There appears to be such a mountain of forensic evidence linking janitor Raymond Clark, III to the murder of medical student Annie Le, that authorities do not feel the need to lock down his motivation.
From the reporting it appears that achievement/class resentment was likely involved. The executive director of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science has been quoted to the effect of: The gap in education levels shouldn't necessarily lead to tension if there is a culture of respect. The latent blaming-the-victim implication horrifies.
Von Hayek notes that envy, according to Mill the most evil of all passions, is sanctified in our society by the formula "social justice". What the successful once dismissed as envy on the part of the less successful is, in the view of the less successful -- or as we are obligated to see them: "less fortunate" -- righteous indignation in the face of gross injustice.
Even if we sympathize with the aspiration towards equality of opportunity and admire the charitable impulse, we must recognize that the equation of unfairness with injustice sits, precariously, on a slippery slope.
Overseen on a morning cross-town bus: suited father and pre-school daughter, perhaps 4 years old. Father and daughter are reviewing addition and subtraction on his fingers.
It is hardly fair that products of less invested parents will have to, one day, compete against that little girl. Just as it is hardly fair that people less naturally gifted have to, every day, compete against people more naturally gifted. Or that people with weak work ethic have to compete against those who seem to enjoy hard work.
A society in which parental investment, natural ability and hard work are more generally rewarded is one that will generally progress farther. A rising tide, in turn, lifts all ships. But try explaining that to Raymond Clark, III.
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