Another Murderous Candidate For Memorial Status: Richard Speck

Most successful murderers:  Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin

So far we've explored the perversion of anyone honoring some of history's most heinous mass murderers--Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin--especially in memorials for the people they exterminated so ruthlessly.

These three were monsters in an obvious big way, judging from the numbers of their victims.  Murder, however, is murder.  Most of the time its nothing more than just bloodlust, committed by an apolitical psycho.  It could be just, say, eight people who the killer decided on because it "wasn't their night."

The eight young women slaughtered by Speck in 1966

Do these eight Chicago student nurses look at all familiar?  They ought to.  About 12 years before the night that Jim Jones launched his orgy of slaughter, another maniac named Richard Franklin Speck systematically tortured, raped and murdered Gloria, Patricia, Nina, Pamela, Suzanne, Mary Ann, Merlita, and Valentina.

Like Jones, Speck was reportedly high on drugs at the time of his hideous crime.  Like Jones, he was complete sociopath, with no compunction at all about snuffing out human life.

Murderer Richard Speck

Also like Jones, Speck had been an abused child.  He was a victim, of his own madness.....just like, well, Jim Jones.

Murderer Jim Jones on the day of his massacre

It would be safe to say that the co-captain of Cult Apologists Central would very well agree.  "Indeed," says Jonestown Institute front man Mac McGehee, "some people have argued that, if one views Jim Jones as being mad at the end of his life, he was as much a victim of his own delusions and paranoia as anyone else."

Yes of course, Mac, if the creator of victims was a victim himself, that changes everything.  Enough, in fact, to offically qualify them to go on a memorial with the men, women, children, and infants they butchered like cattle.

In the case of fellow killer Richard Speck, it would be very easy to arrange his picture on a nice polished granite memorial, surrounded by the eight photos of those young women he destroyed.  Much easier, in fact, than having to carve Jones's name into a memorial one with his fellow 900 plus victims, don't you think?

Peoples Temple Cult Apologist
Fielding "Mac" McGehee

"The most basic consideration," claims McGehee, "is that a memorial stone cannot be an opinion piece, but a factual piece. It will be around for at least another 100 years–since it is granite–long after we have all died, and our passions with us. In the years to come, people will come to look at the names of those who died. Whatever his degree of ultimate culpability, however much he did share it with others, whatever the role of madness played in his actions, the fact is, 918 people died that day, and Jim Jones is one of them."

I see.  Well, Mac (and all the rest of your comrades in today's revived People's Temple), word is that we're coming up on another special date next month--the 20th anniversary of the death of victim Richard Speck.  So in the spirit of revisionist abandon and unfettered denial, how about putting in a good word to the city of Chicago to post an "all inclusive" memorial for their tragedy?

Just be sure to mention the advantages of a hundred years built-to-last murderer's memorial.  You want to be certain that all passions--and objections--over honoring a homicidal maniac will have time to expire.

Activist Dick Gregory protesting with others against
memorializing a mass murderer

Clearly it will take some time.