[Noah930]

OK, not meant to be PARFy, but just a little bit so:

My office has a patient. Fortunately my partner's, but I've seen the guy once or twice in 2nd opinion consultation, as well. The guy is definitely one of those creepy types. As in, if we were interviewed after the fact we (pretty much everyone in the office) would agree that it wouldn't be surprising if he were one of those Colorado movie theater shooter type personalities.

But weird and creepy as he is, what are we supposed to do with that? Our country cries for stricter gun laws (at least many in our country do). We cry for more help for mental illness. We criticize the people in contact with these mass shooters for not having said something to have stopped these nutjobs before they did the terrible things they did.

But thinking back to this creepy patient from my office, what am I supposed to do with this? The guy may be weird. He may be unpleasant. But unless he says something (or walks in with a weapon), there's nothing I can do that would realistically prevent him from shooting up a movie theater or school. I can't call the cops. I can't call the feds. (Well I can--but on what grounds do they have to do anything?) I can't just go on gut feeling, even if it's shared by about 10 other people in my office.

Likewise, what should people have done before the mass shootings in Colorado and Connecticutt and Colombine and with Gabby Giffords? In all instances the shooters may have been weirdos before their acts of destruction, but were there any real opportunities to predict and intervene proactively? We can't just lock people up because they're freaky.