Sense and Sensibility
Once again I’ve let time get the best of me, and I miss writing something. Anything. At almost noon on a Saturday morning with housework and errands poking me on the shoulder, I’m reminded one again of that time thing. About two weeks or so ago, I wrote a quick post on my thoughts of crime and mental instability in the world – but never got around to posting it. I guess a day in which time is pressing hard on me is as good a day as any.
I’ve only read a little bit on the case of Jared Lee Loughner, the man who went on the mass killing spree in Toucson, AZ back in January. As of current, he has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial for his crimes.
When I first heard of this ruling, I admit my initial reaction was that the world needed rid of this worthless piece of garbage – I was very angry. I had to stop for a minute, take a step back and look hard at the situation. If this man really is mentally incompetent, how could I hold any animosity towards him for that? If it’s truly something mental that dictated his actions, something he himself could not control – how on earth could I blame him?
There are so many psychological issues we have to deal with in the world now. Have these ultra-complex issues actually existed the entire time, of which our medical technology is just now scratching the surface? There’s so much out there in the world now that we don’t understand, things we’ll probably never understand. The human brain is the most intensely complex organ in our body. From mild, moderate to severe – mental instabilities weigh more in our society now than ever before.
During a routine visit to my MD recently, even he admitted there just wasn’t enough medical staff dedicated to the many branches of mental illness that we now know to exist. He said because of this, he and his other colleagues are continually having to ‘up their game’ on their education. This is where we are in the world today – not enough professional help, nor understanding of illnesses or imbalances.
When someone who does a wrong or injustice to another, the human in us wants that person to be held accountable. Unless you are specifically trained in the field, it’s difficult or impossible to recognize a mental illness. Simply said, there are many people committing crimes who are not capable of willfully controlling their actions. All you have to do is watch the world news, heck I’ll take a step back and say local news, to see all the senseless crimes being committed.
I must continually remind myself to tote an extra bit of compassion around just for this cause, and I’ll be the first to admit it’s a tough thing to do.
Life of Bon 
Beside mental illnesses of the most bizarre nature 45 million with no health insurance and probably that same amount unemployed adds to the stewing pot. Washington has no idea the absolute desperation people face. The frustration and anger are a tinder box. I am lucky to have social security and pension bet there are no more cost of living increase and prices go up as purchasing power declines.
June 11, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Those are two excellent points to add to the mix, Carl. Any of us could be in that same boat, none are exempt. With the current state of our economy and with looming social security not so secure anymore, I can’t help but fear the worst for our next generation.
June 13, 2011 at 7:33 am
Good piece. Justice should act as a deterrent, not necessarily be a stage for retribution. Locking up others for protection is often a valid step, but when they’re locked up, do we help them? We probably don’t have enough money and couldn’t raise taxes high enough.
June 13, 2011 at 1:12 am
Thank you for stopping by to comment, Carl, and for another excellent point made. Unfortunately, our emotions tend to take over in these cases. I struggle daily to understand certain crimes, ones just not meant to understand. Especially so of sexual crimes and ‘premeditated’ murders.
June 13, 2011 at 7:55 am