yes, I am certain that there are times and places, where fixing may not be possible. As with Manson, he admitted- let him out, and he will do it all over again. At least he was honest. That's more then you can say for most criminals.

Here is the list of the murders caused by Dahmer. And in my honest opinion, I think this list is incomplete. I have always thought that there were others. How could the man possibly remember every person? Especially if he was insane? Anyway, here is the list of his victims:

Victims:

• Jun 1978 - Stephen Hicks
• Sep 1987 - Steven Toumi
• Oct 1987 - Jamie Doxtator
• Mar 1988 - Richard Guerrero
• Feb 1989 - Anthony Sears
• Jun 1990 - Eddie Smith
• Jul 1990 - Ricky Beeks
• Sep 1990 - Ernest Miller
• Sep 1990 - David Thomas
• Feb 1991 - Curtis Straughter
• Apr 1991 - Errol Lindsey
• May 1991 - Tony Hughes
• May 1991 - Konerak Sinthasomphone
• Jun 1991 - Matt Turner
• Jul 1991 - Jeremiah Weinberger
• Jul 1991 - Oliver Lacy
• Jul 1991 - Joseph Bradeholt

References:

"Dahmer" the video a Peninsula films production. Rated R 102 minutes long

Published by Deneale K. Williams