Why to Americans is this bereaved father a "horrible criminal" but the Colorado killer "needs help"?

[shipley]

I will never understand Americans.

Is "Minority Report" actually the law in the USA?

[flannagain]

I will never understand Americans.

Is "Minority Report" actually the law in the USA?

What bereaved father????

Edit:

Context helps... Thanks for giving a link. So who is saying the father is a "horrible criminal?" I didn't see that in the article. Yeah, he is a bereaved father with a lot of misplaced anger. He certainly seems to need help and can hopefully work through his anger and ultimately be released... but he does seem to be a danger RIGHT NOW

Holmes on the other hand does need help too, but his pathology runs much deeper AND he killed/injured people. I hope he gets help too, but he should never see the light of day as a free man.

[tai38]

I don't think the Colorado killer needs help. He needs to be taken out of society for good.

I don't understand why you think this father needs a free pass. The US isn't the only country that has laws concerning planning an attack or intent to kill. Stop with your anti American bullhit.

[bronsin]

I don't see anybody shedding tears for the Colorado killer. You are misinformed.

[eilis]

I never said he was a horrible criminal, well actually him and the movie shooter are scum and should be hung in a gibbet.

[janyd]

That's an awful situation. I think the Colorado killer should be given life-in-prison or death, but the dad in the article is the one that needed help. Just the fact that he authored emails like that clearly point out he was unstable. Of course, no wonder there.

[janyd]

James Holmes may "need help" but he will NEVER be free.

[gowan]

Most Americans are smart enough to look at the individual circumstances surround 2 unique cases. One has nothing to do with the other.

[nissim42]

When does having a thief for a son entitle you to plan sexual assaults and murders on people?
Both those cases involve horrible crimes and they are both horrible criminals.
They both need help, and big deal. We shouldn't let them breathe long enough to get it.
But murder for revenge is the result of someone who knows right from wrong and is in touch with reality, he wants to murder and rape the people he feels are responsible for his bereavement.
His 'insanity' isn't of a kind that will be used in court, it would never meet the standard of criminally insane.

Someone randomly walking into a movie theater and planning to shoot and kill for no reason at all is in a different category, no revenge, no gain, no personal vendetta. Its very likely his ability to participate in his own defense is limited.

He did commit arson, and interestingly, arson is considered by many legal systems to be a highly dangerous crime because fire is so easily and unpredictably spread. Both in cities and country settings. The penalty can and should be quite high.
Especially in places like Santa Ana where hundreds of acres could go up because of it, with millions of dollars of losses.

[pete]

the guy in the article has yet to harm anybody. He needs help and lots of it. the colorado killer just needs to be put away. I disagree with some of the others. I don't think he was insane. I think he was a calculated monster that probably had killed before. Watch his movements, look at his planning stages, he didn't kill himself because he wants to hear and see what happens now. The man is sane, just not normal sane. He doesn't deserve help he deserves to tattooed on his back "I kill women and child and innocent men" then send him out into the prison yard, shirtless and tell the guards to take a break. Nature will take care of it.