While this law may create a stigma against the mentally ill, it gives more power to family members who know something is not quite right. In the case of Elliot Rodger, his “deeply misogynistic manifesto,” is likely the result of an underlying mental illness which his parents were aware of.
The connection between mental illness and violent crime was not discussed in my article. I simply touched on the issue of mass shootings, which make up less than 1% of all violent crimes in America.
Many citizens are not technically considered mentally ill, but have reported psychiatric problems. The new law postitively touches on this, by looking at these “mentally ill” citizens as individuals, not large stereotyped groups.