Originally Posted by shooter190

http://soundcloud.com/christin-coyne...evans-911-call

What charges do you think he should face (If you believe that he SHOULD face charges at all)?

Do you think his actions were rational or irrational?

How do you think he feels now (Does he regret it or not)?




Or, you know, we could just talk about what we think as a total...

Originally Posted by Zayex

Weed reduces violent tendancies, it doesn't intensify them. Please learn how the world works before you try to be funny.

Originally Posted by Oracle

Prison is notoriously bad at providing for the needs of those with mental illness. Again, I'm not saying that he should get off easy because he's mentally ill, but that all evidence points towards mental illness, and as such he should be treated appropriately. If he's faking it, then he gets the sentence imposed on any other rational human. But if he's ill, he should receive treatment, not punishment.

That's inherently my argument. Too many people on this thread just post "oh it's evil he should be in prison," regardless of any additional information or background. It's not that he should be protected from punishment if he merits it, but rather than reckless punishment is inherently dangerous and irresponsible. Rehabilitation of criminals who suffer from mental illness, who would otherwise show signs of being a functioning and law-abiding citizen once cured, is a much more reasonable and effective form of "punishment" than just resorting to a blanket "solution" of social isolation. For all intents and purposes, Jake exhibits no signs of sociopathy or psychopathy, which indicates he has a chance at curing, or at least managing, his mental illness and becoming a functioning member of society. He is not hardwired to commit crimes or violence, as psychopathy and sociopathy are (both have reduced reactions in the brain to fear because of the reduced size of the amygdala, which results in fearlessness, coupled with a diminished frontal lobe, which reduces reasoning and results in a self-centered impulsiveness), but rather predisposed from mental disturbance to commit unusual thinking and activity. Manage the mental disturbance, and he should be as normal as any other individual.

In simpler terms: Jail is not always the answer. Fixing a problem, in this case rehabilitating a mentally ill criminal, is a better solution than putting the problem away and hoping it will fix itself over time. Should the problem be thus, then rehabilitation is the superior solution to jail time.