Raw Deal is already getting a lot of press. I knew it would. The story of Gil Valle, also known as ‘The Cannibal Cop’, is simply too juicy to ignore. Much of the press has completely missed the greater point of the book of course, although I expect this to change when the book actually comes out. I am not complaining mind you, the saying “no press is bad press” holds true in pretty much any circumstance.
For now though, most of the press has focused on what Gil thinks about. Stories are written, and comments are made about his sexual fantasies, how weird they are, how odd he is. Many say they can’t believe he is free. That they think he should be locked up.
If you believe in freedom this should scare you. There are no half measures when it comes to freedom of thought.
This is what makes Valle’s story, which is written in excruciating detail in Raw Deal, so fascinating. Most people will be confused by his sexual fantasies, and quite a few will be disgusted, or even angered by them. That is fine. Knock yourself out. You have a right to be disgusted, you can even feel free to hate him, or even fear him if you wish. Some people I know in real life wonder how I could even work with someone like Gil.
But the thing is, Gil Valle is not only a nice guy and a true gentleman in real life, he also did not do anything illegal. Nothing at all. He not only didn’t not do anything in the real world, his online fantasies were obviously just that. Gil Valle went to prison because people didn’t understand his sexual fantasies and found them scary and disgusting. And that is wrong.
Dostoevsky once said “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” and Pope John Paul II said “A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members”. Do you believe those words to be true?
This is one of those things. It isn’t hard. You either believe in freedom of thought or you don’t. You either think we all have the right to think what we wish, or you believe that those of us that think differently than others, especially in ways that society deems not normal, should be thrown in prison.
I know what I think, and that is why I feel proud to have written a book with the Cannibal Cop.
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