 Mystery: August 03, 2016 Issue [#7780] |
  Mystery
This week: The things we do for love Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"You can't see it with your eyes,
Hold it in your hand.
But like the wind, it covers our land,
Strong enough to move the heart of any man,
This thing called love.
It can lift you up,
Never let you down,
Take your world and turn it all around,
Ever since time, nothing's ever been found,
That's stronger than love."
~Johnny Cash |
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"The opposite of love is not hate; its indifference."
~Elie Wiesel
Love and hate are more alike than you might think. Both are strong emotions that can take over a person's life. People who are "in love" often say they can't eat or sleep, and have a hard time focusing on anything except their love. Someone who hates might have similar feelings. The object of love does not have to be a person. It can be anything the individual cares for deeply, such as a pet, home, farm, a car, the environment, a job, or reputation.
Both love and hate and have been known to drive people to desperate actions. Love can even turn into hate in some cases. A person could hate someone who threatens the object of his love. In some cases, he might even come to hate the person or thing he once loved. The twin emotions of love and hate can lead some people to commit crimes. Crimes committed in the name of love can range from minor harassment all the way up to murder. In some cases, what the perpetrator calls love may actually be an unhealthy obsession. The important thing is that they think of it as love, and use love to justify their actions. Here are some ways love and hate might figure into a mystery story:
Protecting a loved one
Even a good person can be driven to violence when protecting a loved one from a real or imagined danger. This might also apply to friends and family members of the criminal. A friend or loved one might help cover up the crime or even take the blame.
"Look at me!"
Some individuals might commit outrageous acts to get their loved one's attention. They might feel that even negative attention is better than none at all. John Hinckley Jr, who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster. After months of stalking her, he committed his crime to gain her attention.
"See what I did for you."
The criminal may commit a crime he believes his beloved wants him to commit. For example a husband may steal expensive jewelry his wife has admired. The other person may be innocent of any involvement in the crime, or may have manipulated the criminal into committing it. The criminal may be delusional, believing a lover or friend is complicit in the crime, when they actually would never agree to it.
"I'm just taking back what is mine."
A person might feel justified in committing a crime to take back something he feels is his. Maybe he had to sell a family heirloom due to lack of funds. Maybe he lost his farm because of urban development. Or maybe his wife left him for somebody else.
Stalking
Stalking can be a difficult crime to prove if the stalker is good at concealing his actions. The stalker might have actually had a relationship with the victim in the past, or might have totally imagined it. Or the stalker may target someone who he sees as a threat to a real or imagined relationship. One extreme form of stalking is "gaslighting" where the stalker tries to make the victim believe he or she is going insane.
Abuse
Abusive, controlling spouses sometimes believe they are acting out of love. They may believe the victim will not survive without them controlling every move. The abuser may have grown up with parents who had an abusive relationship and think it is normal.
"If I can't have you, no one can!"
This criminal would rather destroy what he loves than allow someone else to have it. A wife may plot to murder the husband who is about to leave her for another woman. Another person might burn down his beloved home rather than lose it to the bank when he runs out of money.
Something to try: Write a mystery where someone commits a crime for love.
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