(Newser)
–
So many parts of Oscar Pistorius' story of what happened the night he shot Reeva Steenkamp defy rational explanation that it's tough to give him the benefit of the doubt, writes William Saletan at Slate. (For one thing, Pistorius assumes it's a burglar in his high-security apartment, instead of entertaining the possibility that his girlfriend needed to use the toilet.) The key word, though, is "rational."
Things don't add up "only if you assume Pistorius is a normal person," writes Saletan. "If you assume he’s paranoid, violent, and reckless, his version of events begins to make sense." The athlete's father has explained that his son is a "sportsman," a born hunter who reacts on instinct. Which means that "when care and thought were required, he moved with ruthless haste to defend his territory, even at the risk—and the expense—of a young woman’s life," writes Saletan. No matter which version of events that night is true, Pistorius is "a reckless, dangerous killer." Click for Saletan's full column.
