Mr. Gilmore, your argument suffers because you continually demonize the actions of the one side, while justifying the very same actions by the other side. You say you don't justify, but you do. You present the one side as having had the ability to make choices, and they chose to commit evil, while saying the other side had no ability to make choices, so their actions are understandable. Both sides do the same thing--one side is to be judged harshly, and the other side is to be judged sympathetically. Who is that is oversymplifying?

People who rob and kill innocent people do not deserve sympathy. They may where you come from, but that is a point beyond any debate here in Houston. I hope for the sake of murder victims in your part of the country that you are never called to serve on a jury where you live.