[StBernard] Justice Unserved

[Westley Annis]

Westley,
 
I too am skeptical of the insanity plea.  I am not defending this killer,
just saying he did have a long history of mental problems.  The reason I
feel torn about this case is because I think he was mad, mad as in angry.
So that is no excuse. He should have gotten what he dished out. I do believe
that this is probably the best we can get because of his history.  At lease
he will not be allowed in our society. Maybe this is the reason the family
agreed.  I do not know. Maybe it is because they could not stand to go
through a trial and face all of this again as you say. I think you are
correct that liberals are the ones that advocated closing mental
institutions and defending mental patient's rights, but conservatives were
also to blame too.  Mental health benefits were cut and insurance benefits
are not there either.  I am not a liberal.  I consider myself conservative.
I think this guy should have been locked up before he was able to hurt
anyone.  That is why I agree that we should have mental institutions and put
'um away.  My son is appalled at the people that are allowed to walk the
streets.  He calls the police and the coroner regularly trying to get people
committed that he knows are dangerous.  You would not believe how hard it
is.  These authorities will say, we can't do anything until he breaks the
law, in other words, hurts someone.  So my son goes to work with his gun and
his training in self defense.  Also, there are reliable tests to find out if
someone is truly mentally ill.  If you are properly trained you do not need
a "vulcan mind melt" to see if someone is insane.  There are tests to tell
if you are faking.  Make no mistake though, if this were to go to trial you
could pay any doctor to say whatever you wanted them to say.  The defense's
doctor would say he was insane and the prosecution's would say he was sane.
Anything for money. 
 
Laurie 



> -----------------------------------------------------

> Laurie,

> 

> Being mentally ill is quite different from being mad.

> 

> Maybe my history is a little fuzzy, but wasn't it liberals that said we

> should close the mental institutions and let those the mentally ill out to

> mingle with the rest of society? Who cares if they were a danger to

> themselves or others, they had rights, after all. 

> 

> Did the family agree with this decision because they think it is the right

> thing or because they did not want to go through the emotions of a capital

> murder trial?

> 

> I'm just very skeptical of social workers and psychologists. Until we can

> truly read minds on the level of a "Vulcan mind meld", I don't think we

can

> ever know what someone else is truly thinking. So I am also very skeptical

> of the insanity plea.

> 

> Westley