Yesterday afternoon The Washington Post published an Op Ed that I’d written that explained why I believe it is wrong to execute persons with mental illnesses even when they commit mass murders, as in the case of the Aurora movie theater shooter.  Those of you who are regulars readers of this blog already knew that was my position. By this morning, there were 200 comments and most of the commentators didn’t agree with me. Some of the ugliest statements were posted by writers who hid behind pseudonyms which always makes people feel safer than if they knew their neighbors might be reading their rants.

While my OP ED is only available on line, today’s print edition of the newspaper published a column by Richard Cohen about the death penalty and accused gunman James E. Holmes. He reaches the same conclusion that I did but for different reasons.

I’ve put my OP Ed below and here is a link to Cohen’s piece.

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Readers continue to comment about my recent blog: The Changing Face of NAMI . In addition to the 140 plus comments that have been posted, I’ve received emails from NAMI friends and leaders who were dismayed by the angry tone of some writers. This reaction by Kathy Brandt, a NAMI activist in Colorado Springs, is representative:

I’m disturbed by the some of the animosity within NAMI  that’s reflected in the comments on your website.  We ought to be colleagues who accept one another’s opinions (agree to disagree)  rather than being adversaries.   Surely, as people who have been in the trenches of discrimination and stigma, we are the best at accepting and celebrating difference.  

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Am I the only one who is dismayed by Arapahoe District Attorney George Brauchler’s decision this week to seek the death penalty in the Aurora movie shooting case?

The defense offered to have their client plead guilty and spend the rest of his life in prison without a chance of parole. But that wasn’t good enough for Prosecutor Brauchler, who rejected the offer after “consulting with 800 victims and their families.” The Denver D.A. declared: “For James Eagan Holmes, justice is death.”

Holmes has schizophrenia. 

Here is an excerpt from a blog that I first posted July 26th last year about the Death Penalty and the Holmes case.

FROM MY FILES FRIDAY   Should Prosecutors Seek the Death Penalty in the Batman Movie Case?

I don’t believe that persons whose crimes were prompted by a severe mental disorder such as schizophrenia should be executed. I do not believe a person with an impaired brain is as culpable as someone who murders for profit.  What follows is my response to the reasons that often are given to justify the death penalty in these cases.

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness has released a statement about Guns, Mental Illness and Violence. Give my recent blog posts about NAMI and its official policies, I wanted to share this policy statement with you.

Guns, Mental Illness and Violence — an Official Statement

NAMI’s public policy platform recognizes that most acts of violence or dangerous acts by people affected by mental illness are the result of mental health systems’ treatment failures. Public policies and programs that provide access to early diagnosis, crisis intervention, appropriate treatment and support, including integrated treatment when there is co-occurring substance abuse, must be available and accessible. In addition, family support and education must be available and promoted.

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A mutual friend introduced me to Mark Gale shortly after my son had his first mental break  — the one that ended up with him being arrested. Mark’s son also had gotten into trouble with the police.  As two concerned parents we immediately connected and, in our own way, took action. I decided to write my book, CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness. Mark jumped right into NAMI.  Occasionally, we would see each other at NAMI conventions and I always admired his dedication to NAMI and his determination to help his son and others with mental illnesses.

Mark sent me an email after he read my blog about The Changing Face of NAMI and I asked him if he would share his thoughts in a guest blog because NAMI plays an important part in his life. 

Pete,

Thank you for writing your article about NAMI and its present posture on issues regarding voluntary and involuntary care.  The mental health community is paralyzed and polarized by the ridiculous conclusion that if one is for the former, one must be against the latter.

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Justice Stephen Breyer and Dr. Eric Kandel at Minds on the Edge

FROM MY FILES FRIDAY    I’ll be speaking in Iowa in a few months and also moderating a Minds on the Edge panel. I’ll present a scenario about a college student in the midst of  a psychotic break. What would happen to that student in Iowa?  Panel members generally include a parent, consumer, law enforcement officer, judge, psychiatrist and mental health provider. 

This format was used effectively in the Minds on the Edge telecast shown on PBS in October 2009. In this January 2010 blog, I  gave readers peek at how the program evolved. Sadly, PBS hasn’t aired Minds on the Edge for several years. That’s unfortunate because the issues raised by the show are still pertinent.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF MINDS ON THE EDGE

Not long after CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, was published, I received a telephone call from Arthur Singer who invited me to lunch in Manhattan.

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