[GenuineRisk]

With the exception of serial killers, child molesters, and a few others, I'm reluctant to call someone "evil," especially someone clearly exhibiting mental illness. And mental illness is a tough thing- I think there's a fallacy in thinking mental illnesses are "curable." I think some are treatable, or controllable, but I think most are probably not curable. And it's hard to force someone to take medication or go to therapy. I've had manic-depressive friends who start taking medication, become very high-functioning, lovely people, and then stop taking it because they don't feel they need it, or they prefer the way they felt before. I want to shake them and say, "How can you not see how much the medication was helping? What's wrong with you?" But they just don't process the world the way I do.

So I don't know- I guess it's human nature to want right away to find someone to blame, and figure out what the "lesson" from the experience is, but sometimes I think terrible, awful things happen because they do. Which is horrible, and breaks hearts and leaves people behind to grieve and wonder why. And it leaves us feeling out of control of our world, which is scary. Is there a purpose or meaning behind it? Maybe; I don't know. But I don't think it was because this kid was evil. Messed up, without a doubt. But not evil.