I didn't see Andrea Yates's case or the video to establish any opinion at all, though I likely wouldn't have had enough evidence to even make a firm opinion from that alone. However, I think psychosis is a complex thing. I do believe that there have been cases of high crimes (and even murders) where the perpetrator should be considered not guilty because of insanity. That may still mean the person should be institutionalized in a psych facility for the safety of others and themselves (and rehabilitation), but long-term prison? Surely not in all cases.

Obviously, no one can really know for sure what goes on in another person's brain. That's a real barrier to true understanding of cause. Often, a very psychotic person isn't aware either, or has been taken over by the sickness of psychosis. I believe that in such states, certain types of reasoning or "moral compass" may be lost. It's a tragedy if/when others are hurt as a result, but in such extreme cases, I see the afflicted as hurt and dominated by the illness, too. Yes, in certain cases the afflicted can also be a victim. No one usually asks for such afflictions.

I once posted a blog article called "Hating is not fair". I knew it would be a controversial one. I did, indeed, get some strong negative reactions. One was specifically from a person who seemed to feel that anything could be forgiven EXCEPT if it included a child. In those cases, he wrote that he would be quick to pull a gun and hunt down and kill anyone.

I have a particular interest in issues relating to the justice system, especially as they pertain to the mentally ill.