This was madness. A crime of passion.
In no way do I excuse the crime, but I have been thinking about our culture, and how our idea of romantic love is sometimes an ugly possessive thing. We are taught that we have a "soul-mate", that love is "forever".
Oddly, one of our most popular love songs is "Every Breath You Take", which is really about creepy obsession. Our movies, novels, and popular music are full of these kinds of messages.
Many women (and some men) can't have a public profile on facebook, or their name in the white pages, because they are harassed by stalkers.
Can't we teach our children that love is not jealous? That love affairs end, and it is not the end of the world. That there are "plenty of fish in the sea". Sting also wrote "if you love someone, set them free". That's the better message.
|