Mariel Mae A.

Maculbe BS CHE

John Doe: A Reflection Paper

A serial killer with the mask, an average person behind. A sinful act done in the name of

his own kind of justice that killed thirty-three (33) persons. Supported by many, condemn by

some. Hes name was John Doe.

He was just an average person back then. Living peacefully with his wife and daughter

until the love of his life were killed. Everyone will eventually breakdown after that. He was not

given the sense of justice that he deserved since the culprit was still able to walk freely. Looking

at the society, he noticed that there are many people like him suffering. This eventually led him

to a conclusion that the moral law, which was supposed to uplift morality through a reasonable

law, were not doing what it was supposed to do. This changed his view on morality. He

concluded that the morality everyone is talking about only benefits those who are above. Here

are people above the moral law, controlling justice in the society. If the moral law in the society

cannot judge those who had done evil, then he will do it himself, also in an unjustified way. So

he did his first kill. Of course, everyone who will kill for the first time will be haunted by

conscience. But conscience can de dulled. It wont go away but time will come that you wont be

able to hear it. Thats what happened to him. He believed that there is no other way to give

justice to those who are suffering under those evil people. He did a moral sin. Killed with

intetention of killing, in accordance with his own belief, under his own freedom.

If I were to judge John Doe, I think what he really did is wrong and cannot be justified. I

can forgive him I think, since I was taught forgive as a Christian. Hatred will only bring bitterness

in my life and will pull me down . But I cannot say the same thing for the victims. He killed 33

people. He killed without thinking of the consequences. I mean, what about the families of those

he killed? They are not part of the sins of John Does victim. John Doe is doing to other people
the thing that he experienced. That is not justice for me. Who knows what will be the future of

the kids that were left after John Doe killed their father? They might turn into a serial killer too in

seek for revenge making the society more evil. This is not justice. What I am saying is that I

might be feeling like I can forgive him since I am not his victim. However, I believe it is the

opposite for the victims. He killed a part of their family, plus, was brutally killed. That would be

unforgivable for them.

On the statement I am not John Doe, we are all are, I could say that in a way, the

statement is right. John Doe means an average person. We are all average persons. We

smile, we laugh, we get hurt, we get betrayed, we cry. And when we are hurt, no one would

care. Thats what it means to live as an average person. We are the unknown and the unheard.

In the movie, it was evident that nobody paid attention to the loss of John Doe, why? It is

because he was just an average man back then. Even if he will report the tragedy to the

authorities, the culprit can still walk freely and can do the same thing again to other people. We

are all John Doe. We are just like him. We are normal people who want less evil in this world.

The only difference with us and the John Doe in the movie is that he came out of his hell. He

started to move under the belief that his actions are the only necessary things to do. He started

a movement and eventually created a spark to other John Does that were watching his videos.

However, it is important to take note that it was the mask that became known to the world. The

person behind the mask continued to live as an average person. It was his actions wearing that

mask that made him known to the world, but without the mask he is still John Doe, living as an

average person before he was captured. I am not saying that since we are all John Doe we

should also kill like he did. Well, there are really a lot of ways for us average persons to fight for

our rights and beliefs aside from killing.