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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   34556 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 30, 2023

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There is a reason why we have insanity defenses and the like, sometimes people are not responsible for their own actions

How could they not be responsible? Did someone forcibly take control of her body? Why should I care whether a mental illness was at work? A mental illness is part of you, it is inseparable from you. If her mental illness did it, she did it, there is no difference. If someone murders me and they were mentally ill, does it make me any less dead than if they were mentally healthy?

In some sense any murderer is self-evidently mentally unwell. Murder isn’t a normal response to anything (outside of things like self defense shich isn’t considered murder). So why does it matter if their particular form of mental abnormality has or doesn’t have a specific label? They are a danger to their fellow citizens all the same.

I would suggest that you take a look at the development of the insanity defense, which has been well developed over several centuries of experience.

A diagnosis of mental illness is not a free pass. The defense is considerably narrower in its availability, and even then, a jury must find it persuasive, which is itself very rare.

A mental illness is part of you, it is inseparable from you.

Illnesses can be treated or dealt with, some of them at least. Let's imagine it was PPP, if she has no more kids it is unlikely to ever be an issue, and/or anti-psychotics may resolve the issue.

My ex-wife's mother was bipolar, when not on her meds she was abusive including beating her kids with a wire coathanger and much much worse. On her meds she's a devout Christian horrified at her actions. Which of those is the real person? They appear to be somewhat separable at least. Now that doesn't undo the trauma she inflicted, some of her kids forgave her, some did not, it's a complex and emotive subject.

I would say not all murderers are mentally unwell, murder can be a rational option in many situations. There is a difference between not normal and mental illness I think.

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