The USA's love affair with legendary criminals

[DaveH]

So, what do you think of this BBC article?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...nt/8947919.stm

The glamour of notoriety that colours our perceptions of criminals is as strong now as in the days of the "Wild West".

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[retsupt99]

Nothing new about the way newspapers used to 'work' and still do today...if it "Bleeds, it leads..." always has/always will.OMO

[crankinNM]

Yup,

I watced the movie "Public Enemies" with Johny Dep as John Dillinger.

The movie protrayed Dillinger as loved by the masses because he gave money
back to a working guy that was in a bank he was robbing.

It was a good movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/

It started off with Melvin Purvis gunning down Pretty boy Floyd in an apple orchard with
a Riffle........anyone recognize the Riffle? I was intereste in what Gun he actually used and
if the movie portrayal was even close?

[Ram Rod]

You know.....I actually favor the days of the 'old west' as opposed to modern day or "legendary" criminals. The movies, the headlines, the notoriety, the thrills, the thinking that someone or somebody could buck the system and do well (while not physically hurting others), and live life on the run is rather attractive to most in many ways. Bank robberies or train robberies are my favorites to watch in the movies. I like the history of the wild west bunch, and such. With a little less blood shed than most movies portray. Some of the more historical or "legendary" criminals were actually good men in heart.......they just weren't set up for the honest means of making a living like some of the highly educated at the time. They survived the best way they knew how. I'm not talking about cattle rustlers and such, just those that came up against a system they thought they could defeat because they had more common sense than the system in place at the time. I'm not interested in those famous criminals that left a trail of blood. If I lived back in the days of the old west and had a chance at robbing a small town bank for $1500 and escaping to Mexico, I think I might. You see, it's the thrill and the chase.....the dream of doing it and living life on the run. Money in the saddle bags wasn't worth anything unless you survived in the wilderness and got to your destination with all of the proceeds. Most of us can see a dream in that can't we? Most times the blood shed comes when a thief steals from a thief. I'm not at all interested with the Mafia wars and such....nor Bonnie and Clyde. Yet it's the thrill and the dream...and the movies that still move some of us in one way or another with "legendary criminals". I'm guessing it will always be like that. Indeed...a criminal is a criminal and goes against the laws of the land. It's still the idea and dream of getting off with something big and whatever you'd like to see or become tomorrow. The movies may be exciting today, but I look back further in history when there was only word of mouth...a telegraph, and maybe a local newspaper. Back in the days of wanted posters and rewards for bringing them in dead or alive. "Legendary criminals" each and every one of us has our own ideas about what that means. A BBC article? The British were criminals and killed many of Americans in order to rule and tax, and make money from poor souls trying to make a living and exist. Who are they to extrapolate on America's apparent love for legendary criminals? They are the ones who perpetrated the original crime against this country. There's more to history than some will ever know or accept. To heck with the media and how they would like to mess with our minds.

[varob]

I do love me some Al Capone.

[Treo]

If I lived back in the days of the old west and had a chance at robbing a small town bank for $1500 and escaping to Mexico, I think I might.

You do realize that back in the day there was no FDIC and the depositors of the bank would just be out the cash (in some cases every dime they had) right ?

[21bubba]

Sorry, a thief is a thief. You can try and justify it all you want. You're just putting lipstick on a pig.

[SpringerXD]

Sorry, a thief is a thief. You can try and justify it all you want. You're just putting lipstick on a pig.

Yep. Criminals can stick it where the sun doesn't shine, no matter how much the public or the media want to "glorify" them.

[DaveH]

Sorry, a thief is a thief. You can try and justify it all you want. You're just putting lipstick on a pig.

Yep. Criminals can stick it where the sun doesn't shine, no matter how much the public or the media want to "glorify" them.

BINGO!!