Mall Shooter Had a Plan to Cause Havoc

From Sea to Shining Sea ^ | 5/1/07 | Purple Mountains

[PurpleMountains]

We have barely begun to cope with the mass killings by Cho at Virginia Tech when another incident involving a mentally ill person jumps out at us. The unintended consequences of different legislation that overprotects ‘rights’ of mentally ill individuals, college students and hospital patients can cause consternation at one end of the spectrum – and multiple deaths at the other. Because of federal legislation, as a college professor I could not discuss a student’s problems with his parents, even if that student evidenced a marked change in behavior or performance. Because of federal and state legislation I could not get effective treatment for my daughter, who was committing suicide slowly by drinking herself to death, and because of a fairly new law health professionals call ‘Hippa’, there are circumstances wherein friends and family cannot learn of the medical condition of a loved one.