Dr. Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby Talk About David Berkowitz, Son of Sam
On Monday, May 6, Dr. Scott Bonn joined television news anchor and correspondent, radio host, and best-selling author, Rita Cosby on her national radio show on WOR710 New York’s News and Talk to discuss his recent prison visit with David Berkowitz, the infamous Son of Sam.
Cosby landed an in person interview with Berkowitz in 2002 when he wrote a three page letter to her during the DC sniper shootings imparting his opinions and asking for the sniper to stop. A common subject, Berkowitz, Bonn and Cosby share their views about their individual time spent with him.
Scott Bonn has been corresponding with Berkowitz for several years as research for an upcoming book (tentatively titled Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers) thus gaining his trust and finally being granted an in person visit at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY. Bonn came away from the meeting with a sense of sincerity from Berkowitz about his conversion to Christianity and his ministry within the prison. Bonn reports that the Son of Sam is now known as Son of Hope because of his wish to help others spiritually.
Listen to the podcast
Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby are two of several who have corresponded with David Berkowitz over the years, including many who are skeptical about his conversion. In a 2010 New York Times story it states:
Joseph Coffey, the police sergeant who took Mr. Berkowitz’s initial confession, said his statements about his religious convictions were as believable as his amended claim that members of a satanic cult to which he belonged were responsible for some of the shootings.
“It’s a total charade to promote himself,” said Mr. Coffey, who retired from the Police Department in 1985. “I have had people who I sent to prison or put in the witness protection program find religion because it suits them by providing them access to the outside world.”
But, the article contains several accounts from others who feel Berkowitz is sincere in his beliefs and his actions prove that he has turned over a new leaf, including Andy Kahan, the crime victims assistance director to the mayor of Houston who works diligently to prevent people from profiting on the sale of items from notorious criminals, received assistance from Berkowitz in statements and opinions on the “murderabilia” industry. Kahan read the statements in the Texas legislature hearings. He concurs with those who feel Berkowitz is genuine:
“You can’t change the past, but you can alter the future,” Mr. Kahan said, “and by working with me on this issue, it certainly shows that he is trying to make amends.”
The debate about Berkowitz will go on for a long time, he will never be out from behind prison walls and, according to Scott Bonn, has no intention of asking for parole in the future. He seems content with his life, has made apologies, and is working on being an example to others.
Dr. Scott Bonn will include even more details of his visit in his upcoming book, along with his insights to other serial killers he has corresponded with, including Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer and his theories on the identity of Jack the Ripper. Monster Dearest is looking to be available in early 2014.
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities.
Dr. Scott Bonn and Rita Cosby Talk About David Berkowitz, Son of Sam
DA Killings Creating Mass Panic?
Two district attorneys in Kaufman County, Texas, have been murdered within two months of one another — and their slayings, assuming that they are linked, may constitute acts of terror and retribution by an organized group such as the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang.
District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their home last Saturday night. Their murders occurred just two months after Mark Hasse, an Assistant DA who worked under McLelland, was gunned down outside the county courthouse.
Over the last century, only 14 prosecutors have been killed in the U.S., according to the National District Attorneys Association, which means that the murder of two prosecutors in one county in Texas within 60 days is unprecedented.
The motive(s) of the murders remain a mystery.
“There’s always the revenge factor but the most likely [scenario] is it’s an ongoing investigation or an ongoing prosecution that may have triggered this,” said Buck Revell, a former special agent who ran the Dallas office of the FBI.
Authorities are currently looking into people who were involved with both prosecutors in trials, as well as people who thought they were wrongly convicted.
The FBI is aiding local investigators who are pursuing all leads and angles, including the possibility that the murders, if linked, were committed by county employees, members of organized crime or even white supremacists.
“The most likely [suspect] is organized [crime],” said Revell. “But it could be an individual [who is] hiring professional hit men.”
To read complete story go to CBS News Crimesider
Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on The Roth Show
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities
DA Killings Creating Mass Panic?
Doc Bonn Visits with David Berkowitz, Son of Sam
I recently spent five enlightening hours with the man whose pseudonym, “Son of Sam,” has become synonymous with evil.
David Berkowitz, the man behind the pseudonym, shot and murdered six people, and wounded seven others, with a .44 revolver during his reign of terror several decades ago in New York City. He ignited a public panic of epic proportions during the so-called summer of Sam in 1977.
After the largest manhunt in New York history, Berkowitz was arrested without incident outside his apartment on August 10, 1977. As he was being taken into custody he mildly said, “Well, you got me. How come it took you such a long time?”
Jeff Kamen, the Emmy-winning journalist who covered the Son of Sam case extensively, and who also sat close to Berkowitz during his court appearances said, “Sitting there I felt as if I was in the presence of pure evil.” Berkowitz received six consecutive life sentences for his crimes. During his stay at Attica Correctional Facility, Berkowitz was attacked by another inmate in 1979 and received a potentially fatal slash to the left side of his neck that required nearly 60 stitches to close. Incredibly, Berkowitz became a born-again Christian in 1987 after having a self-proclaimed spiritual awakening one night in his cell at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY, where he will likely remain for the rest of his life.
I visited with David Berkowitz on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at Sullivan after corresponding with him regularly through the mail for nearly two years. He has been offering me unique insights for an upcoming book on why so many people are fascinated with serial killers and the dark side of mankind. David gave me a rare, one-on-one interview that I will not soon forget.
To read the complete story go to CBS News Crimesider
Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on The Roth Show
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities
Doc Bonn Visits with David Berkowitz, Son of Sam
The Race to Incarcerate: Black and Latino Prisoners in America.
The number of persons in U.S. prisons is more than 2 million—roughly equal to the entire population of Houston, Texas. The massive U.S. prison population does not mirror the demographic profile of U.S. society, however. The vast majority of U.S. prisoners are poor, uneducated, unskilled, emotionally or psychologically troubled, drug and/or alcohol dependent, and either Black or Latino.
The racial disparity between prisoners and the general population is particularly profound. Blacks and Latinos together comprise less than 30% of the general population but nearly 70% of the prison population! How can this be? Conventional–that is, uninformed–wisdom suggests the reason Blacks and Latinos represent the majority of the prison population is that they commit the majority of all crimes in the U.S. That is simply not the case. The reality is that Blacks and Latinos are differentially targeted and processed by the U.S. criminal justice system.
Consider these facts: Blacks alone make up 12% of the U.S. population and comprise 14% of all illegal drug users, but they represent 35% of all drug arrests, 55% of all convictions for drug crimes, and 75% of all those who go to prison for drug crimes! Disturbingly, racial disparity in justice system processing exists for other crimes as well. The startling statistics reveal that racially biased processing is common throughout the criminal justice system in the U.S. Perhaps this should not be surprising, however. After all, one must remember that the police, district attorneys and judges all have tremendous discretion in whom to arrest, prosecute and sentence.
It is time to pull the blindfold off of lady justice and admit that she is not blind after all. She sees quite well, indeed. Her acute but sometimes prejudiced and biased vision unfortunately leads her to differentially target and process many poor Blacks and Latinos. The result is a prison population that does not fairly or accurately reflect the true picture or color of crime in the U.S. Let’s put an end to such practices and deliver justice fairly to all citizens.
Join “An hour to kill with Doc Bonn” with special guest Dr. Tina Maschi, Associate Professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, and President of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work. Her research interests center around the intersection of aging, mental health, and the criminal justice system, particularly the influence of life course trauma on later life health and well-being.
Listen to the podcast: An Hour to Kill with Doc Bonn
Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on The Roth Show
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities
The Race to Incarcerate: Black and Latino Prisoners in America.
“Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers” Tell me what YOU think!
Are you fascinated with serial killers? I’d like to hear your comments on my forthcoming book.
Synopsis of “Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers”
Since at least the 1970s serial killers have been frequent and chilling actors on center stage in the news and entertainment media. Massive and highly stylized news coverage of real life serial killers such as David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” and Jeffrey Dahmer transforms them into ghoulish celebrities. Similarly, fictional serial killers such as Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter in the blockbuster 1991 film Silence of the Lambs have also become popular culture icons. More recently, the tremendous financial successes of the Showtime television series Dexter and the book and film franchise based on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo demonstrate how eager the public is to be frightened by serial killers.
When you bring up the name of an infamous real life predator such as Jack the Ripper or Ted Bundy in conversation with a group of people, it is clear that serial killers are a hot topic. Some folks actually become gleeful in their demeanor when discussing them. Why is that, I wonder? Could it be that some of us have a macabre fascination with serial killers for the same reason(s) that many of us are morbidly drawn to stare at a catastrophic automobile accident unexpectedly encountered along a highway? Therein lies the central question of this book. Why are so many people, including myself, fascinated by serial killers? Answering this intriguing social question while also debunking serial killer myths and providing compelling new insights into serial predators are the primary objectives of this book.
Unlike other books about serial killers which focus on the behavior of the criminals only, “Monster Dearest” offers an exploration into the nature of society itself and its powerful appetite for the macabre, while also providing new and unique insights into serial murderers. Significantly, this book provides a penetrating sociological look at the public’s fascination with serial homicide which is groundbreaking in its approach. In order to understand why so many people in society seem to be captivated by serial killers, “Monster Dearest” examines the social agents and processes that turn them into fiendish celebrities. In order to achieve its objectives, this book contains the following components:
• An in-depth examination of serial murder realities in the U.S. and a comparison of serial killing to other types of multiple homicide such as mass murder.
• A discussion of antisocial personality disorders, including sociopathy and psychopathy, and how such conditions may be manifested in serial killers.
• An examination of criminal profiling techniques used by law enforcement professionals such as the FBI to identify and apprehend unknown serial predators.
• An investigation of important social processes, including news media reporting, that may help to explain how and why serial killers often become grizzly popular culture personalities.
• An examination of the role of key social agents such as the news media, state officials (e.g., law enforcement) and the general public in the creation of the public identities of serial killers.
• A compelling exploration of the actual words of two notorious serial killers, i.e., David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) and Dennis Rader (Bind, Torture, Kill), gained through exclusive correspondence with them, which offers insights into their minds and the public’s fascination with serial predators.
• An argument that the sudden appearance of a serial killer in the public eye, driven by massive news media coverage and journalistic hyperbole, can create public anxiety or “anomie” (i.e., conflicting social norms) when the public is confronted by a socially defined super predator that defies all conventional wisdom concerning criminal motivations and behavior.
• A second argument that the stereotypical representation of serial killers as inhuman monsters by law enforcement and the media reduces anomie or public anxiety by clarifying moral boundaries and defining evil while also establishing serial killers as the “other” in society—that is, they are separate and distinct from decent, normal people.
I am writing “Monster Dearest” as you read this, so your feedback will make a contribution to my work.
Would you like to read this book? Why or why not?
What appeals to you the most about it?
What would you like to see added or changed?
Please give me your comments below.
Thank you. “Doc Bonn”
“Monster Dearest: Our Macabre Fascination with Serial Killers” Tell me what YOU think!
Follow criminologist and media analyst and consultant Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com Listen to Doc Bonn’s bi-weekly segment on Wednesdays at 11pm ET on The Roth Show
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities
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Sociopath or Psychopath, Which is a Serial Killer More Likely to Be?
Sociopathy and psychopathy are both antisocial personality disorders and they share many common behavioral traits. Their similarities lead to the confusion between them and help to explain why many people incorrectly believe they are the same, identical disorder. Key traits that both sociopaths and psychopaths share include:
- A disregard for laws and social mores
- A disregard for the rights of others
- A failure to feel remorse or guilt
- A tendency to display violent behavior and emotional outbursts
In addition to their similarities, each of these two antisocial personality disorders also has its own unique characteristics which are explained below.
First, sociopaths tend to be nervous and easily agitated. They are volatile and prone to emotional outbursts, including fits of rage. Second, they are likely to be uneducated and live on the fringes of society, unable to hold down a steady job or stay in one place. They are frequently transients and drifters. Third, it is difficult but not impossible for sociopaths to form attachments with others. They are capable of bonding emotionally and demonstrating empathy with certain people, and in certain situations, but not others. Thus, some sociopaths are able to form attachments to an individual or group, although they have no regard for society in general. Finally, in the eyes of others, sociopaths will appear clearly disturbed. Any crimes committed by a sociopath will tend to be haphazard and spontaneous. A sociopath who becomes a serial killer will most likely conform to the FBI’s disorganized category of serial predator. Jack the Ripper offers a classic example of the volatile, spontaneous and disorganized serial killer.
Psychopaths, on the other hand, are unable to form emotional attachments or feel real empathy with others, although they often have charming and disarming personalities. They are very manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions, despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to other unsuspecting people. Psychopaths are often well educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature. When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every detail and often have a contingency plan in place. Unlike their sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic criminals are cool, calm and meticulous. They make few mistakes. A psychopath who becomes a serial killer would most likely conform to the FBI’s organized category of killer. The charming Ted Bundy provides a classic example of the poised, articulate and highly organized serial killer.
The etiology or cause of psychopathy is different than the cause of sociopathy. It is believed that psychopathy is the result of “nature” (genetics) while sociopathy is the result of “nurture” (environment). According to the late David Lykken, a behavioral geneticist known for his studies on twins, psychopathy is related to a physiological defect that results in the underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotions. Sociopathy, on the other hand, is more the product of childhood traumas and abuse. Because sociopathy appears to be learned rather than innate, sociopaths are capable of empathy or emotional connection with others but only to certain individuals, such as a family member or friend, and only in certain contexts. Psychopaths, on the other hand, are simply incapable of empathy and are unable to form real emotional bonds with anyone. Ironically, it is the ability of psychopaths to so effectively mimic empathy and emotional bonds with others that make them especially dangerous, deceptive and highly successful serial killers.
The traits of the psychopathic personality are more highly correlated with the characteristics of highly successful, organized serial killers than are sociopathic traits. Many of the most infamous and prolific serial killers in U.S. history, including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Dennis Rader, Ed Kemper, Joel Rifkin, Jeffrey Dahmer and Gary Ridgway, have manifested the central traits of psychopathy, and many of these killers have been classified as psychopaths by forensic psychologists. A cool and unemotional demeanor combined with a keen intellect and charming personality makes the psychopath a very effective predator.
It should come as no surprise that the entertainment industry has provided many inaccurate examples of psychopaths in film, television and books, etc. Psychopaths are often incorrectly presented by the media as scary people who look frightening or have other off-putting characteristics. In reality, a psychopath like Ted Bundy can be anyone—a neighbor, coworker, lover or homeless person on the street. Each of these seemingly harmless people may in reality prey ruthlessly on others around them.
Follow criminologist and media expert Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and is available for live on-air commentary, expert consultation and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities.
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Jodi Arias and Casey Anthony Common Denominators: Is Arias a Cold-Blooded Murderer?
Jodi Ann Arias, the young California woman accused of brutally killing her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, will face the death penalty when her case finally goes to trial soon in Arizona after numerous delays. Judge Sherry Stephens denied a defense motion in which Arias’ lawyers requested the death penalty be removed as a punishment option for her. The 31-year-old photographer is accused of shooting her former lover, Alexander, in the face, stabbing him 27 times, and slitting his throat. Certainly, it was an act of overkill by any analysis of the facts.
This will be another blockbuster trial and media event. Similar to Casey Anthony, Jodi Arias is an attractive young woman with no prior criminal record who is accused of committing an unimaginable murder—in Anthony’s case, the killing of her own daughter. Similar to Anthony, Arias faces the death penalty. And, eerily similar to Anthony, Arias exhibits sociopathic tendencies in both her demeanor and behavior. Specifically, she appears emotionless and detached when she describes her ex-boyfriend’s death. Claiming that Alexander’s death was an act of self-defense, Arias exhibits neither sadness nor remorse. In fact, her demeanor seems almost cold-blooded at times.
Assuming that Arias did act in self-defense, and is a rational, normal person, you would expect her to express some remorse for her lover’s death, if only for the grotesque and extreme nature of her actions that took his life. Instead, Arias manifests an almost smug persona, including a little smile, and she expresses no pity for Alexander, whatsoever. Instead, she seems aloof and self-absorbed. These are classic sociopathic tendencies, similar to those exhibited by Casey Anthony.
In order for the prosecution to be successful in its case against Arias, it must demonstrate that she killed Alexander after careful deliberation and with premeditation—the requirements of first-degree murder. In order for her to receive the death penalty, the prosecution must also prove extreme and aggravating circumstances in the murder. Casey Anthony is free today precisely because the prosecution failed to prove that she killed her own daughter in such a manner.
First-degree murder with aggravating circumstances is a high-risk prosecution and it is very difficult to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Is Jodi Arias innocent? Will she be executed? Or just like Casey Anthony, is she a sociopath who will get away with murder? Only time will tell in this fascinating case.
Follow criminologist and media expert Dr. Scott Bonn @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website www.docbonn.com
Dr. Scott Bonn is located in Manhattan and can be present in any of the New York City network studios for on air appearances or feeds to affiliate stations. He is available for live assignments as well as commentary or remarks for print and speaking engagements. More information about his experience and past media appearances can be found at his website, DocBonn.Com Please call (843.808.0859) or email (contact@imaginepublicity.com) to discuss media opportunities.
Are you a family caregiver? There is help for you.
November is National Family Caregivers Month. Family caregivers are special people who step in to help friends, relatives, neighbors or life partners with health problems or disabilities. This help ranges from grocery shopping, help with personal grooming, and meal preparation to
providing financial support and basic assistance with medical needs.
Important facts:
About 25 percent of American families (nearly 66 million Americans) serve as unpaid caregivers to adult family members, special needs children, life partners and others in need. Most provide care to a family member, typically a parent who is over the age of 50.
Fourteen percent of care recipients are between ages 18 and 49.
If caregivers were paid on the open market for their services, society would have to spend
about $375 billion.
More than half of caregivers are women and nearly four in ten are men.
Caregivers spend an average of 20 hours per week on caregiving—additional time is
needed when the care recipient has more than one disability.
Caring for a person with disabilities can be physically demanding. This is especially true
for older caregivers.
One-third of all caregivers describe their own health as fair to poor. Caregivers may have
depression and are more likely to become physically ill.
Caregivers often worry that they will not live longer than the person they care for.
In 1900, average Americans could expect to live just 47 years. Today, life expectancy is 75 years, but chronic illness is common in the later years. As a result, older people now require about two years of care prior to death.
Sometimes, caregiving can seem overwhelming and even burdensome. If you are a caregiver and you feel that way, please recognize it is a natural reaction and you are certainly not alone. Caregiving, while very rewarding, is also hard work. You must take care of yourself so that you do not become run down and sick. There is help for the caregiver. Remember, asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness. Reach out.
Tune in for “An hour to kill with Doc Bonn” at high noon ET on Friday, Nov. 30th when Dr. Scott Bonn discusses the importance of family caregiving with his special guest Reverend Greg Johnson, creator of Emblem Health’s “Care for the Family Caregiver” Program and member of
the President’s Committee on Caregiving.
Listen live http://groups.drew.edu/wmnj/
For more information and helpful resources visit: http://www.emblemhealth.com/default.aspx?Page=702
Visit Care for the Family Caregiver on Face book: http://www.facebook.com/careforthefamilycaregiver?ref=ts
Dr. Scott Bonn is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University and a media expert. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq” and is currently writing a book about the possibility of hope and redemption behind prison walls.
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Why Doesn’t the U.S. Recognize International Law? Ask Doc Bonn!
The world community has been concerned about genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes throughout the centuries. In 2002, a treaty-based court, called the International Criminal Court (ICC), was established in The Hague, The Netherlands, for the prosecution of international war crimes committed on or after that date.
The ICC is the first ever permanent international institution, with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals responsible for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. The ICC was established by the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court, so named because it was adopted in Rome, Italy on July 17, 1998 by the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court. The Rome Statute is an international treaty, binding only on those states which formally express their consent to be bound by its provisions. Upon ratifying it, these states become formal “Parties” to the Rome Statute. The Rome Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002 after ratification by 60 countries. To date, 121 countries, with the notable exceptions of the U.S. and China, have become Parties to the Statute.
The ICC is an independent international organization, and is not part of the United Nations system. However, the jurisdiction and functioning of the ICC are governed by the Rome Statue, which is a treaty that was initiated by the United Nations. The ICC has jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, i.e., genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Each of these crimes is clearly defined in the Rome Statute and other relevant texts such as the Geneva Conventions. The Rome Statute clearly stipulates that acting in an official capacity as a head of state, member of government or parliament or as an elected representative or public official in no way exempts a person from prosecution or criminal responsibility. Superiors or military commanders may be held responsible for criminal offenses committed by persons under their effective command and control or effective authority and control.
According to the Rome Statute, the specific crimes of war that may be prosecuted by the ICC include:
Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, such as:
1) Willful killing, or causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health 2)Torture or inhumane treatment
3) Unlawful wanton destruction or appropriation of property
4) Forcing a prisoner of war to serve in the forces of a hostile power
5) Depriving a prisoner of war of a fair trial
6) Unlawful deportation, confinement or transfer
7) Taking hostages
The following acts as part of an international conflict:
1) Directing attacks against civilians
2) Directing attacks against humanitarian workers or U.N. peacekeepers
3) Killing a surrendered combatant
4) Misusing a flag of truce
5) Settlement of occupied territory
6) Deportation of inhabitants of occupied territory
7) Using poison weapons
8) Using civilians as shields
9) Using child soldiers
The following acts as part of a non-international conflict:
1) Murder, cruel or degrading treatment and torture
2) Directing attacks against civilians, humanitarian workers or U.N. peacekeepers
3) Taking hostages
4) Summary execution
5) Pillage
6) Rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution or forced pregnancy
Significantly, the ICC only has jurisdiction over these crimes where they are part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes. Additionally, the ICC only tries those accused of the gravest crimes, and due to resource limitations (as it is primarily funded by state parties) it is not in a position to bring to justice every person who has committed crimes of concern to the international community.
The ICC is intended to complement, not to replace, national criminal justice systems. In this regard, the ICC is a court of last resort. Proceedings before the ICC may be initiated by a state party, the prosecutor or the United Nations Security Council. It will not act if a case is investigated or prosecuted by a national judicial system unless the national proceedings are not genuine; for example, if formal proceedings were undertaken solely to shield a person from criminal responsibility. Also, the ICC may exercise jurisdiction over international crimes only if they were committed on the territory of a state party or by one of its nationals. These conditions, however, do not apply if a situation is referred to the prosecutor by the United Nations Security Council, whose resolutions are binding on all U.N. member states, or if a state makes a declaration accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Although the U.S. originally voted against the adoption of the Rome Statute, President Bill Clinton unexpectedly reversed his position on December 31, 2000, and signed the treaty but indicated that he would not recommend that his successor, George W. Bush, submit it to the Senate for ratification. On May 6, 2002, the Bush administration announced that it was nullifying the U.S. signature of the treaty. The main objections to the ICC offered by the Bush administration were interference with national sovereignty and a fear of politically motivated prosecutions. President Barack Obama has taken no action to change the U.S. position on the ICC he inherited from G.W. Bush.
The refusal of the U.S. to recognize the authority of the ICC over its citizens places it at odds with almost all of its staunchest international allies. Ironically, however, it puts the U.S. in alignment with China, a nation that the U.S. has frequently accused of human rights violations. Similarly, Iran, Iraq and North Korea do not recognize the court’s authority. The refusal to recognize the ICC thus aligns the U.S. with the G.W. Bush administration’s so-called axis of evil in rejecting international consensus on war crimes.
How does the refusal of the U.S. to recognize the authority of the ICC make you feel? I’d like to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please submit your comments below or email me directly at docbonn1@gmail.com. Follow me @DocBonn on Twitter.
Tune in for “An hour to kill with Doc Bonn” at high noon ET on Friday, Nov. 9th when Dr. Scott Bonn is joined by Dr. Jonathan Golden, Associate Director of Drew University’s Center on Religion, Culture & Conflict. Professor Golden is an expert in global conflict and religious studies. They will discuss international law, terrorism and war crime in the post-9/11 era. Listen live http://groups.drew.edu/wmnj/
Dr. Scott Bonnis Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Drew University and a media expert. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book “Mass Deception: Moral Panic and the U.S. War on Iraq”and is currently writing a book about the possibility of finding hope and redemption behind prison walls.
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“Holding My Hand Through Hell” by Susan Murphy Milano is Must Reading!
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so the timing of the release of this inspiring new book from Susan Murphy Milano couldn’t be more perfect. This poignant and well-written book tells the story of a police officer’s family and a daughter’s quest for justice long after the heart-wrenching murder of her mother. Susan Murphy Milano embraces a legacy of unconditional love and faith to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable abuse and pain.
Based on a true story, told with the flow of a novel, spiced with frank wisdom and wit, “Holding My Hand Through Hell” encourages the reader to immerse themselves into this family s life and is an inspiration to become an advocate for change in this world we all share. The book also features a lovely foreword by Diane Fanning, the award winning true crime author of “Mommy’s Little Girl.”
“Holding My Hand Through Hell” will incite discussion, debate, and heightened awareness about hope, survival, abuse, murder, and its impact on our society. In the end, it will leave readers both applauding this woman as well as wondering how she escaped, sometimes at the eleventh hour. Twenty years later, she has realized that God must have been holding her hand through hell, delivering her from the evils of her life in order to save others.
Best-selling author Steve Jackson says, “Raw and riveting ‘Holding My Hand Through Hell’ starts fast and never lets up. In this powerful memoir, author Susan Murphy Milano throws open her personal closet so that we see what drives this woman to tirelessly champion voiceless victims and the people who love them.”
My friend, Susan Murphy Milano, is a specialist in intimate partner violence and works nationally with domestic violence programs, law enforcement and prosecutors providing technical and consulting services in “high risk” domestic violence and stalking related cases. Her principal objective is to intervene before a victim is seriously injured or killed. Susan is the creator of the important and powerful Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit© procedure for domestic violence victims.
Susan’s quest for justice was instrumental in the passage of the Illinois Stalking Law and the Lauternberg Act. She has been prominently featured in newspapers, magazines, radio and television including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Radio, ABC’S 20/20, Justice Files, E-True Hollywood, CNN, Sunday Today Show Profile, Women’s Day, Family Circle, US News and World Report to name only a few. She has frequently participated in guest media commentary panels on major news programs.
To learn more about Susan and her work, visit the following sites:
To purchase copies of Holding My Hand Through Hell: IceCubePress.Com
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