Wild West Politics?

[Undertoad]

Of their particular group.

[DanaC]

ahhh sorry. Yes, ok, I'd go with that.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

Your argument is ridiculous. There are people being treated for schizophrenia right now. How were those people diagnosed? Do you think their doctors should wait for a genetic test?

Schizophrenics are diagnosed by psychiatrists. It is unthinkable to put every gun applicant through psychiatric testing. It would also be highly ineffective. Schizophrenics are normal until the illness shows up, often around Loughner's age. The only way to diagnose its eventual likelihood would be through genetic testing.

[Undertoad]

By the way, you won't read that Loughner is Schizophrenic anywhere but here. News won't say it because it's not an official diagnosis. Doctors won't publicly speculate, because they won't diagnose without personally seeing the patient. And even if he was diagnosed, that information would be protected by healthcare privacy laws. I'm saying it on the basis of stories from fellow students and teachers at his junior college, and his YouTube videos.

[Shawnee123]

We just got an email from Student/Academic support services, about how to proceed with troubled students. This Loughner guy was kicked out of community college for behavioral issues.

If you've been kicked out of community college for behavioral issues, methinks you have some monumental behavioral issues. Surely these behaviors don't exist in a vacuum. But we can't use that sort of common sense, it tramps all over our FREEDOMS (say that word loudly and pound your chest as you say it.)

If only the 9 year old girl had been packin'.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by sexobon

It's interesting that while the Congresswoman advocated (according to reports) concealed carry in a State that permits it, neither the Congresswoman nor anyone in her entourage appears to have availed themselves of this means of protecting themselves; or, their constituency! While the element of surprise would have still kept the Congresswoman from being saved from harm, the others who were injured and killed might have been spared if someone, anyone, had been in a viable position to respond to a lethal threat without having to wait for the perpetrator to stop and reload.

Should our tactic be reactivity, so that only one woman gets shot in the head (perhaps) and the shooter gets a hundred bullets in him from the standers-by, or should our tactic be proactivity, so that nobody gets shot in the first place?

Disclaimer: I do not think that we can stop all gun violence, but I think that, as a society, we can do a better job.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

If only the 9 year old girl had been packin'.

Side note: the 9 year old girl was the granddaughter of Dallas Green, Manager of the Phillies when they won the world series in 1980.

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

By the way, you won't read that Loughner is Schizophrenic anywhere but here. News won't say it because it's not an official diagnosis. Doctors won't publicly speculate, because they won't diagnose without personally seeing the patient. And even if he was diagnosed, that information would be protected by healthcare privacy laws. I'm saying it on the basis of stories from fellow students and teachers at his junior college, and his YouTube videos.

From the Washington Times story I linked.

"There's a likelihood he [Loughner] presents with schizophrenia," said L. Thomas Kucharski, psychology department chairman at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Schizophrenics are diagnosed by psychiatrists. It is unthinkable to put every gun applicant through psychiatric testing. It would also be highly ineffective. Schizophrenics are normal until the illness shows up, often around Loughner's age. The only way to diagnose its eventual likelihood would be through genetic testing.

So are you saying that only a psychiatrist could tell that this guy was not stable? I bet his neighbors wondered about him. I bet if you interviewed neighbors and co-workers, you'd get a picture.

[xoxoxoBruce]

His friends aquaintances, former classmates (he didn't have cow orkers), and neighbors, have been all over the news. They all said he was nuts... make that acted nuts, but that's not illegal.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Pete Zicato

So are you saying that only a psychiatrist could tell that this guy was not stable?

From bits and pieces in the press, he was a loner. He had plans for years. But even locked them in a safe. Apparently said nothing to anyone.

It becomes a problem of what is your responsibility verses what will only get you sued. A question we should all have answered years ago. And still is not discussed or publically defined.

He scared many people in his math class. Was (as best I can tell) expelled. Should have been known to those that he obviously needed help. But this is again what the AZ Sheriff noted. We don't help the mentally deficient. We put them back on the streets. Another problem that has not been addressed.

Surprising though. He owned (or rented) a house. He must have had income. So much of this story is not told. Too little for anyone to make conclusions.

How obvious was Hinckley a threat to Reagan. As best I can tell, even that question was never answered.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by tw

Surprising though. He owned (or rented) a house. He must have had income. So much of this story is not told. Too little for anyone to make conclusions.

Student loan and Pell grant overages, probably.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by tw

It becomes a problem of what is your responsibility verses what will only get you sued. A question we should all have answered years ago. And still is not discussed or publically defined.

He scared many people in his math class. Was (as best I can tell) expelled. Should have been known to those that he obviously needed help.

This is an interesting question.

I see homeless guys having conversations with nobody there, and sometimes they are laughing heartily with or passionately yelling at these invisible people. They are clearly mentally ill. It's not a secret. They are right out in the open. Thousands of people each day walk right past them.

So am I supposed to do anything about them? Is there a nutjob hot line I'm supposed to call?

[Shawnee123]

Again, he was kicked out of COMMUNITY COLLEGE for behavioral issues. Do you know how bad you gotta be to get kicked out of CC? We're not talking the guy in the weird hat, the student who talks to himself, the guy who eats insects on his smoke break, we're talking threatening harm and intimidating people. Otherwise, we got a program for your weird ass, we want you to succeed! Eat your bugs man, we're all about diversity! We applaud you! Next week the cafe is doing a feature on bug casseroles and lizard dishes. We want you to feel at home.

But threatening people and creating an unsafe environment, that will get you kicked out of CC.

[Nirvana]

I did not think schizophrenics as a rule were known for violent behavior towards others.