Hot Dog, It’s Healin’ Time

By Heidi Hiatt

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them
without removing some of our own skin. -André Berthiaume

Martha Stout, author of The Sociopath Next Door, said, “The most universal behavior of unscrupulous people is not directed, as one might imagine, at our fearfulness. It is, perversely, an appeal to our sympathy.”

I find it very disturbing when people fall for this mind game, a trap that low to no conscience types and their defenders instinctively set when cornered. Finding themselves in the hot seat, they divert onlookers’ attention from their misdeeds to all other possible causes of their behavior, including how society, their parents, their education, and their uncle’s former college roommate’s cousin’s deranged hedge trimmer-wielding hamster all have responsibility for their “mistakes”. Heaven forbid they should have to take responsibility for their own choices.

When Congressmen Anthony Weiner’s resignation speech was broadcast live on the radio this week, I couldn’t help but slip into psychology mode and analyze the content. The speech began with a recap of “what the people wanted” and how he became a Congressman because of their will. It came across as “remember, happy campers, you want me. Resignation isn’t what you want. Everything I do, I do it for you.”

Then, as he spoke over hecklers who exhibited the maturity of a seventh grade locker room, he embarked on a progression of pseudo-apologies that peaked with a statement I found curiously similar to the “apologies” serial killers give in court. The congressman said something to the effect of, “most importantly, I need to take time out for myself, so I can heal.”

Um… dude. Really? That’s all you’ve got? That’s the pinnacle of a weird attempt at remorse? Where’s the apology for lying, or to any victims, or to your wife, or…? You’re the most important person, the most harmed individual in this? Wow. That’s pathetic. Sounds like the greatest love… of all… was happening to you… (Whitney Houston voice). It’s clear that he was looking out for number one.

I really didn’t care about what Congressman Weiner was doing until I heard a teenager might be involved and then learned he lied about it. Sometimes we just have to admit we’re wrong and do better. According to his initial public statements, though, it sounded like those tighty whities photos just magically teleported themselves to the cell phones of random female fans. It was one of those “I’m sorry, do you think your 300 million fellow Americans are stupid?” moments.

Weiner’s attempted Jedi mind tricks were hopelessly ineffective and transparent. I don’t know enough about him to speculate about his inner condition, but can say that his recent laments sound narcissistic. Many saw through the spins being put on his ethical logjam, but I’m concerned that a case much closer to home is not being seen as objectively.

Yesterday serial burglar, thief, vandal, firearms law violator, fire starter, et cetera Colton Harris-Moore pled guilty to a handful of charges in federal court. He will be sentenced October 28th. The media is reporting that he may serve up to 6½ years in prison, and that he has to “forfeit” or “give up” the profits that will result from his exploits (movie deal, books, and so on). One news site reported that Harris-Moore and his attorneys had a hearty chuckle when the federal prosecutor forgot to mention the theft of a TV dinner (oh, pssht, no biggie even though he had to break into someone’s house to get it, right?).

Note the terminology being used widely in the Seattle area media: he is going to “forfeit” the profits. He has to “give up” the money he could otherwise be making off of his crime spree. This “forfeiting” means he is paying “restitution” to the victims. His attorney says there will be enough money to “pay back” the people he terrorized and stole from (keeping in mind his crimes went far beyond the million dollar mark).

Just as I said, “huh?” as Anthony Weiner “apologized,” now I’m saying, “this is restitution?” How do you “give up” something you don’t have? If you’re “forfeiting” profits, doesn’t that imply that you are foregoing the acquisition or retention of money that belongs to you? I realize that without this stipulation, Harris-Moore could keep the money he’s made off of the victimization of other human beings.

My point is that he’s not earning it, or working for it, or making an effort to pay the victims back himself. He’s “paying them back” by taking advantage of them in the first place. While I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s office for ensuring that this condition be part of the plea deal, it should not be labeled true restitution. Restitution would be breaking rocks in the hot sun, since he fought the law, and the law won. In other words, he should have to do something other than sit back and let the money roll in.

This reminded me of when Harris-Moore “gave” the animal shelter in Raymond $100 while on the lam. Fans cheered his thoughtful act of charity, but others of us thought it unlikely that he had $100 to give; he was probably donating stolen money. At the time I said I hoped his fans would inundate animal shelters with money if they were so happy about it (it would be nice to see some genuine good come out of the followers’ frenzy).

Another strange and murky aspect of the Harris-Moore case that lingers like the stench of a refried beans eating contest in an airtight tour bus is the optimism over his upcoming “rehabilitation.” I don’t know if any psychological evaluations have been conducted since he’s been in custody or who has conducted them. Even if there has been an appropriate assessment of his internal state, the public may not be privy to it (though they should be).

Douglas Adams once said that the most misleading assumptions we make are the ones we don’t even know we’re making, and there is a widespread assumption that because of Harris-Moore’s age and intelligence, he will be rehabilitated. I want to post a billboard-sized neon caution sign with flashing red lights on it right here: we don’t know that. We should not assume that. From what we know through the media’s coverage of Harris-Moore’s crimes, even without seeing the official police and prosecutor’s reports, there is evidence of an almost lifelong pattern of antisocial behavior that’s escalated over time.

People with low to no empathy and remorse, in many cases, are not rehabilitated. Some experts will argue that they can’t be or that the only way to effect any change is to have them engage in a cost-benefit analysis of how their behavior affects themselves. When they are finally convicted of a criminal offense (many are not), they spend their time in prison studying, networking, researching, and impressing everyone with their “model prisoner” status. The parole boards love them and some only serve part of their sentence.

This is how swindlers, rapists, murderers, burglars, and other convicts weasel their way out from behind bars to return to their hunting grounds and strike again. Similar to how some who perpetrate domestic violence get to go to “treatment” to hone their abusing skills, then come out of treatment more deceptive and stealthy than ever, some antisocials, sociopaths, and psychopaths leave prison as “success stories” when in actuality they’re better equipped than ever to victimize others.

Harris-Moore has so many fans, and such an emphasis has been placed on the terrible circumstances of his childhood, youth, and intellect, that some people think he’s going to turn it all around and use his “superpowers” for good. I would remind them that for every Superman, there’s a Lex Luthor. Some use their gifts selflessly, some selfishly.

It is rare that someone entrenched in the wasteland of vanity and megalomania sheds their scales for a cloak of righteousness. They can appear to; those are the scariest kind of people, the ones who appear charitable and moral while pillaging the lives of others for their own ends. As the Good Book says, Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Do I want Harris-Moore to spend his time in prison productively and become a better person? Of course; that’s what we hope incarceration does for people. I can’t limit God’s grace or be certain of the outcome of this mess. Through the lens of forensic psychology, however, I see a lot of red flags that indicate a low potential for genuine change and a number of reasons to be concerned about this guy’s future impact on society.

When people say, “he hasn’t killed anyone,” I want to sit them down and point out that this is how such criminals develop. Besides that, he could have already killed someone—he started a fire in a home in front of a small child, may have fired at police officers, illegally flew planes he didn’t know how to land, and broke into homes.

He also stole an assault rifle from a deputy’s car, was frequently armed, and even fired a gun when apprehended. He seemed paranoid, telling witnesses before his arrest, “they’re going to kill me.” Let’s not forget the time he bailed out of his neighbor’s stolen Mercedes after aiming it towards a large propane tank when deputies were pursuing him.

That childhood people are quick to use as an excuse for his behavior is the same set of circumstances that research is now showing to be a huge contributing factor to antisocial behavior and psychopathy. Some researchers theorize that child neglect or abuse could actually be the “on” switch that activates the sociopathic personality (with the caveat that many sociopaths also have normal childhoods).

Personally I believe that no matter what biological, environmental, or other factors you’re dealing with, you still have a choice as to how you treat others. It is interesting, once you start delving into the excuses people make for someone else’s behavior, how the very factors they believe should exonerate the subject may be the exact things that make them so dangerous.

Logically, the more we believe that elements other than a suspect’s free will influence their victimization of others, the more we should be trying to protect society from them. If they’re not in the driver’s seat, then we need to keep them off of the road and stop sending them back for remedial driver’s ed.

Harris-Moore has yet to face the courts in Island and San Juan County. He may well be sentenced to more time, yet I won’t be surprised if he’s allowed to serve his sentences concurrently. I hope not; he is a danger to society and needs to be punished for his flamboyant, repetitive patterns of evil behavior. While I can’t diagnose him from a distance, I want to be on record as warning the public that all that glitters is not gold, and that “forfeiting” profits from crime is not an indicator of real remorse.

Pleading guilty yesterday was in his best interest. It avoids the risks and costs of a federal trial and he knew he had to pay the piper at least a little. I’m bothered that he probably won’t spend more than a few years in prison (6½? I’d be shocked) and that his mother can still profit from the domestic terrorism spree she helped fuel. I hope that Randy Gaylord and Greg Banks, for the sake of the public they serve, are not merciful and prosecute Harris-Moore to the fullest extent of the law.

Additionally, I want to address the significant number of people who call speaking out against Harris-Moore’s behavior “hatred.” I saw this accusation of “hating” resurface on newspaper discussion boards yesterday. Condemning criminal, dangerous, selfish, and/or antisocial behavior is not hating someone. It is hating the behavior. There is a big difference.

There are people in my life I love, but I abhor the sick and abusive things they do to others. I can hope and pray for the best for them, but I can also keep my distance and do what I can to stop their selfish behavior. My faith does not compel me to tolerate it or accommodate it. If anything, I’m called to stand up for myself and for the victims. That’s what our criminal justice system is supposed to do as well.

Returning to my rant on the self-absorbed woman in the grocery store last night, we have to stop excusing and allowing bad behavior. I can’t join the quasi-religious mysticism of the Colton Harris-Moore cult or think of him as Camano’s own Bart Simpson, just an impish cartoon character who commits endearing acts of comical mischief. No, he’s an adult who has exhibited some strange impulses and hazardous decision making. While an attitude of contrition lingers in the air, I see a smokescreen. Time will tell.

Just as recent presidents have trumpeted the infringement of civil liberties and beefing up of an inefficient government as “for the benefit of the American people,” certain people caught in lies in the news this week may be squirting the same ink. Don’t believe everything they say.

Dig deeper. Look for the spins. Analyze the words and phrases that are being used repeatedly. Think things through for yourself, and don’t let other people make up your mind for you. Ask the ancient Roman question, “qui bono?”—who benefits?

‘Cause hey, buddy, this is about you. You’re the American people. This is what works best for everyone. You wanted this, remember? This is fair. It’s all working out like it’s supposed to. The dishonest among us just need time to go heal themselves. They’re the real victims here. Just give them time, and it’ll all be okay. Right?

Right?

Heidi Hiatt is a Generation X woman who is proud to advocate for crime victims, including domestic violence survivors, people with food allergies, children’s issues, animals, personal privacy rights, government accountability, and ethical law enforcement practices. Read her blog:Truth, Justice, and All-American Allergen-Free Apple Pie Straight Talk in a Crooked World

Profit from Pain: Hollywood Poised to Fan Flames of Notorious Crime Spree

By Heidi Hiatt

Imagine that a wanted fugitive—a known burglar, car thief, boat thief, plane thief, and vandal who has declared war on and possibly shot at the police—lives in the woods behind your house. He may be in possession of a stolen police rifle and other high-tech gear, and he has a network of supporters in the community that keep him out of custody and underground.


Living near such a dangerous person with a blatant disregard for others would make any rational person uncomfortable, right? Unfortunately, Camano Island, Washington native Colton Harris-Moore has an international fan club numbering in the thousands that are cheering this career criminal on. His Facebook page alone has about 15,000 members, and some fans consider it fashionable to wear t-shirts sporting phrases like “Run Colton Run!”


Today in the news I learned that Fox  bought the rights to a book proposal by one of my fellow Washingtonians. Before Harris-Moore is caught (again) or the final chapter of his current reign of recklessness is written, Hollywood is ready to profit from the ongoing misery and fear of Northwest residents.
Never mind the people whose homes and businesses have been broken into multiple times, or the challenge of limited resources that haunts the sheriff’s deputies pursuing this miscreant in Island and San Juan Counties. Some in our society evidently have such a lack of empathy for the lives of their fellow human beings that they are ready to celebrate Harris-Moore on the big screen, as if he’s actually done something worthy of the accolades.


I suppose fans of this fugitive will continue to find this saga entertaining until it happens to them. I doubt Harris-Moore’s neighbor who had her car stolen and crashed into a propane tank in front of a pursuing deputy is gushing “Colton, marry me!” on his Facebook page. The Camano and Orcas Island residents who’ve suffered from copycat crimes that just add to the mayhem aren’t going to be proudly giving homage to a budding sociopath on their chests. Those who are making money by celebrating Harris-Moore’s scores of illegal acts are being disgustingly insensitive to crime victims and have made their victimization a sport with ringside seats.


Perhaps these profiteers would like to volunteer their houses, regular or vacation, or their personal belongings for vandalism, theft, and destruction? Maybe their vehicle? Would any of them willingly put their children and their pets in harm’s way because Harris-Moore’s behavior is “entertaining”? Would they like to take the screws out of their skylights for him to make it easier when he comes by to take their valuables? When does it stop being funny? When a cop who’s also a husband and a father—or a mother and a wife– gets shot and killed?


If Fox or other followers want to do a real service for the communities and crime victims terrorized by this fiend, they should consider filming a documentary that will dismantle Harris-Moore’s support network and smoke him and his minions out. The people who want the affected communities to achieve a much-needed economic boost from this story should consider the suffering and privacy of their neighbors first. And if Harris-Moore’s naïve computer buddies want to contribute to a cause that seems near and dear to their hero’s heart, how about donating money to the animal shelter he adopted his beloved dog from rather than spending it on tacky t-shirts flashing his smug mug?


Treating Colton Harris-Moore as a celebrity and putting him on the big screen, especially while there are still multiple active warrants for his arrest, just encourages him. It feeds his well-known greediness and narcissistic ego. This attention and adoration is fuel on the fire of a deviant mind that was diagnosed with psychological issues at a young age. It pushes Harris-Moore to up the ante and try riskier, more boisterous things. Criminals like this escalate; he’s already moved from stealing pizza to cars to boats to airplanes, and egging his daredevil antisocial stunts on will increase the risks that these communities and their public safety officials face.


Harris-Moore has been heralded as a modern-day Robin Hood or a Jesse James for the new millennium. As someone geographically close to the action I have heard him glamorized as if he’s doing some great service for his fellow Generation Y-ers. But is he robbing wealthy oil barons and giving to the poor? Is he responsible for taking down some corrupt government dictatorship? Does he stand for a noble cause and just has an unorthodox way of achieving it? Has he even significantly improved his own mother’s living situation in all his years of thievery? No. Colton Harris-Moore is about himself. He repeatedly seeks to advance his own status and position by robbing and violating others.


Ironically, the same “fans” who are amused by the victimization of communities with limited resources to fight back are going to be some of the same people who laugh when Harris-Moore dies a bitter, tragic death that he brings upon himself. Because of their low level of empathy, his demise will be just as entertaining to them as his current victimization of others. Then they will toss him on the back shelves of their minds and move on to the next cause de celebre.


Does anyone really think that this story is going to end well? That everyone’s going to peacefully settle this one lazy Sunday afternoon over iced tea, shake hands, and agree to restitution? That communities that used to be forgetful about locking their back doors, that didn’t feel exposed by the lack of blinds on their windows, is ever going to know those carefree days again?

Reality is, someone is likely to get hurt or killed. Will a band of fed-up citizens corner Harris-Moore in the woods and take matters into their own hands? Will Harris-Moore’s body ever be found after that happens? Will Harris-Moore crash land another airplane due to his beginner piloting skills, but this time on an occupied building? Will our state have to see yet another law enforcement officer, or two, or five, lose their lives in the line of duty?


Authorities don’t definitively know everything that Harris-Moore has even done, so there is no surefire way to know how far he’s willing to go to keep his rogue lifestyle intact. He may want to go down in some preconceived blaze of glory to ensure his status as a counterculture legend. Maybe he fancies himself to be the D.B. Cooper of his generation, but D.B. Cooper didn’t leave obvious DNA evidence on the hijacked jetliner and had the sense to bring a parachute.


While it’s perfectly normal to be intrigued by such a story and want to keep tabs on a criminal who presents a risk to strangers we empathize with, people we love, or both, it is morally wrong to portray Harris-Moore as a genius, a hero, or a celebrity. If the effort and money that is being put into this criminal worship and mockery of crime victims was invested in finding justice for those Harris-Moore has preyed upon instead, Harris-Moore would have been caught a long time ago. His predatory streak has been fed by his protectors and admirers, people who, if they really cared about him, would convince him to turn himself in to ensure his physical safety.


For the sake of crime victims everywhere, I am challenging Fox and others in the entertainment industry who seek to profit from the case of an active fugitive to at least let the final chapter of Harris-Moore’s story play out before they do this. More importantly, I am challenging them to consider the impact of Harris-Moore’s and his imitators’ and supporters’ actions upon the communities he’s chosen to offend. I challenge them not to make light of what my fellow Washingtonians have gone through, are going through, and have yet to experience. This subject should be approached with sensitivity and in a way that helps people protect themselves against such criminals.


I ask Hollywood to consider the impact that the cost of prosecuting a long list of felony cases is going to have on taxpayers in an area that’s so cash-strapped it recently let one of its much-needed sheriff’s deputies go. I’d like Fox to donate a portion of its profits to local law enforcement, crime victims advocacy organizations, youth organizations, and/or animal shelters. I want them to have mercy for the geographic and jurisdictional issues that complicate Harris-Moore’s apprehension—his unholy underground railroad operates largely on the mainland in Snohomish and Skagit counties, who arguably have more clout to bring him down than the island counties he feeds on.


I also want to see profits from Harris-Moore’s story going towards the prevention of the dysfunction, domestic violence, and drug abuse that may be contributing factors to the creation of other Harris-Moores. I would especially like Fox, specifically, to give a hefty dose of financial support to Island and San Juan County children who may live in less than ideal conditions but are choosing to live clean and productive lives rather than engage in the gluttony of self-serving violent crime.


If the entertainment industry is so intent on profiting from other people’s misery during an ongoing crime spree, and is going to glorify Harris-Moore and his kind instead of shame them and bring them to justice, then I request that they invite Harris-Moore to live in their backyards and help himself to their property. Perhaps they have a spare Mercedes to crash or an extra Cessna to burn.


There is simply nothing entertaining about having a narcissistic teenager hell-bent on material gain living in your backyard.


When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Gandhi


About Heidi Hiatt:  I am a Generation X woman who is proud to advocate for crime victims, including domestic violence survivors, people with food allergies, children’s issues, animals, personal privacy rights, government accountability, and ethical law enforcement practices.  Take note of Heidi's blog, 

Truth, Justice, and All-American Allergen-Free Apple Pie