On February 25th, 2015; Eddie Ray Routh, the man who killed Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was sentenced to life in prison.
At the time of the killing, Routh was suffering from delusions related to schizophrenia, a battle he has been fighting for most of his life. In America, prisons are becoming de facto holding facilities for the mentally ill, as the State is not willing to spend the money required to house and treat these people at safe, secure and specialized facilities.
The sentencing of Eddie Ray Routh sets a terrifying precedent that it is somehow morally acceptable to ignore and trivialize mental illness, and adds to the existing stigma surrounding it.
Please consider the fact that Eddie Ray Routh and many others like him who have been wrongfully jailed require treatment and not imprisonment.
