Denise, it was kind of difficult to follow your thoughts and the point(s) you were attempting to make, because you placed your post inside of Michael's post, and therefore, I can't quote you. However, I read the essay you wrote on Manson. Although your essay is very well written, I can not say I agree with you. IMO, Charlie Manson had complete control over all of the members in the 'family'. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about...
In the A&E Biography, part 5, YouTube video on Charles Manson, Leslie Van Houton and Patricia Krenwinkel make it quite clear that Charlie was the mastermind behind the Tate-Labianca murders. These two women have absolutely no reason in the world, to lie about what Charlie was or was not. Both Patricia and Leslie take responsibility for their actions, so it is not as if they are blaming everything on Charlie. This video is well worth the time it takes to watch all the way though. However, if you start around the 2 minute, 33 second mark, where Leslie Van Houton states,
"You know, it didn't happen over night. He spent a lot of time taking, middle-class, girls, and remolding them."
Then Charley states,
"I never broke nobodies will. I never told anybody to do anything, other than what they wanted to do."
To which Patricia Krenwinkel responds,
"Oh, Charley's just, absolutely lying. There wasn't one thing done, that was even allowed to be done, without his expressed permission."
Then Charley states,
"Wait a minute, I said, you do what's best for you, you do what you feel is right. You do what you think is right. Now, whatever you think is right, is got to be right. All I doing is, I'm walking with you, I'm walking with you, I'm walking in line with you, and I'm holding the line with you. What you do is up to you. It's got nothing to do with me."
To which, Leslie Van Houton responds,
"You know, I, I take offense, to the fact, that 25 years later, Manson doesn't, own up to his share in this. I take offense to that. I take, ahm, responsible for, my part, and part of my responsibility was, helping create, him."
At this point, Patricia Krenwinkel states,
"Every once in awhile I get letters, from children, and dah, they seem to think that what we did, is alright. There is nothing, nothing that we did, that, is alright. Nothing."
Source:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YQSwYC1_CG0&feature=related
I hope, I quoted Manson correctly; he talks so fast and repeats what he says so much that it was, a bit, difficult to type exactly what he said. I also hope I correctly quoted Patricia and Leslie. Note: I put the point I am attempting to make in a
bold font. Charlie had complete control over these people, and when you add in the drugs they were using, and the brainwashing by Manson, then he had the control he needed in order to manipulate these people into doing his dirty work.