Charles Manson

Charles Manson has been named "the most dangerous man alive." Society referred to him as the devil. They believed he was the reason society was so bad in the 1960's. The 1950's to the 1960's was uncontrollably filled with violence. Our culture was shattered by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. At the same time, body bags from Vietnam were building up from a war that was tearing our nation apart. Riots and antiwar protesters marched across America. Many people worried that the US was getting out of control. "The Sixties ended abruptly on August 9, 1969..." wrote Didon in The White Album. On August 8,1969, director Roman Polaski's housekeeper found five bodies, slashed and bloody. Manson was the metaphor of evil! To many, Charles Manson symbolized the end of civilized society and the dawn of a new age of terror. (Lagarde)

On November 12, 1934, Charles Milles Manson was brought into this world by Kathleen Maddox and Colonal Scott. At the time Kathleen was a 16 year old troublemaker. Charlie never knew his father and never really had a "father figure." His mother was the kind that children are taken away from and put in foster homes. Kathleen had the habit of disappearing for days and weeks at a time, leaving Charlie with his grandmother or aunt. Kathleen Maddox was sentenced to a penitentiary for armed robbery, Charlie was sent to live with his aunt and uncle; who were going to try to straighten him out. When Kathleen was released from jail she didn't want Charlie as her responsibility, preferring her life of drinking. At this point in time she was willing to trade Charlie for a glass of beer. Charlie was adapted to a life of violence and loneliness. He kept to himself and didn't have any friends. Charlie was an observer, he never got involved or talked to people. Soon Charlie was following in his mother's foot steps. He began stealing and causing trouble. By age nine he was sent to a reform school. In less than a year he ran away from his school. He tried to run to his mother but she wanted nothing to do with him. Charlie was in and out of reform schools, jails, and institutions. By 1958, Charles Manson was released on parole only to cause more chaos. (Newsweek,55)

On the streets Manson chose pimping as his career. In 1959 he was arrested once again on two federal charges. This time Manson did not receive jail time, giving thanks to a young women pretending to be pregnant with his child. At the age of twenty-six Charles Manson was sent to the US penitentiary. By 1959 Charles had been committed of rape, drug use, pimping, stealing, and fraud. Manson was emotionally insecure and was lacking attention.

Manson had obsessions with music; the Beatles and his guitar. He hoped that in his future he would be employed in the music business. (UMKC) On March 21,1967, Charles was released from prison for the second time. The 32 year old went to San Francisco. Charles Manson protested his freedom, "Oh no, I can't go outside there..." "I know I won't be able to adjust to the world, not after I spent all of my life locked up and my mind was free. I am content to stay in the penitentiary, just to take my walks around the yard in the sunshine and play my guitar." The prison guards ignored Manson and unleashed the evil man into society once again.

For Charles Manson, religion was a strong force that he used to manipulate the minds of his followers. When Charles was 34 he decided he wanted a family. Charles started to attract a group of followers, many of whom were young women with troubled lives, rebelling against their parents and society. All of Charlie's followers were weak willed people who were naпve, gullible, and easy to lead. Manson used LSD and amphetamines to alter his followers personalities. (Manson) Manson's "family" referred to Charles as "God" or "Jesus Christ." The family traveled around California trying to find a place to join together and live. In the spring of 1968, the "family" moved in with a music teacher, Gary Hinman. Eventually Hinman became very uncomfortable with Manson and his girls and told them to move out. Manson then found George Spahn and conned the old man into letting the him and his followers live on the ranch. The Manson "family" was surviving off of stealing and scavenging. Manson made sure that the girls did what he wanted them to. They listened to and looked up to Manson. They took drugs he took if he told them to. They would satisfy his sexual needs one after the other if he told them to. When Charlie carved a black X on his forehead his "family" did too. (Singer,55)

The ninth chapter of Revelation was the Manson's family guide. Manson believed that in many ways he was following the bible. Charles was