You may consider me as one American who believes John Hinckley does not deserve an unconditional release from custody.
I mean, all he did was shoot President Reagan in March 1981, damn near killing him, while grievously wounding others in a melee outside the Washington Hilton hotel. One of his other victims was White House press secretary James Brady, who never recovered from the grievous brain injury he suffered; Brady has since died of complications suffered from that shooting.
U.S. President Reagan’s shooter John Hinckley wins unconditional release (msn.com)
A jury would acquit Hinckley on grounds that he was insane when he did the deed. He spent decades in an institution. Then he was released in the custody of his mother, who has since died.
Now a judge has said he can walk free among the rest of us, without condition.
Bad call, judge.
The late president’s daughter, Patti Davis, has argued that Hinckley has shown no remorse and shouldn’t be allowed to roam free. I agree with her.
If the assailant had demonstrated any actual remorse, then might be different. I am unaware of anything he has said or done since the trial to suggest any feeling of the sort over what he did.
The entire nation needs to keep a sharp and vigilant eye on this individual once he is free of the restrictions under which he has lived.
Just one more point. Hinckley is now 66 years of age, meaning that he is still capable of doing harm to others.
