Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Guilt by Association

My husband Tom and I enjoy watching True Crime type shows on T.V.  Like Forensic Files and such.  The last few weeks we've been watching a documentary about Edward Edwards, the man who some think may have been the Zodiac killer. 
There is one investigator that has been drawing some outlandish parallels and seems to be obsessed with Ed. 
He claims Ed did the child killings in Atlanta in the early 80's, the ones that Wayne Williams was arrested for.
His logic is that:  Since Ed was in Atlanta during that time, possessed a police officer's uniform (it was said the children were lured by someone they knew or someone in authority), and had a prejudice against blacks, that he killed these children. 
Also, since he owned a Santa suit and was in Colorado in 1996, he killed JonBenet Ramsey.
When it's presented in such a way, it is easy for us as viewers to see the jumps the investigator is making in accusing Ed of these crimes just because he is a killer and was known to be in the area at the time.
But I'm wondering--how often do I make similar jumps in the logic of my anxiety?  It is outlandish to think that because someone is annoyed and they are in your presence (among about 10 others) that they are annoyed because of your presence or even  your existence.  How often does my flawed thinking go to "that place".  I don't think I'm all that unique in these sorts of thoughts either.
Something to ponder.

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