| Show 1 The New Defense DR T R. WILLIAM B. B HICKSON of Chicago would provide another defense for the modern criminal granting him a presumption of insanity J along with that pertaining to his innocence e. e That l L is all the criminal element needs to make lawlessness law- law a safe and ind paying profession and we doubt if the Chicago doctor will will live to see his J i c conclusions in act actual al practice The normal normah and citizenship will t agree agre agree with Dr Hickson only in one particular x and nd that is that murderers and suicides a as we well l as other other criminals are insane Nevertheless society c cannot annot concede that this that is the burden of itself without the establishment nt of a a aset set standard of mentality and a means of bringing every individual individual indi indi- vidual up to this standard Mental A equality is impossible in our our present I stage of development Every must me measure e sure sure other people with his own mind Hence every person must be mentally deficient at times opinion of the individual who uses his own tape measure and which may mayor or may ma not be the I i only reliable standard The fact of the matter mattert t is we are all off at times on certain subjects J Columbus was crazy in his time not so much because he set out to find a new world as because he was under t the e scrutiny of his mental inferiors who vho were his superior in hi numbers Many in inventors in- in tors who have accomplished much for the h worlds world's progress were regarded as insane until k their particular hobbies became convincing facts y Genius is and always has been peculiar J It has been so different that the average mind r has has questioned its sanity The superior mind has rested under the same indictment as the deficient j one because it was beyond the comprehension of the he average mentality And if these extraordinary rt 1 n nary ry men were not insane and many of them ft 5 have have- established their defense then perhaps those who questioned their sanity were The most difficult thing in the world to o prove is complete and lasting sanity Ve We can become so so insane that there can be no question of a doubt but if we are call called d upon to prove the antithesis it be becomes omes a 3 different matter Fancy fi vi any ny individual claiming sanity proving his point r in the face of the mental storms the tantrums J Sf l the distemper and the mistakes which mark every U hum human n life Surely one cannot claim mental Y and be possessed of these vices Now if we say that the state mu must t prove every very individual sane before it can obtain convictions convictions convictions con con- for crime we can have nothing but butt t license If the state assumes the burden the way way- way way-I f f ward individual enjoys a distinct advantage and I has an adequate defense for any offense The v higher laws place some burden of mental development develop- develop r 1 ment upon the individual The mental condition ft 1 i of the person is the responsibility of himself and t his family and not of society at large Under any any other condition the fundamental purpose of oi life is lost N. N Society in the goodness of its heart has es established places place for the hopelessly insane but butto butto to ask it fo to provide detention for all who would f embrace the doctrine of f Dr Hickson is demanding demanding demand demand- 1 ing too much nuch As a matter of fact the mental t deficiency which Dr Hickson would recognize J and protect is the thing the world is struggling against We are all aware ware aware of our imperfections and d to overcome overcome them is the mission of life We cannot annot ask the state to give us what the Creator i in His wisdom holds is to come only from a perpetual struggle with ourselves |
