First Berlusconi and now the Pope

[Saul]

Pope Knocked Down by Woman at Christmas Mass

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,581116,00.html

[Gurn Blanston]

I wonder if it is now standard procedure to automatically report that the person involved is "mentally unstable". Without (me) implying otherwise, does it require mental instability for someone to be passionate enough to attack a controversial public figure? Isn't the fact that the victim is controversial enough reason for even a sane person to take the opportunity? Or does the fact that the person attacks in such a public venue not imply mental instability to the point where one needn't state it?

Just wondering.

[Saul]

I wonder if it is now standard procedure to automatically report that the person involved is "mentally unstable". Without (me) implying otherwise, does it require mental instability for someone to be passionate enough to attack a controversial public figure? Isn't the fact that the victim is controversial enough reason for even a sane person to take the opportunity? Or does the fact that the person attacks in such a public venue not imply mental instability to the point where one needn't state it?

Just wondering.

Its an accepted social behavior that normal people do not engage in violence with each other.  If a person raises his hand against another human being, then there is a problem.
We are not taking about legitimate acts of self defense, of course.

[Gurn Blanston]

Its an accepted social behavior that normal people do not engage in violence with each other.  If a person raises his hand against another human being, then there is a problem.
We are not taking about legitimate acts of self defense, of course.

OK, so your vote is that for someone to do that, they are mentally challenged by definition.

Anyone else?

[Saul]

No, all I'm saying that this is not normal behavior.

[Brünnhilde ewig]

Could it be she is a religious hysterical fanatic; organised religion does that to some people, so in my opinion she is mentally impaired.

[drogulus]

Could it be she is a religious hysterical fanatic; organised religion does that to some people, so in my opinion she is mentally impaired.

     Ah, we have the answer. It's a quarrel between organized and disorganized religion. I promise not to take sides.

     

     

OK, so your vote is that for someone to do that, they are mentally challenged by definition.

Anyone else?

      I feel there's a little bit of fudging the issue when it comes to criminal acts committed by persons who might be mentally unbalanced. If the crime is serious enough, resulting in the death of the victim, what would otherwise be seen as evidence of mental imbalance is likely to be downplayed in anticipation of an insanity defense. It's a difficult point. Not all craziness reduces a person to a zombie-like slavery to impulses, in fact most mental illness is not like this. Anyway it's a good idea to hold everyone including mildly crazy people responsible for their actions, on the grounds that if it's possible for a person to restrain themselves they should be required to.

      So, crazy by definition, yes, crazy not responsible probably no.

[karlhenning]

And I read that this woman was involved in a 2008 attempt to rush the Pope?  What, are these doofuses (doofi?) out to prove that you don't have to be an Islamist fanatic to cast out your last vestige of moraliry for A Cause?

[Spotswood]

No, all I'm saying that this is not normal behavior.

Well, it can be. If a drug dealer was an infomrament whacked, for example, he is never described in the press as metally unstable. Nor, necessarily, is a man who kills his mistress.  We've had two such cases in the Philadelphia area in the past few years. Putting the perpetrator away depends in part on proving he is not mentally unstable, and DA's go a long way to establishing premeditation and sanity.

One isn't mentally unstable just because they do something violent, and I'd object to the media making that assumption.

[mahler10th]

She will be absolved, God will forgive her for her most terrible ways, and she shall be set free to rome the wonders of Gods fine Earth again.
Good job she didn't take off her shoes and throw them at him.  That would be unforgivable.

[Lethevich]

It is cute that footage has emerged of her trying to do the same thing last year, with the same clothes on. Points for continuity.

[Renfield]

It is cute that footage has emerged of her trying to do the same thing last year, with the same clothes on. Points for continuity.

"The outfit? Oh, it's my Pope Pushing set. Looks lovely on white and gold!"