Univ student stabs woman to death because he 'wanted to kill someone'

Univ student stabs woman to death because he 'wanted to kill someone'

You don't need me to tell you this story is horrifying.  Where was it in the US not so long ago a group of young guys cited boredom as the reason they killed a guy out jogging?  I wonder about the malaise in people's souls that causes them to harm others then give these nonchalant excuses.  I don't believe their excuses are their real motivation.  These words are translations of some untranslatable feeling or tangle of feelings, a way of speaking the unspeakable.  Or maybe people really do kill simply out of curiosity or boredom and I refuse to believe that because it's the more horrible concept.

Yes, this is another crime in Saitama story.  After reading the comments, I admit I tend to associate Saitama not with crime but with extra-sick crime.  I wrote a very pissed-off blog entry about Saitama after the guide dog stabbing, but at least I pointed out the positive example of the man who collected money for a reward for information leading to an arrest in that case.  I could easily have made him the focus of that entry with an intention to "prove" what a wonderful place Saitama is.

When we read articles about Saitama crime and immediately feel something is wrong there that goes beyond the wrongness of other cities, this is confirmation bias.  Sick crimes happen everywhere, but even that statement is something of an example of bias because it focuses on a supposed universality of wicked behavior.  Crimes do happen, but most people aren't committing crimes at all.  Even the worst "per 100,000" statistics feature tens of thousands of law-abiding people to create their ratios.

The people in the comments who argue Saitama is hardly the worst place for crime in Japan are correct and I'm wrong.  But once a misconception forms, it's hard to get rid of.  We allow stories like this to reinforce our mistaken beliefs while ignoring evidence to the contrary.  Even now I have this irrational dread of Saitama.  I'll try to do better in the future.

I'm sick of this shit: Visually impaired school girl kicked from behind in Saitama

Visually impaired school girl kicked from behind in Saitama

I'm furious about this, but I'm not going to claim abuse against the visually impaired is some kind of trend here or that it's widespread.  However, this is the second such incident I've read about in the past few weeks so it's on my mind.  August ended with the story of some completely worthless asshole stabbing a guide dog.  And my thinking is this:  even one assault would be too many and now we've had two.  The news article I'm linking to here mentions a few other things that happen to the visually impaired.  Bicycles left on the yellow Braille paths.  Bumping into people.  Hitting them with shopping bags.

People who do these things sicken me.  I hesitate even to call them people, but if we're honest about it, all the bad crap that happens on this planet happens because of human beings.  Volcanoes are blameless, as are mountain lions and grizzly bears.  What they do is beyond notions of right and wrong.  Humans, however, make such distinctions in our behaviors.  We are supposed to have consciences.

And I can't help but notice the two most egregious assaults both occurred in Saitama.  I ask the people of Saitama, "What the hell?  Do you like this kind of stuff?  Is this the way the people of Saitama treat their fellow Japanese?"

I'd like to believe you don't.  I'd love to see all the decent people of Saitama getting on the ball and making it known this is not acceptable behavior there or anywhere.  Be like the guy who offered a 1 million yen reward in the guide dog case, who is a living monument to the best in human behavior and a hero to me at the moment.  Start a citizen's movement.  Saitama Supports Civility for All.  Except for the people who attack the visually impaired or their guide dogs.  Whatever happens to those people is too good for them.

Or if not, then to hell with you, Saitama.