The Case of Charles Whitman
Should Whitman Be Held Fully Responsible for His Actions?
Charles Whitman should not have been held responsible for his actions. Considering the scenario critically, Charles expressed to his psychiatrist that he fingered those impulses and the element that he had a mental problem, thus signifying it was not his guilt to get involved in criminal actions. Capital penalty or life incarceration is exceedingly cruel for a person who is experiencing mental disability (Lavergne, 1997). Family members were severely affected by this, and so it seems indefensible to penalize Whitman bleakly. Charles could be treated for the illness instead of been killed. In this case, Charles’s therapist is the one to be blamed more than Charles because he did not give full concentration to what Charles to him and find the solution to his problem. Charles, in his writing Charles, quoted that he did not consider this world to be worthy of living. This writing discloses that Charles had no sense of humor, and so he considered every pathetic(Whitman). Also, Charles wrote a wish demanding that some of his money be offered to mental health institutes to support the prevention of catastrophes like the one he would compel presently. This is clear evidence that Charles was experiencing mental illness, and therefore he needed help.
If Whitman Had Lived, Would You Have Been in Favor of Capital Punishment or Life Imprisonment for His Crimes?
If Charles Whitman had lived, I would not suggest capital punishment or life imprisonment for his crime, but I would recommend rehabilitation.
Imagine That Scientists Were Able to Identify Specific Genes Linked to Serious Criminal Behavior and It Was Possible to Remove or Redesign These Genes. Are You in Favor of This Type of Gene Manipulation? Why or Why Not?
I would not be in favor of it. This is because illegal conduct is very compound, and therefore messing with it natively will cause more unstoppable problems (Old & Primrose, 1981). Actions like stealing, cheating, drug trafficking, and other criminal behaviors have to do with power, anger, human culture, psychological problems, and they cannot be eliminated. More information is needed than just genes associate with misconduct. For instance, studies show that psychopaths are not mass assassinators or even criminals, and therefore by doing gene manipulation can remove positive trait that is carried by a very small fraction.
References
Lavergne, G. M. (1997). A sniper in the tower: The Charles Whitman murders. University of North Texas Press.
Old, R. W., & Primrose, S. B. (1981). Principles of gene manipulation: an introduction to genetic engineering (Vol. 2). Univ of California Press.
Whitman, C. Charles Whitman.