'Dr.' Ron: Domestic Terrorists Might Suffer From Mental Illness

June 23rd, 2006 6:11 PM

Even before the evidence on Haditha is in, Jack Murtha was ready to accuse American Marines of 'cold-blooded' killings. But let terrorists plan to kill Americans, and - what do you know? - some are quick to ascribe their acts to everything from poverty to insanity.

Norah O'Donnell was the guest host on this evening's Hardball. Discussing the arrest of seven alleged domestic terrorists charged with plotting to blow up the Sears Tower among other targets, O'Donnell asked her panel of 'Hardball Hotshots': "where is this hatred coming from?"

Mike Barnicle was first to propose a socio/psychological explanation: "Freedom, the freedoms we have here. Liberty, the liberties we have here, the isolation that many people feel from our society. . . Poverty, mental illness is part of it."

Ron Reagan later seconded Barnicle's emotion: "The real danger may be in fact from these homegrown terrorists, people who for whatever reason, it could be something as simple as mental illness on their part, have decided to take up arms against their own country."