Supreme Court Ruling on DP for Mentally Ill

[Atok]

Interesting read from the NY times regarding a Supreme Court Ruling over execution and the mentally ill. This case originates out of Texas:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/wa...rssnyt&emc=rss

[luciferos]

Their ideas are so draconian and backwards. For example, they assume the only way you're insane is to not know the difference between right and wrong. That's untrue. The ill can know the difference between right and wrong. However, you just can't control it regardless of your ability to know better. A mental disorder is as physical as a heart problem (see: medications). Basing it all on knowing the difference is laughable.

They also forget that mental illness comes and goes in waves in most cases (you're not in a blackout all the time). So while in the time of the murder they might be out of their mind, there comes a "clear time", a sort of eye of the storm where they realize what they've done and feel great remorse. If they catch them in that time they may say, in their draconian definition of insanity, that they're not insane. When they are.

The right medications can treat the most vicious of mentally ill killers. But I suppose it's easier to toss them in the fire.

I'm glad they gave that guy a chance. It's about time the world wakes up and stops being ignorant about mental illness.

[Levi]

When it comes to punishment I do not care about any excuse someone can come up with to mitigate what the murderer did. The fact is they murdered. It is against the law and the law is absolute. I do not believe in the insanity defense or any of this mental illness excuses. Our laws are moving away from personal responsibility and personal accountability. And more making excuses for violent criminal.

I wish the mental health profession all the best in the world, but when a "mentally ill" offender takes a life, they have struck out and the mental health profession has failed and it now should be an issue for the criminal justice system.

If they get help before a murder, all the best. But when they murder they should be punished and we shouldn't make excuses for them.

This is like the new witch hunt that instead of hanging them we are letting them go.

[Jules100]

Originally Posted by luciferos

Their ideas are so draconian and backwards. For example, they assume the only way you're insane is to not know the difference between right and wrong. That's untrue. The ill can know the difference between right and wrong. However, you just can't control it regardless of your ability to know better. A mental disorder is as physical as a heart problem (see: medications). Basing it all on knowing the difference is laughable.

They also forget that mental illness comes and goes in waves in most cases (you're not in a blackout all the time). So while in the time of the murder they might be out of their mind, there comes a "clear time", a sort of eye of the storm where they realize what they've done and feel great remorse. If they catch them in that time they may say, in their draconian definition of insanity, that they're not insane. When they are.

The right medications can treat the most vicious of mentally ill killers. But I suppose it's easier to toss them in the fire.

I'm glad they gave that guy a chance. It's about time the world wakes up and stops being ignorant about mental illness.

Well Said