Why Jack?

[J. F. Juzwik]

Wandering through the true crime section of the library today, I noticed an entire section devoted to Jack the Ripper.  While I have seen that before in stores and libraries, the one in our local branch seems to be quite excessively large, considering that as far as I know, he has never been positively identified.

 

I have to wonder why the fascination.  I also have to admit that I have read quite a number of books about those particular murders and have seen quite a number of films on the subject.  The films run the full spectrum though and are not just about the Ripper himself.  There are also many that have been made that portray modern-day murderers who mimic the Ripper, and quite deliberately so.  They are always caught though, but it's interesting that his are the methods and types of victims they chose to copy.

 

From what I recall, there are only five victims that are believed to have been killed by this individual, although there were others that were considered possibly linked to him.  Why do you think there is this obsession with Jack the Ripper, and I do believe it long ago reached the obsession level.  Yes, he was never caught or identified, but how many other serial killers have never been caught or identified and also had a much larger victim count?  Is it because of the brutality of the murders?  Can't be just that.  How many others killers, caught and otherwise, who did much worse?  The time period in which they were committed?  Is it doubly shocking because of when these occurred?  Brutal events have occurred between human beings since the beginning of time.

 

Why Jack though?  Why does he continue to haunt us and why do profilers still review case records and try to figure out what kind of person committed these horrific crimes?  Why do people continue to offer their theories on his identity?  What do you think?

[Cammy May Hunnicutt]

I have wondered that myself.  Of course, I also wonder why there's all the interest in vampires and zombies.  Especially zombies...if there was ever a one knock joke, that's got to be it.

We've have worse than Jack in our own country.  Lot's, in fact.  Why don't they get the same ink as Jack? Is it the name?  The whole steampunk trappings?

Beats me.