Phantom Menace, indeed....

[Gorn Captain]

Having worked with people with severe mental disorders, I don't think that "getting a grip and rethinking your life" is an option for them. Some of them are so far from reality, that brushing their teeth is quite an achievement. We can't possibly get into their head and realize how messed up it all is.

I have a close relative who falls into the "Jake Lloyd" category, and had a front row seat for the mayhem for many decades. Just saying "he's an adult, he's responsible for his actions" is massively oversimplifying the problem. Both the patients and their relatives live in a world of hurt.

[Hedji]

^ Gosh, you said what I intended to write, a whole lot better than I did. Thumbs up for a compassionate, thoughtful response.

[huedell]

Didn't realize he was that far gone. Oh well.

[Hector]

I feel bad for him...and I agree with many here, that he needs professional help. Having said that...I don't excuse him for driving that fast...he could've seriously ended up in a horrific situation, and I'm not just talking about him...but endangering innocent people, whether as other drivers, pedestrian, bystanders...for that...he should be confined. I don't recommend a typical jail...but a psychiatric facility should be the way to go. Hope he gets the proper treatment, I wish him well.

[Gorn Captain]

I agree, some of them get committed way too late, and other people suffer the consequences. I learned that firsthand. Confinement and treatment is the only way.
There is a mental facility right across the street from us. A man who had been rejected for treatment walked into a store at the end of the street and gunned down the shopkeepers.
The patients themselves aren't capable of assessing their situation, so we shouldn't expect them to think "time to check into rehab". They don't relate to our reality, and often consider our thinking as "wrong, hostile, threatening". Lloyd can't act as a responsible grown-up, anymore than a guy in a wheelchair can get up and play soccer.