Comments on: Thoughts on the Arizona gunman and his gun

By: RR, Uninvited Columnist

RR, Uninvited Columnist — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 01:28:18 +0000

Ralphie: Thanks for pointing out food is addictive; I’ve had a diet on my back for years.
You’re still weird.

By: ralph hoffmann

ralph hoffmann — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:30:18 +0000

A. There is no such thing as perfect mental health.
B. All medications, whether for mind or body have adverse side effects.
C. Things taken orally that make one feel better are also addictive, such as food, pain relievers and anti-depressants.
D. People are foremost individuals, defined by their personalities, etc. not their diagnoses.
E. In short, you are what you eat, what you write, what you speak, what you have done in your life.

By: RR, Uninvited Columnist

RR, Uninvited Columnist — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:35:42 +0000

No.11: The depth of your insight is impressive, Rosa. I suggest you diagnose Truthie and Ralphie for signs of adverse side-effects.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:23:20 +0000

I find the word “crazy” to be the best description of Loughner.

It is perfectly appropriate.

By: rosa

rosa — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:54:38 +0000

It would be interesting to know if Loughner had actually proceeded with the mental evaluation and had been prescribed any medication. The difference in appearance between the photo of him volunteering at a book fair and his mug shot seems consistent with the changes in appearance–such as weight gain–caused by some medications, especially those that are often prescribed for people who then carry out violent attacks like this or commit suicide.

By: RR, Uninvited Columnist

RR, Uninvited Columnist — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:00:19 +0000

Ralphie, you’re weird.

By: ralph hoffmann

ralph hoffmann — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:23:30 +0000

Use of terms mentally ill, insane, instabliity and unbalanced such as Josh or Michael Moore used are appropriate for civil discourse. Use of terms crazy, nutjob or weird are inappropriate and hateful and the equivalent of calling someone in the LGBT community a fag or queer. “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” … Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

By: online backup dc area

online backup dc area — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 05:48:51 +0000

This guy was known to the police and had a history of issues. There is no way this guys should have been able to buy a gun. What a country we live in, half the population seems to think giving guns to guys like this is just okay.

By: Amy Lamb

Amy Lamb — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Good article, Josh. Unfortunately, as mentioned by a previous poster, unless he’s been “in the system” as a mental health patient, I don’t think anyone would know he’s a nutjob who should be denied a gun. The police who delivered the letter suspending him from college probably weren’t aware of its contents. Were they campus police or Tucson police?

Police interact daily with mentally “weird” or unstable people. There’s no way to know who’s dangerous and who’s not. And certainly no way to have them officially in a searchable database unless they get arrested and are then part of the system. I don’t even know what the current background checks include — criminal past, or medical/psychological past, as well? I don’t see how that wouldn’t violate HIPAA laws. And what would be the determining factor — a specific number of visits to a psychiatrist, dianosis of depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, alcoholism?

I definitely favor stricter gun laws, though, just not sure what they should look like.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:09:40 +0000

“PHOENIX – Jared Loughner, head shaved, a cut on his right temple and his hands cuffed, stared vacantly at a packed courtroom Monday and sat down. His attorney, who defended “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, whispered to him. It was the nation’s first look at the 22-year-old loner accused of trying to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.”

Let’s hope the attorney does as good a job for Loughner as he/she did for Kaczynski.