Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Mikhail Kalashnikov isn't alone in his remorse

You may be aware that Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the Automat Kalashnikov rifle wrote this in a letter prior to his death:
"The pain in my soul is unbearable. I keep asking myself the same unsolvable question: If my assault rifle took people's lives that means that I, Mikhail Kalashnikov, ... am responsible for people's deaths."
Kalashnikov isn't alone amongst the remorseful firearms manufacturers: Sarah Winchester, the widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester. It started with the death of her child, Sarah, from marasmus in 1866. Her husband also died prematurely of tuberculosis. She had the combined grief of losing both a child and a spouse as well as $20,000,000 and all the time in the world. She consulted spiritualists to console her grief.
According to some sources, the Boston Medium consulted by Mrs. Winchester explained that her family and her fortune were being haunted by spirits – in fact, by the spirits of American Indians, Civil War soldiers, and others killed by Winchester rifles. Supposedly the untimely deaths of her daughter and husband were caused by these spirits, and it was implied that Mrs. Winchester might be the next victim.
However, the medium also claimed that there was an alternative, Mrs. Winchester was instructed to move west and appease the spirits by building a great house for them. As long as construction of the house never ceased, Mrs. Winchester could rest assured that her life was not in danger. Building such a house was even supposed to bring her eternal life.
 The upshot of the story is that Sarah Winchester built a house in California which is now privately owned by Winchester Investments LLC and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is California Historical Landmark #868.


In a Discovery Channel account about the house, "She believed her only chance of a normal life was to build a house, and keep building it. If the house was never finished, no ghost could settle into it. The house contains many features that were utilized to trap or confuse spirits. There are doors that are small or lead nowhere and windows that look into other parts of the house. The mansion may be huge but there are only two mirrors in the whole place. This is because Sarah believed that ghosts were afraid of their own reflection."

Interesting how some people are haunted by the harm they inflicted upon others.

11 comments:

  1. Sounds more like someone taking advantage of her grief from the loss of family members. What better way to help the grieving widow to help separate her from her money. Notice it was the "spiritual consultant" that installed the guilt into her mind.
    Dare I say it, much like some who would suggest that lawful gun owners should bear some sort of collective guilt for the crimes committed by evil individuals.

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    1. Those of you who support the kinds of laws that allow the level of gun violence we have today, must accept some responsibility for it. You can't have one without the other. You can't have your super-convenient lack of gun laws without the inevitable harm they cause. You are responsible.

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    2. Nonsense, Mikeb. Violence is the fault of the people who perpetrate it. You can't hold others responsible for the violent acts that they didn't do. We're not to blame just because we didn't say, don't do that, enough for you.

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    3. So we don't need any laws saying no you cannot do that? We just catch crooks after the fact and live with their carnage.

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    4. You can't catch someone who isn't a criminal.

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    5. Greg, this is just like your argument that the thief who steals a gun is the only one responsible for the theft. I don't deny that, but I add that the gun owner who failed to secure his gun properly is responsible for that. That should be considered a separate crime.

      Just so, those who commit gun violence are solely responsible for what they do, but those who support lax gun laws that make that violence possible are responsible for that. That, supporting lax gun laws is also a wrong. You are responsible for that.

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    6. Just as I'm wrong if someone says something inappropriate because I support free speech? Or as I'm wrong if someone votes for a bad candidate because I support voting rights? No, Mikeb, I support rights, and I support punishments for those who do actual wrongs. But I won't support punishments in advance.

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    7. Having been proven a criminal liar, your claim about what is correct in law, is just another lie.

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    8. You say revenge is justice, then claim you support people's rights? Please explain that opposing position.

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    9. Of course, no response from the criminal lying coward.

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  2. This has been posted here before. This woman was simply crazy. Do you have a point, Laci?

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