Should insane people take resposibility for their actions?

[Emo_Like_A_Dinosaur]

If you can't control what you do why should you be punished?

 

[sunnyxdaze]

Because you still did it.
Even someone with good intentions should be because they were responsible whether or not they tried to.

 

[Shryle]

Meh, I kinda agree. If you ever saw Ron White, he puts it perfectly. I'm not gonna say the whole thing, or any at all, but it makes sense. XD
Also, honestly, I think mentally deficient people should have some sort of punishment also.
Yeah, I understand they can think as well ad I can, but still.
If you kill someone, it isn't right, ya know?
They understand what they're doing to a point, they just don't understand that killing someone... Is well, killing someone. XD
I guess I can't say that, for I don't really know what they know.
So same goes for insane people.  

[PixieofDestruction]

If they are "mentally ill" to the point that they do messed up crap then they need to be kept away from society, even if it isn't necessarily a "punishment" but don't they go to a mental institute for life if that's the case anyway?  

[Ayersi]

I think they should just put them in a strait jacket(idkhow its spelled <.<')  

[Shryle]

PixieofDestruction

If they are "mentally ill" to the point that they do messed up crap then they need to be kept away from society, even if it isn't necessarily a "punishment" but don't they go to a mental institute for life if that's the case anyway?

Erm... I'm not honestly sure. o_o
But I think that is the case.  

[Heir Fuhrer]

I dunno. If someone chucks a television at me from a penthouse hotel room, I might be a little miffed.

In other words, they are responsible.  

[SapphireSara3]

I agree with Emo.
If you're mentally ill, sometimes you can't help it and by punishing that person, you're only making them worse.
Those people need support, they need people to forgive them & by punishing them you're going to make them more mad and worse.

Trust me, I know this from my own experience. Believe or not, I'm "mentally ill".
If you haven't had a mental illness before, you wouldn't understand what that person feels and therefore assume it was their fault, when really they can't help it.
If I hadn't been through mental issues, I'd probably agree with you guys but going through this yourself can really open your eyes a lot.

 

[SapphireSara3]

PixieofDestruction

If they are "mentally ill" to the point that they do messed up crap then they need to be kept away from society, even if it isn't necessarily a "punishment" but don't they go to a mental institute for life if that's the case anyway?

I disagree.

When people are isolated, they feel like there's nobody there for them, and they become more hopeless and therefore want to hurt themselves or other people.
If people would understand that they're like us, except they lack the love that we have maybe we could help them recover instead of pushing them down further.

People go from completely innocent to mentally ill, and it could happen to anyone. Would you people like it if people locked you up forever for making a mistake? I know I wouldn't.

I really like psychology topics. :]

 

[Kaize]

I agree with Sara. I, too, am "mentally ill", and while I don't have much trouble controlling my actions, it helps give me an idea of what it would be like.

I have a philosophy, and part of it is that no two situations are ever exactly the same, so they should never be treated exactly the same. To an extent, this is unfeasable, but not as so much as it sounds.

If the subject truely had no intent to do what they physically did, then they should be helped. Sometimes instituations can be good for this; other times they can make it worse.

My philosophy bit #2: Perspective, empathy, and understanding are critical in any kind of judgement.  

[zaraphena]

Emo_Like_A_Dinosaur

If you can't control what you do why should you be punished?

Well if you justify that all mentally insane people cannot be held responsible for their action because they couldn't control it you could also turn around and use that argument on people like drug addicts. They could not control their actions because they were suffering from addiction, therefor the could not be held responsible.

I personally believe that there is several levels of mental illness, and punishment should be handed out accordingly. People suffering from schizophrenia should be treated differently than those people that commit a crime with bipolar disease... You cannot put all put all crimes commit by people with "Mental disease" in the same category, they are not all the same.

 

[sunnyxdaze]

<3

I guess it sort of depends then.
Though, it really upsets me when people use their disorder or disability as an excuse for everything.

 

[Kaize]

People, including the afflicted, need to understand what the illnesses' effects are. Knowing that, it should be much easier to see what is caused by what.  

[Noltic]

Well its a two-way street freinds.

One way your caring and they have equal rights with everyone, the crimes of the mentally ill are treated as manslaughter, and then the mad walk among us and many go unchecked. While on the other hand you have Nazi-esqu regimes or spartan theologies where if a child is weak it dies.

Both of these accomplish the things they set out to do, but they complete ignore the middle ground which is where we stand. Mental illness is a tricky thing.

In my opinion it should be treated the same as someone who commited a crime with full knowledge of what was done. It may not be their fault, but the punishment of prison is to stop them doing it again. If someone steals and gets off they steal again, if a klepto walks out of a court-room because they are "mentally ill" they too will continue to steal.