"Mentally Evil." Sister of shooter in WA. said, "we need a new term."

[EmeraldCityGrl]

"She said she sees similarities between the grocery shooting that resulted in her brother's death and the massacre at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Conn.

"It's horrible. ... I call her mentally evil," said Michaelson. "These people need a new name. It's mentally evil. Because mentally ill people, a lot of them don't do this type of thing."




http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Accused-grocery-shooter-now-charged-with-murder-184485261.html

If the term could be used without a religious slant attached to it, I would agree with her. We need to remove the
stigma attached to mental illness, not perpetuate it.

I know it's been said here time and time again. This sister said it very well IMHO.

[BainsBane]

1. How about just plain evil?

[EmeraldCityGrl]

2. Personally would like to see a term used in the

judicial system when someone is evaluated and found to be sane yet commits
an unspeakable crime. It doesn't have to be this particular term, but something
that doesn't further stigmatize the mentally ill.

[BainsBane]

5. sounds like a good idea

mentally doesn't need to be part of it because it references mental illness.

[HiPointDem]

3. both terms are problematic and circular. how do we know they're mentally ill/evil? because

they killed those people, & only a mentally ill/evil person would do such a thing.

it's just crap. you don't understand something by putting a circular label on it.

people who shoot a lot of people are mass shooters or mass murderers. they do it for various reasons. they're not necessarily mentally ill or 'evil' (whatever the hell that means).

[BainsBane]

6. you're right

the terms say more about our inability to comprehend such acts. We don't know this man's medical situation or what his thought process was.

[Mariana]

4. Criminally insane, or criminally mentally ill. nt.