"Mental illness" is not a uniform category to explain things, or explain things away.
There is mental illness that leads to suicide attempts or actual suicide.
Then there is metal illness that leads a person to drive am SUV into an Easter Parade held annually in a community leading to multiple deaths/injuries.
And mental illness leading to a school shooting taking the lives of innocent children who never caused any distress to the person who killed them.
There is no diminished responsibility on the basis of mental illness in these latter cases. The criminal behaviour in these cases is not merely disturbed - it is evil. Gross evil.
"Mental illness" is not a uniform category to explain things, or explain things away.
There is mental illness that leads to suicide attempts or actual suicide.
Then there is metal illness that leads a person to drive am SUV into an Easter Parade held annually in a community leading to multiple deaths/injuries.
And mental illness leading to a school shooting taking the lives of innocent children who never caused any distress to the person who killed them.
There is no diminished responsibility on the basis of mental illness in these latter cases. The criminal behaviour in these cases is not merely disturbed - it is evil. Gross evil.
The death penalty is warranted.