Thursday, December 9, 2010

Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Does this really bug anyone else?  I'm only thinking about it because I keep hearing updates on the Brian David Mitchell/Elizabeth Smart trial and it just annoys me. 

1.  Just because you're crazy doesn't mean you're not guilty.  You're still guilty of the crime.  Maybe you shouldn't be held accountable in the same way a "normal" person would be because of your particular mental illness but you probably still need to be kept away from society so you don't do it again.  So yes, you're guilty, but maybe your sentence is in a mental hospital instead of prison.  But still guilty. 

2.  If you go on a killing spree aren't you a psychopath by definition?  If you can cut up little children you're obviously crazy.  If you think it's ok to rape, murder, assault, etc I personally think you have some mental problems upstairs.  Normal people don't commit these crimes.  So again, you kind of have to be crazy to commit the crimes so doesn't that mean that everyone is "not guilty by reason of insanity?"

3.  Why are all mental disabilities lumped into "insanity."  A person with autism or cerebral palsy that does something wrong but doesn't understand what they did was wrong vs a sociopath that does something wrong because they're sick and think it's fun are TOTALLY different.  I'm not trying to make light of mental disabilities.  They are real and they are a very hard thing for a lot of people to deal with.  But it bugs me that the sick and twisted and totally evil out there try to sit in the same boat as the innocent victims of mental disabilities. 

4.  I don't think delusional should qualify as "insanity."  I think Brian David Mitchell is completely delusional.  But so are 95% of people that audition for American Idol.  Seriously, you honestly think you can sing?  And you're not deaf? 

Do I think Brian David Mitchell is a nutt job?  Absolutely.  Do I think he is guilty as sin?  Absolutely.  Playing crazy is offensive to me for all the poor people who deal with mental disabilities each day of their lives.  He made evil choices that he understood full well.  He is not a victim.  Lock him up and throw away the key. 

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