Omnivorous writes:
But I do find it dispiriting that a man can deteriorate so publicly and flamboyantly for so long, and only has a chance for help when faced with criminal proceedings. As a practical matter, communities wait so long at their own peril.
I recall one article where Markuze's mother, with whom he apparently lives, refused to believe that he could have threatened anyone. When a person's derangement only exhibits itself in secret or in isolation, such as online, family and community might have no hint of the problems.
Another issue: How does a community judge when a person who has committed no crime represents a sufficient danger as to justify preemptive action? How does one balance the community's right to be safe and secure in their daily life against an individual's right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure and just freedom in general.
I think it's rare for a deranged individual to give such obvious and overt signs that he's deranged that he can be preemptively treated against his will.
My own interpretation of Markuze's posts here, prior to his arrest, was that he was very strange but harmless. His posts seemed more weird than threatening. The portions alleged to contain threats seemed more like hyperbole than literal threats to me. Given the sheer volume of his posts, much greater than I ever imagined or that even seems possible, perhaps he has some sort of obsessive/compulsive disorder.
--Percy
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