To the Point
Mental Health in America
Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, has raised questions about the failure of America's mental health system to help those who need it.
By Warren Olney • • 51m ListenFriday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, has raised questions that will never be answered by the killer who killed himself. Other issues can be addressed, including the failure of America's mental health system to help those who need it. Very few mentally ill people ever turn violent. So, why do so many end up in jail? Also, Cerberus Capital Management sells Freedom Group, the maker of Bushmaker, and Zero Dark Thirty and torture.
Banner image: A corridor connects abandoned buildings on the grounds of the historic St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, DC. Once home to thousands of criminally and civilly committed mental health patients, it's now divided into a federal parcel that's home to a modern mental health facility and Department of Homeland Security offices. Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
In this episode
3 storiesCerberus Capital Management Sells Freedom Group, Maker of Bushmaker
Adam Lanza used a semi-automatic rifle made by Bushmaster to gun down 20 first graders and six adults. Bushmaster is made by a company called Freedom Group. Now the owner of Freedom Group says it's up for sale . Peter Lattman is staff reporter for the New York Times' Dealbook , which covers business and finance.
Read the story7 minNewtown and the Lessons about Mental Illness
Nobody will ever know what led Adam Lanza to slaughter twenty 6- and 7-year-olds last Friday at the Sandy Hook School. But what has been reported strongly suggests that he was a young man who needed help.
Read the story32 minIs Torture Endorsed in 'Zero Dark Thirty?'
The US Senate Intelligence Committee has yet to release its findings about the use of "coercive techniques" -- which many call "torture" -- in the search for Osama bin Laden. But Committee members, after examining millions of pages of evidence, say "waterboarding" was not the key.
Read the story11 min
