But she wasn’t convicted based on her emotional response. She was convicted because she murdered them.

Right. But you know I don’t care where she came from or how sick she is. What she did to those children is beyond horrifying. That she doesn’t care is even worse. There is no punishment that is great enough for her.

I totally agree. The problem is that we live in a capitalistic society and if it doesn’t make money, it doesn’t get funded. Right-wing media propaganda of the last 30+ years has convinced the electorate that any sane, pro-social, government-provided/funded service is going to raise their taxes and be wasted.

This is a horrific tragedy, and although I sympathize with sufferers of mental illness, I do think justice was served in this case. Ortega’s family is to blame for putting those children in danger. If she had a history of psychotic breaks, even under treatment and was non-compliant, then she should have never been…

An apologia for a child murderer.

Temporary insanity?!? Did you not read her statement where she expresses no remorse and makes herself the victim? I’m sympathetic to immigrants, but she killed two children and not only isn’t sorry about it, is whining that she got caught and even expects people to feel sorry for her over it.

“Normally, someone who suffers a mental illness, commits a crime that they’re responsible for because it’s an intentional crime, you knew it was wrong, you knew the nature and consequences of your act, but that still still leaves some mitigation to the crime that someone may commit because they suffer mental illness. B…

Did his plastic surgery include, like, a head augmentation? He has the body-to-head proportions of my 15-month old, who only recently cracked the first percentile in weight even though he’s been like 60th %ile in head size all along.

Sure we knew it— but he used his privilege/writing/access to put it out there in a way that suddenly people started to care. I’m not going to turn down any champions or advocates who can have that impact.

Don’t forget, he’s lived this with his “father” who is one of Hollywood’s worst abusers. His childhood was hell. Few believed his sister. Those who did, failed to protect her. Fortunately for Ronan, he made it through better than some of his siblings. I admire the fact that he’s taking his pain to help other victims…

The book promises original reporting and “stunning revelations” about how far private investigators, former spies and lawyers go to silence victims.

Wow. You, uh, you just threw that spoiler right out there didn’t you. The entire crux of the film revolves around that reveal. It is way too soon to give away the movie like that without a spoiler warning. I know you have a bunch of these comments already, but it’s worth repeating. You messed up on this one.

My ex’s brother once met Hunter Thompson and he explained that he believed them to be distant cousins, and that he thought Hunter’s Aunt Helen was his mother’s second cousin or whatever. Hunter listened politely and was reasonably engaging. When they parted, Hunter asked for a business card. A few weeks later, a copy…

I was born to a grammarian and she worked very hard to beat split infinitives out of me, though I slip up often.

I saw The Evil Bitter Barren Ugly POS Liberal Hags at Lilith Fair in ‘98- they killed it.

Somewhere Jonathan Franzen is regretting being born 20 years too late.

I’m sorry but I have had this bone to pick with Sex and the City for years now. There is no world in which Carrie Bradshaw hates a sparkly purse shaped like a random animal or bird or whatever. Maybe, maybe, she’s not into the specific bird she receives because it’s not ridiculous enough for her tastes, but that’s it.

Thank you for this well-written and gut-wrenching article. Having recently gone through one of those “life-upending” tragedies - my father, a historically non-violent person, killed my mother and then himself, completely out of the blue - I find myself thinking about mental illness and where accountability…