[QUOTE=Frylock]
I said it. You even quoted it. Post 129:
People here quoted the “stop screaming” line from Tate, and expressed condemning sentiments based on the view that she had in fact uttered that quote while murdering Tate by stabbing her with a knife.
I am pointing out that it is debatable whether she stabbed Tate, and so debatable whether she uttered the quote while stabbing her.
The reason I say it is debateable is because she has since said she wasn’t the actual stabber, that it was Watson instead–and Watson has corroborated this. The impression I have from having read some articles on this is that the matter is considered debatable.
Meanwhile, I have clarified I do not think this in any way exhonerates her of guilt for the murder. First of all, legally, I think you can be guilty of murder even if you’re not the peron who performed the killing act. Second of all, morally, of course you’re guilty if you’re taking part willingly in murderous activities.
So I have not brought these points up in order to exhonerate Atkins. Rather, I have brought them up because I notice people are basing sentiments on beliefs that are debateable. As I said, generally, we want our sentiments to be based in fact.
Again, as I’ve already said, I think the actual facts* do support sentiments like those expressed here. I just assume people would like those sentiments actually to be based on those facts. If one feels, for example, glee at Atkins’ fate, that is fine and dandy, but I assume one would like one’s glee to be about something that actually happened and not about something that didn’t actually happen.
-FrL-
*The facts as I see them:
Maybe Atkins stabbed Tate, maybe she helped Watson do it. It is not clear which is the case. But in either case she did something inexcusably evil–and neither would be more excuseable than the other–and in either case, afterwards, she showed incredible disrespect for the victim of the crime and for the victim’s family.
I think these facts support negative sentiments toward Atkins.
[/QUOTE]
Atkins cheerfully admitted to killing Sharon. She bragged about it to an inmate, and then she confessed to a grand jury. The only one who corroborates her repudiation is one of a very small number of people who might actually be crazier and more evil than she is.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s not debatable. She killed Sharon, and that’s a fact. Sharon is dead as a direct result of Atkins’ presence.