Haven't heard much of these folks since that whole Tate/ LaBianca thing.

Well, Charlie's actually correct: he never killed anyone himself. He wasn't even present at any of the 7 Tate-LaBianca murders but that's not how the law works.

Manson was convicted under the vicarious liability rule of conspiracy. In short, it means that each member of a conspiracy is criminally responsible for all crimes committed by his co-conspirators.

But clearly, the man's insane.

Alright, an answer to those who think I'm trolling or simply stating something stupid by saying I heart Manson.

First of all, I follow serial killer history very closely, as it intrigues me. How can it not intrigue you when a societal misfit destroys what you call normalcy?

Second, I think he's a crazy character, and I like that. Don't tell me you haven't seen George Carlin make silly faces like those in this video.

And most importantly, as I mentioned to laura, I like his Pied Piper-style of leadership. He took suburban white kids from good homes and he listened to them--something their parents didn't do. They were no longer comfortable in the society in which they were raised, so he offered them the chance to leave it all behind and live at the ranch. They lived in a commune, helping each other with their everyday needs; totally dependent on each other for survival.

They had crazy parties and orgies, enjoying every minute of their hedonistic lives, until Charlie mentioned that a black man had just been killed after an altercation, and a race war would be starting soon. So what did the kids do? Did they run away from this raving lunatic and go back to their cookie-cutter lives in the work-a-day world? No, they joined together and did unspeakable acts of violence.

So tell me, who is to blame for the Tate-LaBianca murders? The killers, or the lunatic fringe father-figure?

Don't we give medals to soldiers? Don't we pay them to kill dark people around the world? Don't we give them a heroes' welcome when they arrive back home after bombing villages?

Don't tell me that society hates Charlie Manson for telling a bunch of drugged-out hippies to kill people. Society hates him because he went his own way and dictated orders on his own terms. That's why he's in prison for the rest of his life when he never laid a finger on the victims. He was the four-star general who ordered his troops into battle, and they willingly followed his orders, because that's what a good soldier does. He's an American hero, but outside of the boundaries of what we call "normal." And that's why he's hated. And that's why I like him, because he's an odd duck.