C2 is right. I was a working police reporter in the 1970s and the decision to deinstitutionalize even the more severe schizophrenics flooded the streets with people who should simply not have been out of custodial care. The result was bad to some innocent people who got killed, but even worse to the mentally ill who were simply not capable of functioning outside a structured and medicated environment. (Before the inevitable response, let me clarify that I am speaking of the small but significant population of dangerously psychotic, NOT the millions of bipolars and others who can and do function fairly well in society.)
As to the "climate of hate" baloney, the Arizona shooter was so seriously deranged that he had little or no contact with reaility or his social environment and likely could not have told you what party Congresswoman Giffords belonged to or where she stood on any issue. In fact he was driven by psychosis.
By the way, I just completed several years on the staff of a Congresswoman from Oklahoma. Weird walk-ins, bizarre phone calls and letters and even direct and veiled threats are fairly common to all elected officials. It's not partisan; it's nuts, and they will always be with us. What we really needto rethink is the turn-em-loose practice that allowed this lunatic to roam free, despite multiple worrisome contacts with various levels of authorities.
*Removed the most political comment*
Post Edited By Moderator (Nanners) : 1/14/2011 11:05:18 AM (GMT-7)