Colleges face dilemma deciding fate of mentally ill students

San Antonio Express-News ^ | 04/20/2007 12:30 AM CDT | Melissa Ludwig

[Albion Wilde]

The situation is not too different than a threatened victim being told by the police that there is nothing they can do until the threatener actually performs the deed. By that time, of course, the victim is dead.

Yes, I know a mother who went through that with a disgruntled ex who was threatening them. No one would help unless he actually hurt them physically.

[Albion Wilde]

I've personally seen and heard patients threastening to kill their children, their parents etc and then MAYBE a Tara Sof is written but more than likely not and they follow through on their threats.

What is a Tara Sof?

[Little Ray]

Ya have to be very careful about the definition of “menaced.”

Had friend and customer get suspended from a job ‘cause he had some gun magazines in his office and a coworker felt “menaced” or “uncomfortable.”

[Albion Wilde]

Shouldn’t expulsion be adequate?

Lawyers are making anything logical, common sense or preventative into "bigotry", "discrimination" or "hatred." It's an enormous cash cow for them.

On the practical level, the psychology of violent mental illness is such that when the person with the damaged ego is rejected, for whatever reason, that is the time they choose to unleash the violent retribution. This is why many women end up staying with batterers, or having to go into shelters if they manage to expel them from the home. Most domestic killings occur just when the woman manages to enforce the separation.

So in the VT case, expelling Cho might have had the same result as what did happen. This boy was now looking at graduation, leaving a familiar environment in which he was at least tolerated, and having to go into a new environment where he would be looked at as weird and rejected again, this time with higher stakes. He had a psychotic break, taking the symbols of his oppression -- well-adjusted kids -- out with him as he committed suicide.

[Albion Wilde]

See post 24.

[Karliner]

A Tara ZSof is a legal document that is written when a staff member overhears verbal threats or plans as to how the patient is to kill or harm someone.

The staff can issue a Tarasof through the courts and contact the soon to be victim warning them this person is going to be released a such and such a date so please watch your six. Have a nice day!

[Karliner]

Thanks. There’s a heck of a lot more to it but the bottom line is the mental health system rarely helps anyone. Letting them loose is worse.

[Grendel9]

Today some gal called in to the
TV station and said she was pretty
sure when all the chips are pulled
away on the Cho kid they’ll find
he actually followed the format of
the suicide terrorists: kill as
many Americans as you can with
one fell blow. In light of what
his Grandfather said about the kid,
Time will tell if the gal was right.

[Vigilanteman]

Universities are bastions of lieberalism.

Lieberalism is a mental disorder.

Therefore, universities have become a haven for those with mental disorders.

The logical solution is to concentrate it.

Transfer the mose lieberal professors to the most lieberal institutions. Do the same with the students and reorganize them as mental institutions.