or else, just like the crime comic book writers have to write the stories they write, or else. There are many decent people among them.
Let me tell you among the writers and among the cartoonists—they don't love me, but I know that many of thein are decent people and they would much rather do something else than do what they are doing.
Have I answered your question?
Senator Hennings. Yes, thank you.
Dr. Wertham. Now, we ask the question : Why does the normal child do fliat? I would say that psychology knows the answer to that.
If you consult, as we have done, the first nrodern scientific psycholo- gist who lived a long time ago, you will find the answer. Yhat psy- chologist was St. Augustine. his was long before the comic book era, of course, but he describes in detail how when he was a very, very young man he was in Rome and he saw these very bloody, sadistic spec- tacles all aronnd him, where the gladhators fought each other with swords and daggers, and he didn't like it. He didn't want any part of it.
But there was so much going on and his friends went and finally he went and he noticed, as he expresses 11, that he became unconsciously delighted with it and he kept on going.
Jn other words, he was tempted, he was seduced by this mass ap- peal, nnd he went.
T think it is exactly the same thing, if the children see these kinds of things over and over again, they can't go to a dentist, they can't go to a clinic, they can't go to a ward in a hospital, everywhere they see this where women are beaten up, where people are shot and killed, wud finally they become, as St. Augustine said, unconsciously de- lighted,
TL dont blame them. F try to defend them or I try to nuderstand them.
Now, it is said also in counection with this question of whe reads comic books and who is alfeeted by them, it is said that children from secure homes are not aifected.
Mr, Chairman. as long as the crime comic books industry exists in iis present forms there are no secure hones. You cannot resist in- fantile paralysis in your own home alone. Must you not take inte account the neighbor's children?
I might give one more example of the brutality in comic books. This is a girl and they are about te rip out her tongue. Now, the effect of comic books operates atong four lines. While in our stidies we hacl no arbitrary age limit, T am mosély interested in the under 16 and the first effeet that is very carly manifested is an effeet in genera] on tle ways of living with people.
That is to say, on theoretical development. One of the outstand- ing things there is in crime comic books—let me say here subject te later questions that in my opinion crime comic books as I define them, ure the overwhelming majority of all comic books at the present time. There is an endless stream of brutality.
I would take up all your time if I would tell you all the brutal things. I would like to draw your attention to one which seems to be specific almost with this literature that I have never found any- where else, that is injuring people's eyes.
