Monday, November 1, 2010

Restore Sanity or Keep Fear Alive?

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

So, I attended Stephen Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive. Well, okay, by the time the event rolled around, Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity and Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive had combined into the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear."

It was very crowded. I couldn't see the stage, and I only heard bits and pieces of what was said. But I'm still glad I was there.

The people in attendance seemed nice. Many were carrying humorous signs. Pushing and shoving was generally avoided (amazing, considering how packed it was), as was shouting and any other loud or obnoxious behavior. People were mostly polite and courteous.

Interpreting the Insanity


The news media keeps asking if this rally will have any effect on the upcoming elections. I've also seen the news media call some of the signs extremist to a scary extent (most were jokes you humorless tools). Obviously, the news media doesn't get it.

This rally wasn't meant to change the minds of the people attending, and it wasn't meant to convince the people of America to vote one way or another. The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was about showing the government and the news media that the average person is not an extremist nut.

The country's 24-hour, political pundit perpetual panic conflictinator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder.

The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems, bringing them into focus, illuminating issues heretofore unseen. Or they can use that magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the dangerous, unexpected flaming ants epidemic.

If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.
Jon Stewart.

March to Keep Fear Alive
I've seen journalists call this rally nothing but a comedy stunt and other journalists call it nothing but political. Anyone with an objective outlook would probably say it was a bit of both.

But this wasn't political in the way events are normally political. Usually, an event is defined by its party. This rally didn't care about party lines. It brought people of all beliefs together to say, "Yeah, we agree on some things and disagree on others, and that's okay."

The two sides are so extreme, the majority of Americans are unhappy with both parties. We can't relate with either of them anymore.

The majority of Americans work five days a week and always seem to be late to something. The day is never long enough and we don't have the time or the energy to show up at rallies and protests and have our voices heard. We don't see any value in screaming and name calling. We're moderates. And we're tired of the government catering to special interests. We're tired of the news media and the government focusing on extremists. We're tired of the fights—devoid of relevant information—between candidates.

The rally was about our sanity, yes. But more importantly, it was about restoring sanity to the system.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I interpreted it. And I think the news media should go by the rally-goers' interpretations, not vice versa. We know what we meant.

The System is on a Steady Course to Crash and Burn


The news is always talking about some poster child of insanity. How about the minister who was determined to burn the Quran? And then the people talking about how all Muslims are scary and evil? It would seem all Americans are crazy bigots. But that isn't reality. The news doesn't represent all Americans, just the loudest Americans.

It does not matter what was said or done here today, what matters is what is reported about what was said or done here today.
Jon Stewart.

By only focusing on the extremists, the news distorts the issues. Suddenly the government is catering to a small group of people that the majority of Americans don't agree with. But does anyone ask us? No. It's not like this is a democracy or anything. It's not like we voted any of these people into office to represent us.

We're all tired of it. But no one listens to us. That's the problem, and that's how the problem persists. It's a vicious cycle.

I'm Unhappy and I'd Rather Not Take it Anymore


I went to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear because I'm not a nutjob. I'm not on the far right or far left. I don't like screaming and shouting, I don't like negative campaigns, I don't like propaganda, and I don't like being lied to. I don't have the clout or money to get my opinions heard. I'm unhappy with Democrats and Republicans.

No More Giant Douche Turd Sandwich Politics

I went because I'm upset that South Park is true, and my only choices seem to be a "giant douche" and a "turd sandwich."

I went because Jon Stewart is funny.

I went because Stephen Colbert is hilarious.

Sources:
More About the Rally:
Photograph of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart originally found at The Vancouver Sun. Photograph of "No More Giant Douche Turd Sandwich Politics" sign from nikkienfield on Flickr.
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Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Gay Marriage Debate


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Friday, October 22, 2010

Joshua Komisarjevsky Calls Dr. Petit a Coward

Okay, I haven't written about what's been going on in the trial. What was there to say? It's a brutal crime? I can't imagine the pain Dr. William Petit feels? I agree with the jury's verdict? Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky both deserve to die?

All obvious. All been said before.

But this. Even if Komisarjevsk is just writing this crap because he knows it'll be used against him and he wants the death penalty, you just don't do this. He took everything from Dr. Petit, everything, and then he calls the man a "coward" in a document that's sure to be read in court.

Joshua Komisarjevsky, Infamous Fiction Author


In his writings, Komisarjevsky says, "Mr. Petit is a coward, he ran away when he felt his own life was threatened. Time and time again I gave him the chance to save his family."

He also claims Dr. Petit was "passive" towards saving his family. "If you don't want to defend your family, then take your chances with the criminal while police sit outside and follow protocol."

I don't know what Komisarjevsky thinks someone who's beaten nearly to death and tied up (even when Dr. Petit escaped he couldn't unbind his feet) can do, and I don't necessarily care. I think much of what Komisarjevsky writes is self-serving, penned in an attempt to reach some desired goal.

But don't spit in the face of the man whose life you destroyed. Komisarjevsky took everything Dr. Petit lived for but left the man alive. I hate to say this, and please don't take it the wrong way, but the crime would be a little less cruel if Dr. Petit hadn't survived; he could at least be with his family, then. He'd be at peace. Instead, he's living through this pain every day.

Dr. William Petit Shows Indefinable Strength


Ever since I heard about this crime, I thought Dr. Petit acted heroically. He was beaten with a baseball bat and lost between six and seven pints of blood. He was bound to a support pole by a rope around his chest and waist and his hands were bound with plastic zip ties, yet he amazingly managed to free himself and—with his ankles still tied—jumped, crawled, and finally rolled out of the basement and to his neighbors' house where he called for help.

It was heroic. That makes this whole tragedy all the worse. Dr. Petit's actions should have saved his family. Most people couldn't do what he did. He was beaten almost to death but still managed to escape to get help.

His actions are inspiring. We can all only hope that, if we are ever (god forbid) in such a situation, we can do what he did.

He deserves a medal for his heroism, he really does. Instead the world brutally murdered his family and burned his house, destroying his memories.

Helen Ubiñas, a Hartford Courant columnist who covered the trial, told CNN that the testimony and evidence made the trial "an incredibly grueling ordeal for the family and for the jury."

CNN asked Ubiñas if she was surprised by Petit's stoicism in court.

"I think that's the one thing that many of us have been asking. We've been in awe of not just Dr. Petit, who of course has shown tremendous strength and grace through all this, but the whole Hawke and Petit families, I think, have shown the strength that many of us just wonder [if] we would have if we were put in that same situation."
Connecticut doctor: Family was 'destroyed by evil'. CNN.com.

The Father Didn't 'Flee for his Life'


I don't think Dr. Petit escaped to save his own skin; he escaped to save his family.* I believe his only thoughts were of his loved ones. Rather than fearing for his own life, he feared for their lives. He showed bravery in trying to get help. And that he's still here three years after losing his wife and daughters shows how strong he truly is.

Bound at the ankles by hard, plastic "zip ties," disoriented from a severe head wound, William Petit "rolled' up the driveway of his neighbor, David Simcik. "Dave, Dave, Dave," he called.

Lying on his side, Petit banged on the garage door. When it opened, his neighbor did not recognize him beneath the blood and swelling.

"Dave, it's me, Bill. Call 9-1-1."

A plainclothes policeman appeared seemingly within seconds. Gun drawn he asked Petit, "Who's in the house?"

"The girls," Petit cried.

The policeman, dressed in a heavy, black SWAT uniform, yelled two more times, "Who's in the house?"

Twice more Petit cried, "The girls are in the house." Finally, the policeman told Petit to "stay down, you're a witness"—to which, Dr. Petit beseeched "the girls are in the house."
It Kept Coming Back To "The Girls". Katie Rohner, New Haven Independent.


I don't believe that Komisarjevsky wounded William Petit with his words. But even though Dr. Petit said, "I really don't want to dignify the ravings of a sociopath who appears to be a pathological liar as well," I think Komisarjevsky poured salt in wounds that already exist. I think it adds to doubts that Dr. Petit already struggles with.

Maybe three years and therapy have helped Dr. Petit, but I don't know by how much, and sitting through the grueling trial must make everything raw again.

I know Komisarjevsky is a psychopath and a liar, and nothing he says truly matters when compared with what he did. At the same time…

It would be difficult to convince me Dr. Petit doesn't suffer with survivor's guilt, struggling daily with thoughts of what he could have done differently.*

In his head, he did save his family, even if he doesn't survive. Countless times, countless ways, he saves them.

Who's the Real Coward Here?


Joshua Komisarjevsky beat a sleeping father with a baseball bat. He tied up the family. He stole from a hard-working family of four. He sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl. He took obscene photos of the girls with which he planned to blackmail the parents. He poured gasoline on Michaela and set the house on fire. He and Hayes killed three people and believed they were killing four.

Everything I just listed is the act of a coward.

Dr. Petit, on the other hand, is strong. He has sat through this harrowing trial, sacrificing his mental health to bring his family justice. He was brave, trying to save his wife and daughters. He may not have gotten the right outcome, but he didn't fail; the world failed him.

Dr. Petit acted heroically. I really hope he knows that.

Sources:

* I do not actually know Dr. Petit, his motives, or his thoughts. I don't claim to, either. And I don't want to put words in his mouth. I'm not trying to be offensive by making assumptions about him or his life. I'm just using my own thoughts on this as an example: what I would do or think in such an awful situation. But the experience he has lived through is so horrible I don't think anyone could truly imagine what it's like to be in his shoes. I apologize if I get it wrong.
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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

MI Asst. AG Andrew Shirvell is Obsessed with Homosexuality

I have referenced Andrew Shirvell's disturbing pattern of behavior before. Well, here are some more pieces of the pattern.

Andrew Shirvell Seeks Homosexual Men


Christopher Armstrong is not the first gay individual to be at the other end of Andrew Shirvell's (misguided) wrath.

On August 7, 2008, Andrew Shirvell responded to the news that Sean Kosofsky, former policy director for gay-rights nonprofit Triangle Foundation, is moving from Michigan to North Carolina:

Over the past decade, Kosofsky has been a zealous promoter of bizarre lifestyle choices here in Michigan, most notably by leading the "Triangle Foundation" — a Michigan clearinghouse that argues that homosexuals are entitled to special rights.

Although Kosofsky will no longer earn his living by indoctrinating children with his perversity, he’ll be instead advocating for their deaths on-demand via legalized abortion.

In fact, it's probably no coincidence that Kosofsky will be promoting abortion "rights" in North Carolina, a state with a very high Christian population. I guess if he can't recruit the children of God-fearing Americans to his bizarre lifestyle, he wants them dead.

Radical homosexuals have long populated the ranks of the pro-abortion movement since they despise "breeders," a.k.a. normal people.

There is a sick relationship between the pro-abortion rights' mantra and the radical homosexual agenda: both are intrinsically opposed to pro-creation.

The pro-abortion and radical homosexual movements are merely branches of the same rotten tree known as the Culture of Death. It is impossible to embrace one movement without embracing the other.
Good Riddance: MI Homosexual Activist Kosofsky Accepts Leadership Role with NC Pro-Abort Group. Andrew Shirvell for RightMichigan.com.

Gay conservatives don't have to wonder where they stand: Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell will gladly insult them, too.

This time, Shirvell’s homophobia was directed at Joe Sylvester, editor of Michigan Conservative Dossier, and Tyler Whitney, a gay Republican who is running for local office in the township of Bath.

On Facebook, Joe Sylvester suggested that it was possible to oppose abortion rights without opposing gay rights. Shirvell responded:

You'd probably still 'do' him [Kosofsky], right Joe? You people are all the same. Anyway, you're finished within GOP circles within this state. And you don't even have the family connections that keeps your "buddy" Tyler from sinking into total oblivion (although he will eventually).
Andrew Shirvell to Joe Sylvester on Facebook

I guess this is more of Andrew Shirvell's "adult-level criticism."

Joe Sylvester discussed the incident with The Michigan Messenger.

Sylvester told Michigan Messenger he found the exchange inappropriate.

"I had never heard of Mr Shirvell before I got that nasty message from him," Sylvester said in an e-mail interview with Michigan Messenger. "He seems to go out of his way to contact gay conservatives to insult and condemn them."
Assistant AG insults gay conservatives, too. Todd A. Heywood.

Joe Sylvester expressed concern about Shirvell’s ability to do his job: "I think that if something comes before him where he has to deal with a case that involves a gay or lesbian party, he doesn’t have the capability of being fair because he is very radical on it and downright insulting."

For More Information About These Incidents:

The Science of Homosexuality and Homophobia


So, on a completely unrelated note…

These scientific articles aren't necessarily new, but for one reason or another I think they deserve mentioning here:
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Monday, October 4, 2010

Prosecutor Andrew Shirvell Confuses Stalking with Free Speech

Everyone seems to be hiding behind the First Amendment these days, like it shields them from all other allegations. The First Amendment covers freedom of speech, but nowhere does it say that all other transgressions are forgiven as long as they're done in the guise of "free speech."

It's pretty upsetting when the Michigan Assistant Attorney General, a prosecutor, doesn't understand the very laws he has pledged to uphold. How can Andrew Shirvell practice law if he doesn't even know the law?

What is Stalking?


Michigan state defines stalking as:
… a willful course of conduct[1] involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed[2], or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.
Michigan Penal Code MCLA750.411 h
  1. In this definition, "willful course of conduct" refers to a pattern of behavior made up of a series of two or more separate and noncontinuous acts which share the same purpose.
  2. The term "harassed" is defined as repeated or continuing unconsented contact directed toward a victim resulting in emotional distress.

Under these laws, assailants could be charged with stalking for repeatedly:

  • Following or appearing within the sight of the targeted victim.
  • Approaching or confronting the targeted victim in a public or private place.
  • Appearing at the workplace or residence of the targeted victim.
  • Entering or remaining on the targeted victim's property.
  • Contacting the targeted victim by telephone.
  • Sending mail or electronic mail to the targeted victim.

Stalking (without aggravating circumstances) is punishable by up to one year imprisonment, or up to $1,000 in fines, or both.

This information is from a Michigan pamphlet on Anti-Stalking Laws that can be found on Michigan.gov: Stalking: Understand your rights [pdf]. Much of what's above is verbatim so as to avoid confusion.

Andrew Shirvell's Behavior Compared to a Stalker's


Following or appearing within the sight of the targeted victim.
  • Since April 2010, Shirvell has been following Christopher Armstrong around U-M's campus and Ann Arbor.
  • On several separate occasions, Shirvell followed Armstrong’s friends throughout Ann Arbor, hoping to come across Armstrong.
Approaching or confronting the targeted victim in a public or private place.
  • In May, Shirvell attended a counter-protest rally at the University of Michigan, heckled Armstrong after his speech, and followed Armstrong wherever he went.
  • In June, Shirvell talked to two of Armstrong's friends, Brad and Mical, outside of a nightclub. Shirvell told Mical he knew where she lived and threatened to show up at her house when she had a party in the next week or so.
  • In August, Shirvell went to a Michigan Student Assembly meeting, called Armstrong a racist, and demanded that he resign.
Appearing at the workplace or residence of the targeted victim.
  • Shirvell has been seen taking photographs outside Armstrong's house.
  • Andrew Shirvell posted flyers around the U-M campus, including the MSA Office door (where Armstrong works) and in other restricted areas of the campus.
  • On September 4, Shirvell showed up at 1:30 am at a house party Armstrong was holding.
  • On September 6, Armstrong asked for an escort from the University of Michigan’s Department of Public Safety after Shirvell showed up at Armstrong’s Ann Arbor home.
  • During a gay-support event that Armstrong helped put together, Shirvell engaged participants and defamed Armstrong's character. He stayed for the entirety of the event.
  • Later that same day, Shirvell showed up at another event Armstrong was working on. The Department of Public Safety asked him to leave the event since it was closed for U-M students. Later, Armstrong was informed that Shirvell showed up at his house again.
Contacting the targeted victim by telephone.
  • Shirvell called Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's office twice over the summer after Armstrong got an internship there.
  • Shirvell continued to call Nancy Pelosi's office, on multiple occasions, but his calls were denied.
Sending mail or electronic mail to the targeted victim.
  • Shirvell created a Facebook group, "U of M Alumni and others Against Chris Armstrong and His Radical MSA Agenda." The group violated Facebook policies and was taken down.
  • Shirvell created a blog, "Chris Armstrong Watch," which contains the same libelous hate-speech as the defunct Facebook group.
  • Shirvell contacted one of Armstrong's friends via email to advertise his blog.

Shirvell also stalked Armstrong online. He watched Armstrong and Armstrong's friends and family on Facebook. He got access to Armstrong's information even after Armstrong made his Facebook page friends-only.

In addition, Shirvell obtained information that Armstrong only told his friends and never posted online.

Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell Acts Like a Stalker


Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the U-M Police, said Shirvell was issued a trespass warning on September 14. This means Shirvell is banned from the University of Michigan campus. Brown issued this trespass order because the U-M police had received a complaint "about him being a possible suspect in harassing or stalking behavior." Shirvell is appealing the order.

Chris Armstrong has submitted an application for a restraining order against Andrew Shirvell.

In his application, Armstrong says, "The actions that Mr. Shirvell has taken against me over the past 4 months have been incredibly distressing. His actions are concerning and make me feel unsure about my own safety." He goes on to say that it has "been incredibly hurtful and distressing to see his [Shirvell's] actions … His actions … have been an outright attack on my ability to live my life openly…."

Going by the information present in this post, the state of Michigan defines Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell's actions as stalking.

If Shirvell says he's not a stalker, I'd say he doesn't understand even simple laws and is unfit to serve as a prosecutor.

For More Information:
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Sunday, October 3, 2010

MI Asst. AG Andrew Shirvell's Psychopath-Like Behavior

Yesterday I listed many of the characteristics of a psychopath. Today I will discuss Andrew Shirvell's behavior. I can't say that Shirvell is or isn't a psychopath or dangerous individual, but I think Michigan should be very concerned about his actions.

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to know the reasons for Andrew Shirvell's behavior. I am not a medical professional. I cannot and am not making any diagnosis or assessment of any persons' mental or physical health. Reliance on any information provided by Logic Over Politics or other visitors to the site is solely at your own risk. The content is provided on an "as is" basis. Read at your own discretion.

Andrew Shirvell Exhibits a Distressing Pattern of Behavior


Some of Andrew Shirvell's inappropriate behavior includes
  • focusing on Christopher Armstrong since April 2010.
    • Armstrong is not currently campaigning.
    • Andrew Shirvell is not currently a student at U-M.
  • protesting outside Armstrong's house.
  • confronting Armstrong's friends and family.
  • calling Armstrong's employers to accuse him of racism.
  • following Christopher Armstrong throughout Ann Arbor.
  • following Armstrong's friends throughout Ann Arbor.
  • naming and criticizing Armstrong's friends and family.
    • Shirvell systematically attacks Chris Armstrong's family in a blog post titled "Chris Armstrong: The PRIVILEGED Pervert."
    • Shirvell claims one of Armstrong's friends is racist because his Facebook status said: "native american indian cultures may be the most painful class of all time[.]"
  • standing outside Armstrong's house taking photographs.
  • standing outside Armstrong's house videotaping him.
  • stalking Christopher Armstrong and Armstrong's friends online.
    • He monitors Armstrong's friends on Facebook.
    • Armstrong made his Facebook page private, but Shirvell still manages to gain access.
  • entering restricted areas on the U-M campus to post flyers.
  • editing photos of Armstrong to include Nazi swastikas, the rainbow flag, the word "RESIGN," etc.

Andrew Shirvell Distorts the Truth or Believes in a Twisted Fantasy


Shirvell has made extreme and possibly libelous allegations concerning Christopher Armstrong's private and intimate affairs. His accusations don't seem unbiased or objective; they are littered with hate speech and homophobic 'stereotypes' of the LGBT community.

Andrew Shirvell alleges Christopher Armstrong
  • is a "fierce advocate" and "recruiter" for "the cult that is homosexuality."
  • is "a RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST, ELITIST, & LIAR."
  • is "Satan's representative on the student assembly."
  • engaged in "flagrant sexual promiscuity" with another male member of the student government.
  • sexually seduced and influenced "a previously conservative [male] student" so much so that the student "morphed into a proponent of the radical homosexual agenda."
  • held a dorm room orgy. (See the amazing way Shirvell arrived at this analysis!)
  • has sex in churches and children's playgrounds.
  • hosted a "gay rush" party at the beginning of the academic term and is actively recruiting students to join the "homosexual lifestyle."
  • encourages underage drinking.
  • went back on a campaign promise to minority students.
  • is a proponent of a "racist, anti-Christian agenda."
  • is "promoting a satanic lifestyle, and … is a fierce advocate for it."
  • promotes "special rights for homosexuals at the cost of heterosexual students."
  • broke the law by engaging in underage binge-drinking when he attended a party he listed on his Facebook account.
    • Shirvell admitted he didn't actually see Armstrong at the party.
    • Armstrong wasn't in town the night of the party.
  • has a "NAZI-LIKE Hatred of the First Amendment."

Andrew Shirvell Sees Nothing Wrong with His Actions


Shirvell has never apologized for his actions or allegations. He defends himself, saying
  • "I'm a Christian citizen exercising my First Amendment rights."
  • he is a "Concerned Michigan Alumnus."
  • he is treating Armstrong like an adult with "adult-level criticism."
  • "I have no problem with the fact that Chris is a homosexual. I have a problem with the fact that he's advancing a radical homosexual agenda." (in response to accusations of homophobia)
  • "I have done NOTHING immoral OR illegal. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Armstrong and his fellow radical homosexual activists and 'allies.' As Isaiah rightly prophesied: 'Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…' (5:20)."
  • it's "nothing personal."
  • "Did he [Armstrong] think he was just going to get some free pass just because he's gay or whatever?"
  • "The real bigot here is Chris Armstrong. I don't have any hate in my -- in my body at all."
  • "Chris has never come out and denied anything. There's a reason why he isn't giving interviews, and that's because he can't defend what's on the blog."

That last statement suggests Shirvell interprets the given evidence to fit his perception of reality. That's a scary thought given his position as a public official.

Other patterns I personally see include reaching unreasonable conclusions with almost no connection to the facts presented, perceiving his own feelings of hatred and anger in others, and—when asked to explain his behavior—his responses focus on the actions of or his perception of others rather than truly answering the question.

The "radical homosexual agenda" Andrew Shirvell refers to is this: Armstrong has supported gender-neutral housing at the university for transgender students who haven't had sexual reassignment surgery.

Students were advocating for this before Armstrong was voted in as president of the MSA. Christopher Armstrong did not create this issue; he just supports it.

Besides extending gender-neutral housing, Armstrong has also campaigned to stop tuition hikes and mitigate underage drinking by keeping dining halls open later.

Assistant AG Andrew Shirvell's behavior needs to be dealt with, especially considering he may be breaking the law by harassing or stalking Christopher Armstrong.

What do you think of Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell's behavior?

More Information:
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Saturday, October 2, 2010

MI Asst. AG Andrew Shirvell: Psychopath?

After seeing Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell defend his actions on CNN, I was left feeling very uneasy. I tried to figure out what it was about him that was so disquieting. I am not using hyperbole here. Andrew Shirvell came off as a very disturbed individual, if not a psychopath.

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to know the reasons for Andrew Shirvell's behavior. I am not a medical professional. I cannot and am not making any diagnosis or assessment of any persons' mental or physical health. Reliance on any information provided by Logic Over Politics or other visitors to the site is solely at your own risk. The content is provided on an "as is" basis. Read at your own discretion.

Anderson Cooper Interviews Andrew Shirvell


If you haven't seen it already, watch CNN's Official Interview of Andrew Shirvell.

Anderson Cooper and Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell

When I watch the interview, these are some of the things that stand out to me:
  • Shirvell's expression never changes. He's never emotive.
  • He tells Anderson Cooper "I sense a lot of anger in your voice." It suggests that Shirvell is unable to understand a wide range of emotions or he is actually referencing his own internal anger.
  • Shirvell stays in the same position through the interview. He barely moves.
  • His eyes look all around. He seems bored, totally unengaged in the conversation. His responses are robotic and repetitive.
  • A person must be very passionate or insanely obsessed to take actions like those Shirvell is taking in protesting Chris Armstrong. Shirvell displays no passion in this interview…

The Disturbing Behavior of a Psychopath


Psychopaths
  • gain satisfaction through antisocial behavior.
    • Antisocial behavior can be generally characterized as an overall lack of adherence to the social mores and standards that allow members of a society to coexist peaceably.
    • People exhibiting antisocial behavior are extremely selfish and self-centered.
  • do not feel shame, remorse, or guilt for any harm they may have caused others, instead rationalizing the behavior, blaming someone else, or denying it outright.
    • They appear to lack a conscience.
    • They are completely self-serving.
  • display a willingness to say anything without concern for accuracy or truth.
  • use charisma, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own needs.
  • have a limited range or depth of feelings ("shallow affect").
    • Genuine emotion has a tendency to be short lived.
    • Emotional displays are egocentric with an overall cold demeanor.
  • have a markedly distorted sense of the potential consequences of their actions, not only for others, but also for themselves.
    • They routinely disregard rules, social mores and laws, unmindful of putting themselves or others at risk.
    • They do not deeply recognize the risk of being caught, disbelieved, or injured as a result of their behavior.
  • lack empathy towards others in general, resulting in tactlessness, insensitivity, and contemptuousness.
  • have a complete disregard for the feelings and rights of others.*

What Is Antisocial Behavior?


The term "antisocial behavior" is often used incorrectly.

Antisocial behavior may include
  • persistent lying or stealing.
  • apparent lack of remorse or empathy for others.
  • a tendency to violate the boundaries and rights of others.
  • disregard for right and wrong.
  • irresponsible work behavior.
  • disregard for safety.*

* In these lists, I have left out any references to cruelty to animals, relationships, and promiscuity because I have no information about the details of Andrew Shirvell's private life. Unlike him, I have boundaries.

Tomorrow I will address Andrew Shirvell's behavior.

More Information:

The image used in this post was originally found at Switched.com.
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