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The guy in Orlando was on anti-depressants. So was the Virginia Tech shooter. So was every other mass killer in the United States the last 20 years. And plenty of people that seemed fairly normal take these pills and end up killing someone or committing suicide. Thousands of others that have been on them have said they had homicidal/suicidal thoughts. Which magically disappeared when they stopped taking them. And this guy could of legally prescribed these drugs to himself.
But, the companies that make these drugs donate big money to reelection campaigns.
I've never understood this argument or sentiment. We constitutionally guarantee the right to counsel and as a matter of legal tradition require attorneys to do everything under the law to present arguments in an attempt to prove their clients innocence or diminished capacity. For an attorney to do otherwise would be a violation of their professional canon of ethics, so why do we castigate the very individuals appointed to carry out this very important role which goes to the heart of our legal system?
Hmmm If I were a Lawyer and I knew that the client was guilty what would I do?
Beat up on witnesses to mitigate the crime down? NO
Do my best to see that a guy I know is guilty is freed to commit yet more crimes? NO
Excuse myself from the case because in good concience I can not defend a guy I know is guilty? Oh yes.
Wow, reaching much? So either you're saying our soldiers are nut jobs when they shoot the enemy when fired upon in combat or you're saying that Muslims are at war with our nation and this Major's actions are justifiable because of that war so which is it?
Hmmm If I were a Lawyer and I knew that the client was guilty what would I do?
Beat up on witnesses to mitigate the crime down? NO
Do my best to see that a guy I know is guilty is freed to commit yet more crimes? NO
Excuse myself from the case because in good concience I can not defend a guy I know is guilty? Oh yes.
This is why I'm not a defense attorney (or any kind of attorney, actually). And apparently why you're not one either.
But someone needs to represent this murderer so that he can have a fair trial so he won't have a leg to stand on when he appeals his sentence, which I'm really hoping will be capital punishment (I don't know enough about military law to know sentencing though - is the death sentence an option?)
If his lawyer doesn't do a fair job, he'd just be giving ammunition to an appeal. So let's all hope that his lawyer does his job - there's no chance this guy is going to get off, no matter what defense he's claiming.
The guy in Orlando was on anti-depressants. So was the Virginia Tech shooter. So was every other mass killer in the United States the last 20 years. And plenty of people that seemed fairly normal take these pills and end up killing someone or committing suicide. Thousands of others that have been on them have said they had homicidal/suicidal thoughts. Which magically disappeared when they stopped taking them. And this guy could of legally prescribed these drugs to himself.
But, the companies that make these drugs donate big money to reelection campaigns.
Just sayin'
Could you cite some sources for the info in bold? Particularly the link between antidepressants and homicidal thoughts - I've seen no such studies and would be interested if you have.
Not a fan of big pharm myself, but antidepressants don't cause suicidal thoughts - the effect you seem to be referring to is that antidepressants tend to energize (or lift the lethargy) of depressed patients enough to act on the thoughts they've already had. The black box warning (re: increased suicidal thoughts/acts) on antidepressants is from a review of studies with children and adolescents, Hasan is neither of these.
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