Oscar Pistorius shoots girlfriend.

[Poisson]

Yet again, The Scum is inappropriate. Surprise surprise.

There really is that many mistakes in my posts?! Damn this Tapatalk milarky!

 

[Kelpie]

To be honest, I was never comfortable with his strong campaign to compete in the regular Olympic games. His blades could, or could not have, given him an unfair advantage over regular athletes. I remember seeing a couple of interviews from the couple of years preceding the latest games and I've got to say that he came across as a bit of a div to me. Seems to have some type of complex. I'd be surprised if he hasn't done this after some of the things that I've read, as well as him just coming over as a bit of a k**b. Shame, she looked a nice girl.

But out of, for example, 100 people who have amputations, there is likely to be a percentage that become irrational over time. Wouldn't you agree? It's unusual for a double amputee to want to beat fully able-bodied people at the Olympic games, which makes me think that he's not someone who has fully accepted his disability or life in general, which I thought came across in some of his interviews which I've said previously.

It's a little off topic but....
Having no legs is NOT an advantage on the running track. A single below knee (BK, or transtibial for the technical term) amputee has to use between 10-20% more energy just to walk. A double above knee up to 300%. The idea it's an advantage is ludicrous. He has no calves or ankles for energy return, his running technique is all powered by knees and thighs (and the lactic acid argument is also nonsense, it'll build up there instead):
http://opcnews.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/debunking-prosthetic-advantage.html
(for a bit more about it)

Oscar has been an amputee for almost all his life, but unless you're a decent runner to start with - or are biologically pre-disposed to be one - a cheetah blade (that's the name of the ones he uses) or similar is never going to make you a good runner alone. And if they did - we'd be seeing more than just one lone amputee runner setting track times at an equal level to non-disabled runners at the highest level. You only have to watch that 400m Paralympic final to show just how far beyond he was of all the others in the T43 field (the same event he competed in the Olympics).

He's actually a very significant athlete. And really, it's not non-acceptance of a disability. It's that he doesn't believe he has one. Differently-abled than dis-abled. (which isn't to say that applies to all, of course not, but in his case I think that's how he sees it. Having no feet isn't an advantage, ever, but that doesn't necessarily automatically make it a disadvantage - depends on the individual).
As for him personality wise - nice person/bit of a div/whatever - all athletes are driven to be the best they can be ultimately. Common thread for all, and lets face it all humans can be nice/bit of a div etc. And given how marginalised disability can be (heres a fact for you - for the 2008 Olympic games the USA sent over 2000 reporters. For the 2008 Paralympic games they sent less than 5) the drive has to be greater when he can run as fast as an athlete with two flesh and blood feet because it IS possible to compete on the same field so why not aim for it? I don't see that as irrational. So few ever, ever will and there have been disabled athletes compete in both the Olympics and Paralymics in the same year before (Pistorius isn't the first, sixth in fact), just this is the first time prosthetics have come into the equation. But the reality is, however much technology has leapt forward in the last ten years, nothing is as good and definitely not as adaptable as a real limb.

Back on topic - until more details of what happened are discovered and forensics analysed (as that hasn't yet) and the case put together for court we won't know whether it's truly a potential accident or purposeful murder in the heat of the moment.
But whichever it is, his athletic career is likely over and thrown away - which I doubt he'd do lightly and he'll have to live with that mistake too, because however much it isn't a sporting breach (like Lance Armstrong's doping) his training & competing will be over if he's found guilty and imprisoned - and that is a very sad fact too.

And that choice of Scum picture is appallingly disrespectful imo. Put a lovely photo of her on the front, fine, but not page 3 material ones. She was clearly more than that.
(and it just seems very wrong to me to use that as 'oh look this hot girl was murdered' when a girl being dressed skimpily still garners the opinion from some quarters that there's some level of asking/deserving to be raped etc? It's striking me as an odd juxtapostion...)

 

[BarryZola]

Nice essay

Some decent points there to be fair. I still like my theory though and I think I'll stick to it