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The Insanity Plea

Writer's picture: Daniel PulliamDaniel Pulliam


"Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, so is the person who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'"

(Proverbs 26:18‭-‬19 CSB)


   We see it in movies, some person commits the most heinous atrocities, and in court pleas insanity in hopes of not being held accountable or obtaining a reduced sentencing. There is still a problem with this, even if the person is a madman, the damage they inflicted is not magically put to right just because they are diagnosed as insane. The deaths remain dead, the destruction is still in a destroyed state, the smoke from the flames still rises into the air; the madman just isn't able to comprehend or process the destruction he caused. He might not have committed these actions with what a sane person would call malice. He may see it, and interpret it as fiction or a video game or just a dream, but that's what makes him insane - what he interprets as real isn't reality. Meanwhile all of us in reality suffer the fallout. 


   So it is with the man who lies to his neighbor, coworker, or friend only later to come back as he busts a gut laughing at the "all in fun" prank he just pulled. He can repeat, "I was only joking, bro!" all he wants to, the damage is done and isn't reversed merely because it was all a joke. This person is as out of touch with reality as the insane person. They fail to see the extent of the damage they caused while viewing their claims of it being a joke (whether it was truly intended as a joke or

not) as justification for absolution of all and any wrongful actions on their part. Their attempt to classify it as "all in good fun" only serves to blame the victim of the "joke" as the one who is in the wrong by accusing them of being offended and hurt by nothing. This madman shoots his friends through with flaming arrows and then blames them when they try to hold him accountable as he denies any wrongdoing. He fails to understand the damage is done, he's out of touch with reality. The insanity plea doesn't right the wrong. The friendship is now a pile of ashes and the once friend is still pierced through. 





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