Text Connections

Blog Topic # 4 Text Connections

            This novel presents one of the many questions proposed in some court cases. The line between the sanity and insanity of a person is hard to draw. In this case, both were convicted under the M’Naghten Rule and later executed. This particular case found much opposition while they were still on Death Row and even after it. One of the biggest cases similar to this concerned former president Teddy Roosevelt. John Schrank was found to be insane and placed in an asylum after giving rather unusual reasons for the murder. On the contrary a man by the name of John Hinckley who murdered Ronald Reagan supposedly to impress Jodie Foster was in fact acquitted. There was great opposition and most states tightened the insanity-plea including the Insanity Defense Reform Act. To me, it is difficult holding up laws and regulations to those that may indeed fail to understand good and bad. Unfortunately it is an ongoing debate and is difficult to truly judge morals of a given person.