General Discussion

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)

37. I disagree with that premise.

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 09:15 PM

Dec 2012

I hate to go Godwin, but look at the Third Reich.

In Nazi Germany, millions of nominally good, well-adjusted people were manipulated into participating in the Holocaust.

Look at the Stanford Prison Experiment, or the Milgram Experiment.

Look at the bad old days of Jim Crow - a lynching in the worst of those times was considered a fun outing for the entire family.

Most people have neurological/psychological "safeties" that prevent them from hurting or killing people. And just about everyone has neurological/psychological ways to turn those safeties off.

There are lots of criminals in our prisons today that are in there for murder and other horrible crimes that are not mentally ill.

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38 replies

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A small sampling of the 97% of the mentally ill who are not violent [View all] Cetacea Dec 2012 OP

Me, bipolar 2/anxiety. Have had a bad reaction to _some_ SSRIs, still didn't kill anyone. GreenPartyVoter Dec 2012 #1

Bipolar II Denninmi Dec 2012 #2

I'm mentally ill too--Clinical depression justiceischeap Dec 2012 #3

I have some trouble believing that as many as 6% of them do shoot people. (nt) Posteritatis Dec 2012 #4

Me too Confusious Dec 2012 #5

My bad. Oveall violence number is 3%. Overall gun related probably less than a fraction of 1% Cetacea Dec 2012 #35

Lincoln : depression n/t Cetacea Dec 2012 #6

Why do you include dyslexia as a mental illness? PADemD Dec 2012 #7

I wondered the same thing? galileoreloaded Dec 2012 #16

Surprisingly, it is often considered one. eom yawnmaster Dec 2012 #23

By who? FreeState Dec 2012 #24

Well, by the OP for one and the author of the article the OP links to... but generally... yawnmaster Dec 2012 #38

Not my list. Don't think sociopaths and their ilk are mentally ill in the traditional sense either. Cetacea Dec 2012 #34

Doug Flutie's son has autism; he does not himself, AFAIK. Brickbat Dec 2012 #8

I don't think the 94% is correct. The Link Dec 2012 #9

Okay, I'll play. What percentage of "the mentally ill" do you think are murderers? (nt) Posteritatis Dec 2012 #11

This message was self-deleted by its author The Link Dec 2012 #17

... Grah. I'm going to invoke the "was walking in freezing rain for 45 minutes" defense. Posteritatis Dec 2012 #18

No prob. The Link Dec 2012 #19

Adam Lanza and other shooters like him were clearly profoundly disturbed ck4829 Dec 2012 #10

You should see the list of people that Lanza didn't shoot. Lex Dec 2012 #12

Proud to be the second rec to this Fumesucker Dec 2012 #13

It looks like that list is a who's who of celebrity types who could probably afford treatment... OneMoreDemocrat Dec 2012 #14

and of course most mentally ill folks don't shoot people Lex Dec 2012 #15

Actually, there have been many on DU who have Jamastiene Dec 2012 #22

Wait, they say that most mentally ill people shoot people? Lex Dec 2012 #25

No, of course most mentally ill folks don't shoot people... OneMoreDemocrat Dec 2012 #32

Intent is a criminal value. Cetacea Dec 2012 #36

I disagree with that premise. backscatter712 Dec 2012 #37

I was ready to Rec your post until the part against SSRI medications. Jamastiene Dec 2012 #20

I am pro-medication, and an educated consumer. "Better living through chemistry" is one of my mottos Cetacea Dec 2012 #30

"mental illness" is a collective term for a wide ranging assortment of disorders FarCenter Dec 2012 #21

So is normality. It doesn't change the percentages. People keep moving the goal posts Cetacea Dec 2012 #28

Not to mention multiple assasination attempts. /nt TheMadMonk Dec 2012 #33

94%? Where'd that number come from? progressoid Dec 2012 #26

I took certain liberties to keep it relative to recent events. The real number is much lower. Cetacea Dec 2012 #31

If you want a Z I don't think Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald every shoot anyone HereSince1628 Dec 2012 #27

Please add to your very good list mrsadm Dec 2012 #29