I don't know how many people remember Elizabeth Smart, the girl who was kidnapped from her home in 2002 and was found with two people nearly a year later. The woman involved has been repeatedly found mentally incompetent, and she refused drugs and treatment because she says she's not crazy, everyone else is evil. Prosecutors want to force the drugs on her so she'll become competent so they can try her.
This disturbs me. It smacks of "We'll drug you into the condition we want you in so we can do what we want to you." She says God gives her messages through movies and has told her to keep silent. Nobody claims the Prophet of the LDS Church is crazy, and he says he hears from God all the time.
Taking a girl from her home and turning her into a man's second "wife" is wrong. But drugging someone into conformity against their will also feels wrong. Why not just say, "OK, she's nuts, lock the door"?
Connie, I think then the problem is that the defendant is then not participating in her own defense. if treatment made her more rational, she might make different choices as to what she wants to say--pleading differently, perhaps.
I *think* (people can correct me on this) that the Supreme Court has ruled that it's not only okay to forcibly medicate people for their trial, it's okay to forcibly medicate people for their execution. (There was a case where a guy went psychotic after the sentencing.)
Robin's right. What's wrong with "she's nuts, lock the door" is that it deprives her of the right to participate in her own defense, and she doesn't appear competent to appreciate that.
Locking her up and throwing away the key without trial may seem equally unfair to some people.
Someone has probably already posted this, but apparently there's a researcher out there who says that black holes do not exist. In the interest of accuracy, Disney's going to have to remake that movie now.
I hate zombie dreams. Really I do. Even when they're implied zombies. Like the other night when somebody removed the sewer covers to let them out. Not that zombies could climb ladders but it was still a concern and as the town's spiderman I was the one who had to deal with it. But not until after lunch, even though I had to wait in line.
So what's new with you guys?
Whoa, really? I thought people had a right to refuse medical treatment (unless they're dangerous, I guess), though I do seem to recall a Law&Order that contradicts my belief...
People in mental institutions also cannot refuse medication.
