Looks like there is an on-going dilemma developing in Maine. Yet another attorney of a man who has a traumatic brain injury is looking for a get-out-of-jail-free card. In spite of a t.b.i. suffered as the result of a car accident one week after high school graduation and personality changes, Todd Curry managed to pick up a degree and a career as a merchant marine. There were two girlfriends who had difficulties living with him, domestic violence charges dropped to "disorderly conduct," and a son.
The first girlfriend moved out because Curry was afraid of the house burning down. She was "not allowed" to install or use her dryer or burn candles or use night lights. She asked that Curry stay away from her. Seems he was driving down her road and shining his car lights into her new abode at night. He was allowed to keep his car. Todd Curry started a border dispute with his neighbors, allegedly believing that they were growing marijuana on his land. He shot his gun off on or near their property at night. He was allowed to keep his car and his gun. The last girlfriend would not press charges of domestic abuse so Curry was once again allowed to keep his gun. He used said gun to shoot his own son Anthony Tucker dead. Now the assistant D.A. has called for a psychiatric exam. Todd Curry's supporters are excusing his actions with a bipolar disorder diagnosis and repeated hospitalizations.
I don't buy this "My traumatic brain injury made me do it" or "My whatever made me do it" crapola and neither should any self-respecting person with any sort of disability. Add to it the idea that it's okay for those of us with serious psychiatric disorders [whether caused by or worsened by the insults to our brains] to have guns, well there is something wrong there with our thinking that is for sure. It is not okay for most all of us folks with a traumatic brain injury to have a gun. And it is not okay for most all of us folks with psychiatric conditions to have a gun. The average citizen can own a gun safely. We cannot.
Some of us with traumatic brain injury plus-- or even with just t.b.i.-- lack insight into our difficulties. Some of the rest of us do know but we go out and purchase guns anyways. Hardly anyone likes to admit that yes, we do have some limitations. Especially if those limitations mean that we pose a risk to society if we are allowed to own a gun. Then when we beat someone, stalk someone, threaten someone, kill someone, we run off to the attorneys who for a price are willing to provide us with the best legal defense possible. Which is our legal right.
How about the rights of people to live free of mental and physical intimidation? How about the right of a man's son to live a life instead of getting shot down like some animal out in the woods?
If we who have disabilities want "what everyone else has", we oughta take on some
responsibility for our bad behavior. In other words, commit the crime, do the time.
And by the way, in case anyone is wondering. I don't own a gun. In spite of the laws that say I can own a gun, I don't. I recognize my risk factors. See above.
sapphoq healing tbi
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