Yes, regardless of whatever

Elusive Trope — Thu, 29 May 2014 18:56:52 +0000

Yes, regardless of whatever else he has written, he is right on with this [emphasis mine]:

The reaction to the UCSB killings is sadly typical. Our political and media culture has proven itself impervious to serious discussion of severe mental illness and how it is treated in this country, despite repeated, heart-breaking occasions for it. Usually, the diversion is gun control. Since Rodger stabbed his first three victims, and didn’t use an “assault rifle,” but a handgun to kill the rest, the debate over guns didn’t take off. Instead, another hobbyhorse took up all the space.

Mental illness is the hobbyhorse of no one, with a few notable exceptions like the people at the Treatment Advocacy Center and MentalIllnessPolicy.org, who advocate for effective care for those with the most serious psychiatric problems. Every time a person with severe, untreated mental illness goes on a murderous rampage, they run against the grain and actually try to start a conversation about how to get treatment for severe mental illness.

The main problem with treating someone like Rodger is that he had no committed no previous violent acts. If someone confesses to a psychiatrist or a therapist about a fantasy of doing something awful - like committing a murderous rampage - is involuntarily committed (and loses all civil rights), people who have such fantasies will be reluctant to say the least to admit them in the first place.

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Yes, regardless of whatever