The Defense About the Murderer - Essay Example

Response Paper Members of society face different situations in life, both negative and positive, all of which are influenced by diverse and dynamic factors. The social setting that an individual is brought up in significantly shapes the personality and character of a person to some extent, but that does not mean that society is fully responsible for the behaviors and choices made by its members. In the scenario presented about a murderer, someone in that situation would be making free choices in every action that one engages in.

Although the environment accounts for a given extent of personal behavior, society does not reap off an individual’s free will, choices, and decisions. The arguments presented by the defense about the murderer are mere excuses. If the argument is to hold true for this man, what would be the explanation for the same situation if an all-around nurtured individual is involved? There are individuals who are brought up by loving parents, provided with anything they desire, well educated, and in good careers who still engage in similar or worse crimes.

In the event that the argument is considered viable, then individuals who are brought up in favorable environments should never commit crimes. However, this is not the case. People who engage in crime exhibit all kinds of backgrounds; good and bad. In this regard, this man is much less of an environmental product. Wallowing and self-pity best describe the personality and character of this man. The man has totally accepted that the state he is in is the best life can offer. He, therefore, views every other thing that happened to his life in the past as a complementing factor to the situation.

Society cannot be accused of neglect when the defendant has not been said to have tried to get some help from charitable agencies. The situation is more of a choice than a result of the unfolding events. As a result, this man is fully responsible for his actions. While the fact that the man has had a difficult past cannot be disputed, there are other alternative choices available to him than taking his past as an excuse in the situation. It is openly evident that all persons that have been previously charged with the crimes outlined in the situation did not necessarily share the same experiences with this man.

For instance, drugs are expensive, and even the rich and wealthy engage in drug use and end up addicted to these drugs. There are others who have realized their wealth from robbing and related actions. In other words, the experiences of this man are nowhere near the worst experienced by a human being. As earlier mentioned, there are persons who have had a good life in every aspect of society, but still ended up charged with crimes similar to those outlined in the scenario. Whether an individual experience extremely positive or negative life situations, the fact that they can make choices does not change.

Murders, robbers, and drug addicts among others are found at every level of social classes. This means that an individual is fully accountable and responsible for his or her actions. The environment does not force anything on anyone, and neither does society. It is individual decisions, choices, and actions that influence social outcomes at both personal and social levels.