Perhaps the reason that a lot of people love outlaws is because they are exciting, because they are so adventurous and because people are fascinated by anyone who dares to live a life so different from the mundane norm.
The public reaction to the government's initial reluctance to release the now elderly and terminally ill Ronnie Biggs (infamous for the Great Train Robbery of
1963) shows that the public are still intrigued by outlaws. In actual fact, Biggs' crime seems pretty tame in comparison to other criminals such as John Dillinger, Ned Kelly and others who thought little of killing people who got in their way (one man was injured by one of Biggs' party and later died, apart from that the crime was financial and Biggs was not the perpetrator of the violence).
Jesse James was a folk hero to many, despite the fact that he has been described by historians as a ruthless, cold-blooded killer and was undoubtedly a white supremacist with firm pro-slavery political views. Some might argue that James was a Robin Hood figure, someone who stood up for the poor against the rich, committing crimes according to his own political agenda. However, the particular beliefs he held I cannot empathise with at all.
With many outlaws, it is difficult to separate myth from fact. This is true even with one of the earliest and most famous outlaws, Robin Hood. There are various theories as to why he become an outlaw and whether or not he actually gave what he stole to the poor. Either way, it seems that the image people have of outlaws and bandits is more romanticised than the historical accuracy of their lives, maybe because people admire their exciting lifestyle but feel they can only identify with the actual person if they can see them in an honourable light.
The public reaction to the government's initial reluctance to release the now elderly and terminally ill Ronnie Biggs (infamous for the Great Train Robbery of
1963) shows that the public are still intrigued by outlaws. In actual fact, Biggs' crime seems pretty tame in comparison to other criminals such as John Dillinger, Ned Kelly and others who thought little of killing people who got in their way (one man was injured by one of Biggs' party and later died, apart from that the crime was financial and Biggs was not the perpetrator of the violence).I'll admit that I'm fascinated by the subject of outlaws and bandits. If an outlaw commits purely financial crimes, I can understand the argument that they are standing up to the powerful in society, what bothers me is when they ruthlessly take human life for the sake of gaining money.
An article about Ronnie Biggs: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/07/ronnie-biggs-profile
Some lesser-known outlaws: http://www.oddee.com/item_96687.aspx
Info about Jesse James: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-JesseJames.html
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