I'm saying this not as a Mod, but as a Wrestling Fan.
The Chris Benoit incident showed the world everything that is wrong with most internet Wrestling fans. The fact that there are people out there (On this very forum, even) who defend this murdering bastard for whatever stupid reason, yet bash others for supposedly "politicking" just goes to show how f***ed up some people's priorities really are. It's God-damned sickening.
I agree with you 100%. Although I believe most of those people are basically just hiding behind there computers and wouldn't dare say those things in real life
LOL, that's so untrue. And yet look! people are agreeing with you?
First off, NO ONE defends Benoits actions. NO ONE. Mentally ill or not, his actions were inexcusable. COMPLETELY. People just defend their right to watch his matches. How is that excusing the man? Oh, because you're enjoying the match, so you're HONOURING him. Riiiiight. Uh...we watch Hitlers speeches, we make fun of Hitler as a character. That seems more honourable to me. As uh...'big' as Benoit was, he'll never be on the Simpsons.
? What's that? Cartoon is different? Cartoon or real life, it's still a character BASED on the person, and I bet none of you would watch a Benoit cartoon.
Yeah, pick logic holes in the above statement and ignore the message.
Another thing. Realistically here, let's try not to get emotions involved here. People are saying Benoit doesn't deserve recognition as a person. Well....we have to recognise he WAS a person, right? He still (unfortunately) deserves the same basic rights as any human being. For example: a tombstone marking his death. Had he lived he would have had THE RIGHT to a fair trial. The law demands this. How can you say otherwise? "What about the rights of those he killed?" I hear you cry. Again I try to put across that what Benoit did was unlawful. To deny him his rights as a human being: also unlawful.
Another slightly annoying thing is that some people think that accepting and recognising Benoits mental health issues, you're advocating his final actions. It usually goes like this:
1 - Benoit knew what he was doing.
2 - Uh, the doctors report says.....
1 - I don't care. He KNEW what he was doing.
2 - ....uh it says his brain damage was equivalent to an 80 year old with Alchzeimers.
1 - It doesn't change the facts. Benoit Knew what he was doing.
2 - Again, it certainly seems he had extensive brain damage....
1 - How could he have murdered his family if he was that bad? YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO LET HIM OFF.
2 - No, no, not at all, but we must understand that he clearly cannot have been rational, or in his right mind.....
1 - How come no one else spotted it? How come he still wrestled? How come his family didn't notice? How come he was still coherent, able to do his shoelaces (in other words, How come he wasn't portraying the stereotype of insanity, dribbling, screaming/laughing hysterically, loss control of bladder, etc)
2 - Mental Insanity doesn't always work like that. It may lie dormant for years and then...SNAP. It could be very heavily active and Benoit is able to carry on acting like normal. It's a scary thing.
1 - Benoit didn't just SNAP, ok? He murdered his family, that took planning. It wasn't a moment of insanity at all.
2 - Well yeah, that's the thing, it most likely was active for some time then. No one noticed anything out of the ordinary, in fact it's likely Benoit took characteristics to hide his madness. Maybe he stuck his tounge out every time he felt he was losing his grip. It's a simple gesture. Done frequently enough, people accepted it as 'normal' and on the last few days of his life maybe he didn't smile as he stuck it out, maybe he held it out for slightly longer, maybe there was a sh**ty small indication that the madness had won, maybe not.
1 - Ah you're just trying to create scenarios where Benoit isn't the killer, but a 'poor old man who lost his marbles'. He's a cold blooded killer.
2 - Well he left that note right? Indicates at least he may have felt some remorse, or maybe he was truly mad all the way through.....
1 - What so he left a note, that makes it ok? That means everythings alright? And he felt remorse...then he knew what he was doing.
2 - When did I say everythings ok 'cuz he left da note!'? When? and as for the remorse....unless you've been through mental health issues, or know about them, you're not going to understand.
1 - It doesn't matter if he was sane as you or I, or he was as crazy as a fruit loop! He murdered his family! Don't you see that?
2 - Uh.....I know, again do I have to reiterate their are no EXCUSES, but there may be more than one REASON, as the brain scan shows?
1 - Yeah the reason is he's a freaking monster, a sick murderer.
2 - ........
I'm not trying to flame here. It's just when people say they HATE Benoit, I get the impression that they don't hate him, rather the emotion they feel is equatable to killing Benoit himself when he was a small child. Hating Benoit so thoroughly throughout time and space, LITERALLY wanting to erase the man from ALL history.
Well? If you could go back in time and kill Benoit as a baby, wouldn't you do it? Because according to some people on here, he was a born killer, in every bit of his life we can see the trademarks of a murderer, right? Best to stop the problem before it starts, right? Well? Because even if you just move Nancy out of his path in life, first theres no Daniel, second Benoit would just kill someone else instead, right?
In no way am I flaming, I just want people to realise what they're saying. I know this is TLDR for sure, and thats a shame. Worst thing is, someone who didn't write any of the stuff above that I refer to will reply telling me that THEY didn't write any of it, so I'M wrong. Or they'll 'correct' me saying that Benoit was comparable to a 70 yr old with Alchs. not 80 or something.
EDIT: just looked over and maybe it does slightly seem a little rantish at the begining...let me know and I'll amend it. Or move it to the other thread/delete..... I just wanted to post a sort of neutral post saying we can't ignore Benoits actions, but we do need to look at the whole picture. Even if you hate Benoit, I want to know, did when you heard the news you automatically feel sorry for Benoit, but as soon as you heard he killed his wife and kids, you automatically hate him?