In Criminal Minds episode 1x17, “A Real Rain,” the BAU travels to New York, NY to track down a serial killer, Marvin Doyle, who is a self-proclaimed vigilante, only killing criminals who have been released from the justice system on acquittal. He found his victims due to his line of work, a court reporter, and held a personal vendetta, due to his parent’s death in an attempted robbery in which the assailants were not properly prosecuted.

o   “It is better to be violent if there is violence in our hearts than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence.” – Mahatma Gandhi

§  Mahatma Gandhi was and Indian political and spiritual leader. This quote can be found in Non-Violence in Peace and War (1948) and also in Gandhi on Non-Violence: Selected texts from Mohandas K. Gandhi’s Non-Violence in Peace and War (1965).

§  As relates to Non-Violence in Peace and War: I haven’t actually read this selected work, nor was I able to find an e-text version online. I was however able to find the quote in its entirety -

·         The entire quote reads: “It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. Violence is any day preferable to impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violence. There is no such hope for the impotent.”

·         Since I don’t have the entire passage though, I will not be relating it to this work.

§  As relates to Criminal Minds Episode 1x17 “A Real Rain”: This is merely an opinion of what I think to be the case. In the episode, Doyle, is pegged as a vigilante, this is his self-proclamation, but is it actually the case? In my view of the situation, he is using this proclamation in order to cover up the wrong that he is committing against the individuals of New York.

·         I see the cast as using Gandhi’s quote to say that Doyle was using his convictions in murdering those individuals to cover up his own weakness.

·         When the team gives the profile to the local PD they describe Doyle as:

o   He himself or someone close to him having being a victim of a violent crime.

§  In this case he is seeking revenge, but using an overblown sense of justice to justify that killing to himself. – Spencer

o   He is also describes as a cog in the machine, being overworked and under-valued.

§  Doyle is so theatrical in his killings in order to enhance his own self-esteem or as Gandhi put it, he is attempting to cover his own powerlessness or weakness.

o   “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary. The evil it does is permanent.” – Mahatma Gandhi

§  As relates to Mahatma Gandhi: Selected Political Writings: Google books does have an actual e-book for this selection available to $8.95. Here’s a link if anyone is interested in purchasing the e-book. Once again though I actually haven’t read the selection so I won’t be commenting on the relation to the original source.

§  As relates to Criminal Minds Episode 1x17 “A Real Rain”: Doyle was killing as a way to bring justice to people who he felt hadn’t received it. Although he felt as though what he was doing was right, it was creating more harm than anything.

·         In the case of Marvin Doyle, he was putting himself as a sole judge. Just because he felt these people were guilty, he took it in his own hands to condemn them. While he thought he was doing good by getting what he felt were pedophiles, worthless drug addicts, and murders off the street, the question to consider is did he actually do more harm than good.