Is mental illness an excuse for wrongdoing?

I still believe in accidents, which i suppose falling asleep at the wheel due to Narcolepsy and having taken your meds falls under, so isnt really a good example of my view on this.

But picking up a gun and intentially shooting people. I cant see how that could ever be an accident so should be the same punishment for everyone.
 
robj20 said:
I still believe in accidents, which i suppose falling asleep at the wheel due to Narcolepsy and having taken your meds falls under, so isnt really a good example of my view on this.

But picking up a gun and intentially shooting people. I cant see how that could ever be an accident so should be the same punishment for everyone.
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They're trying to prove he's insane because it's uncomfortable to admit that these people (i.e. extreme right-wingers) exist and are somehow 'sane', if you know what I mean. It's easier for them as a society to recover from the atrocity by declaring him insane; it washes their hands of any political debate or engagement with his zealous ravings.
 
Yes i see what your getting at.
That leads on to why i have the opinion i have about this, if enough people say someone is insane, they are, even if they are not. Its a made up thing to relieve people of responsability, which is wrong IMO. Hope that makes sense.
 
That's an interesting point... all I can say is that when trying to 'prove' insanity in court, several psychologists are used and cross-examined. They do try to get as expert an evaluation as possible. It's normally not in the interests of the law or the public good to mis-diagnose someone. I think for the most part the definitions of legal insanity (in the Homicide Act 1957 afaik) sets it out clearly enough. They don't use a wishy-washy definition that can apply to anyone. It seems like you're viewing it a bit like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest :)
 
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