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Colorado shooter: a high achiever's abrupt descent
Reuters ^ | July 23, 2012 | Stephanie Simon and Dan Whitcomb

Posted on 07/26/2012 5:06:34 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o

For most of his 24 years, James Holmes seemed to be doing everything right.

He worked for a summer as a counselor at a camp for needy kids, guiding them through activities designed to teach empathy, compassion and good citizenship. Another summer, he snagged a prestigious internship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

He attended church with his family in their quiet, upper-middle-class San Diego neighborhood, listening to his sister play bass in the worship band. He breezed through high school and college, taking a strong interest in science and graduating with honors from the University of California, Riverside.

Friends and acquaintances of Holmes say they had no inkling that anything was awry with him --

"It's absurd. It's so out of character for this young man," said Jerry Borgie, senior pastor at Penasquitos Lutheran Church in San Diego, where the Holmes family worshipped. "James had goals. He was going to succeed."

But a few hints have emerged in recent days that Holmes may have struggled far more than those around him realized.

His summer internship at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, in 2006 might have been impressive on paper, but...

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: auorashooting; auraro; jamesholmes; jamesholmesbio; massacre; massmurder
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To: Gay State Conservative

The reductionistic “everything is physical if it has observable characteristcs” approach to mental/emotional dysfunction has found no causative factor and no solution to this alleged disease of the brain. In fact, this reductionistic, materialistic approach has probably caused even more harm and anguish to the afflicted by denying/ignoring the environmental/familial factors that influence mental/emotional breakdown.

By the way, how is that research on the “gay gene” coming along?


41 posted on 07/26/2012 6:59:15 AM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: libstripper

Indeed, I suspect the family knew all about it, was horrified, did its best to conceal the problem, and didn’t know what to do about it.
___________________________________

I doubt that they concealed it. One cannot make an insane adult do anything that they do not want to do, including seeking help. As long as the insane one does not fit the criteria of being and IMMENINT risk to themselves, to others or not able to care for themselves and are at IMMENINT risk, there is NOTHING anyone can do to address the problems they see.


42 posted on 07/26/2012 7:05:24 AM PDT by Chickensoup (STOP The Great O-ppression)
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To: libstripper
Indeed, I suspect the family knew all about it, was horrified, did its best to conceal the problem, and didn't’t know what to do about it.
___________________________________

I doubt that they concealed it. One cannot make an insane adult do anything that they do not want to do, including seeking help. As long as the insane one does not fit the criteria of being and IMMENINT risk to themselves, to others or not able to care for themselves and are at IMMENINT risk, there is NOTHING anyone can do to address the problems they see.

43 posted on 07/26/2012 7:05:40 AM PDT by Chickensoup (STOP The Great O-ppression)
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To: henkster

there is a guilty but mentally ill verdict in your area? We still have innocent by reasons of insanity


44 posted on 07/26/2012 7:08:16 AM PDT by Chickensoup (STOP The Great O-ppression)
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To: RummyChick


This supposedly was posted on the USMC facebook page.

1. Has anyone figured out whether this is a hoax.
2. Is what he saying in that letter right??
45 posted on 07/26/2012 7:08:27 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: henkster

I don’t know if schizophrenia would be the likeliest diagnosis. Schizophrenia is first a thought disorder — the “voices” a schizophrenic hears are disturbing and can reflect bad intentions, but they’re not very good at planning things, particularly over a long period of time (evidently, this guy was gathering material for his evil project months in advance).

Schizophrenia slows you down, especially if you start taking medications for it; when an acquaintance of mine started developing schizophrenia in graduate school, being in his presence made you feel like time had slowed down for him — it was very difficult for him to transition from one activity to another, and he would tend to settle by default into a pattern of aimless pacing. As the disease progresses, one’s inability to complete even simple activities of daily living (hygiene, getting to appointments) becomes increasingly pronounced.

In Holmes’s case I suspect a personality disorder combined with bipolar mood disorder: the guy had intelligence enough to stick with a sophisticated plan (no serious thought disorder) that showed extreme inability to empathize with other people (severe personality disorder), and shifted into a high-gear, maniacal flurry of activity after experiencing some emotional trigger (manic phase of bipolar disorder). Mentally ill, yes, but fully capable of understanding the immorality and criminality of his deeds.


46 posted on 07/26/2012 7:09:20 AM PDT by thanatz
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To: Mrs. Don-o

drugs


47 posted on 07/26/2012 7:10:27 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: henkster
I have long thought that the legal system's attitude about insane murderers is itself insane. In my opinion, insanity on the part of a murderer is all the more reason that they should be killed.

If a dog is rabid, we put it down. We do not care that it wasn't the dog's fault that it was rabid. We also don't care that it didn't understand what was happening to it.

48 posted on 07/26/2012 7:13:04 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Brilliant people can have no moral standards or respect for authority. His so-called mental disease did not keep him from getting through school and plotting a mass killing. This killer is a product or our degenerate culture, which treats lack of character as a medical condition.


49 posted on 07/26/2012 7:17:32 AM PDT by Socon-Econ (Socon-Econ)
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To: Gay State Conservative
Perhaps he needs to spend the rest of his life in a psych hospital but very possibly not in a prison.

Often I hear of murderers getting some other sentence than "death." I always refer to this as "sentencing the taxpayers to life in prison."

50 posted on 07/26/2012 7:17:32 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: RummyChick
I don't know about the bomb part. I have serious doubts about these "bombs," and the fact that there was no explosion leads me to believe whatever he constructed would not have worked. There's a reason bombmakers are the rock stars of terrorism, and that's because making bombs is hard, especially for those prone to making mistakes. The authorities have a vested interest in overstating the functionality of whatever was in there.

He didn't have "automatic weapons," so I'm more suspicious of this "marine" than of some conspiracy to arm Holmes.

I've spent more on real automatic weapons in one day than it cost this kid to buy these guns, which are common and easily purchable by anyone with a clean record and a credit card.

It doesn't take any combat skill to walk into a dark theater full of distracted people and shoot at them. I can't imagine any kind of killing that takes LESS skill.

51 posted on 07/26/2012 7:17:58 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass
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To: RummyChick

I don’t know if it is a hoax, but I believe the letter is wrong.

Each of the weapons can be purchased with no problems. It’s not an ‘aresenal’. It’s not like he had full auto uzi’s. He had a remington 870 which I can buy today. An AR-15, which I have. And a Glock 40, which is also easy to find and get. He got ammo for them. Easy. I can go to walmart and get ammo at any time.

The bomb stuff, IDK, but I believe you could probably find stuff on the internet. I haven’t looked for it, but I would assume.

It wasn’t sophisicated. It’s not like he repeled into the theater and then disapeared in a cloud of smoke. The guy faked a phone call. Walked out. propped the door. Went to his car. Got his stuff and came back. Finished. Walked back out to his car and got arrested.


52 posted on 07/26/2012 7:18:16 AM PDT by justice14 ("stand up defend or lay down and die")
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To: Gay State Conservative

Perhaps comorbid with Asperger Syndrome or other high functioning autism spectrum disorder.


53 posted on 07/26/2012 7:20:32 AM PDT by glock rocks (optimist / pessimist? I'm an awesomist - There's a dragon in that glass!)
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To: thanatz

there is a poster here who thinks he has Aspergers


54 posted on 07/26/2012 7:21:32 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: Strategerist
I honestly think there are more people that believe in demonic posession on FR than that believe it’s possible for there to be chemically, structurally, or genetically based mental illness.

And let me ask you, theoretically, that if Satan DOES exist, you don't think he'd use the vulnerable and mentally ill, with the physical defects you identify, to propogate evil and dispirit the faithful? Would he say those poor souls are off-limits?

And in case you don't know the reductionist view of the human soul is just as bizarre and absurd as whatever it is you mock.

55 posted on 07/26/2012 7:22:53 AM PDT by Trailerpark Badass
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To: 1_Rain_Drop
I didn’t expect to see her here. neuroscience should be banned.

Just thought it was a strange and interesting similarity.

56 posted on 07/26/2012 7:22:53 AM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: Chickensoup

We still have “Not Responsible by Reason of Insanity,” but also have Guilty but Mentally Ill. It gives a jury a way to compromise, and allows the state to get a conviction. Since the adoption of GBMI, the number of acquittals by Insanity has gone way down.


57 posted on 07/26/2012 7:25:19 AM PDT by henkster (We're the slaves of the phony leaders...)
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To: Strategerist
Demonic possession and brain malunction/mental illness don't exclude each other. In fact, it is recognized that a person can be suffering from both.

In the Catholic Church, if an exorcism is requested, the sufferer is supposed to undergo diagnostic testing to see if they are mentally ill. If mental illness/ brain disease is present, they're supposed to be treated for the disorder by ordinary medical/psychiatric means before any exorcism is attempted.

There are two major ways that demons influence people, according to Catholic teaching. Demonic possession, the most famous and serious condition, is when a demon takes complete control of a human being’s mind and body. Demonic obsession, or influence, is when a demon tempts an individual repeatedly and oppressively in attempts to lead him or her into hurting self or others.

Not all of the symtoms of diabolic possession are the same as those of mental illness. Several distinctive signs of diabolic possession include:

It's not very common. It may overlap with natural brain disease and other causes. But when it happens, these distinctive diabolic features show that something apart from psychiatric illness is in play.

58 posted on 07/26/2012 7:30:49 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
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To: justice14
Even if that photo is real ..and even if it was posted on USMC..and even if the guy has the training he says he does...
I think someone could do what James did. As for the bombs, I thought the FBI said it would have taken out the whole building
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2012/07/25/bomb-disarming-robot-was-first-to-enter-alleged-aurora-shooters-apartment/

In this day and age I think that would be possible to put together without training.

59 posted on 07/26/2012 7:33:01 AM PDT by RummyChick
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To: henkster
if a person is so mentally screwed up that they cannot even understand that what they are doing is wrong, then there is no justification in punishing them.

Why must the only consideration be to "punish" them? Why can we not simply acknowledge that they represent an ever present danger to others and therefore ought to be killed on that basis alone? This is the methodology we use with bears that kill, or mountain lions, or dogs, or monkeys.

We kill "sane" people who murder. Do we do this to "punish" them? Or do we do this for it's deterrence effect on other potential murderers?

I would suggest the entire legal system is based on the theory of deterrence. The operational theory is that if we do something bad to people who commit crimes, others who contemplate committing crimes will refrain.

The prime function of the "justice" system is that of deterrence, because if some means isn't utilized to convince people to control their own behavior, no army would be big enough to be able to force them to do it. Again, the main function of the Justice system is to deter criminal behavior. "Punishment" is really just a tactic to achieve the higher goal, which is deterrence. "Punishment" isn't necessary in and of itself.

Again, the main purpose of the legal system is to protect people by sending a message to the general population, not to explicitly "punish" someone.

60 posted on 07/26/2012 7:33:29 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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