Andrea Yates verdict - huh?

[Xukuth]

And this would be bad for what reason? Do you think she deserves better? She killed FIVE KIDS! If she is "legitimately" insane, let's "legitimately" punish her. Hospital is not a punishment, unless it's one like in "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest". People who get suffuciently drunk do not know what htey are doing either, but we punish them real good. This whole "not responsible for their action" crap, is one of the major resaons why crime these days is so rampant. Our society has excuses for pretty much everything these days.

>>>>>If and when she is treated successfully she will have to deal with the fact that she murdered her five children for the rest of her life; that's not punishment enough?<<<
No it is not.
>>>Besides, I would have to say she's not really a menace to society.<<<
That is irrelevant. She also has to account for her actions, with no #@$@#$@ excuses.
>>>After all, what's the recidivism rate for murdering your five children?<<<

So what you're saying is that if you commit a crime, but then it is determined that you will never do it again, you're free to go? Maybe then we should not even bother prosecuting 1st time offenders at all and just put them on a list, until the next time?
-A

The recidivism rate comment was a joke. A bad one, perhaps, but a joke.

Crime is rampant these days? The U.S. DOJ disagrees: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/viort.htm
Violent crime has been declining steadily for over a decade.

Your "drunk people" argument is a straw man. I didn't say drunk people shouldn't be punished.
The reason we punish drunk people as, or more, severely than sober people is because they chose to drink to the point of drunkenness. This woman didn't choose to be insane. This is why we should treat her rather than punish her otherwise. She's not in her right mind, and if she can be removed as a danger and menace through treatment rather than imprisonment or death, why should we kill her? She's not exactly a danger confined in a mental hospital.

FYI, you have some serious misconceptions about mental hospitals; they're not nearly as cheerful and friendly as the standard hospitals you've been to. Think prison, except with psychiatrists as well.