> Aaron suffered from severe depression for years preceding the trial.

Depression is a fatal illness. Treatment for mental illness is sub-optimal. People are always responsible for their actions - Aaron was responsible for killing himself.

Having said all of that, a legal system that is so brutal that people kill themselves is fucking barbaric and is something that Americans should be deeply ashamed of.

Putting a person who you know to be vulnerable into solitary confinement, naked, is evil. It is baffling how anyone thinks that could be a suitable option.

Prison should be reserved for severe crimes - people who kill, who rape, who show themselves unable to live in society.

(In case it matters I've done some voluntary work around "secure mental health units" in the UK, including medium secure units. These are 'forensic', ie, part of the criminal justice system and they're where prisoners with severe mental illness go if prison is unsuitable. I'm not against locking people up, even if those people have mental illness.)

>Just as it's much easier to heap the blame on a villain, rather than consider that Aaron had other options and a life still full of potential.

1.redirect the blame from actual villain to the victim.

"easier to heap the blame on a villain" - an especially great line, i immediately felt sorry for doing it.

>My point is that both perspectives are one-dimensional and both rely heavily on speculation about things that you and I don't really know about.

2.sow the doubt.

>And more to the point, both downplay the reality that Aaron suffered from severe depression for years preceding the trial. If MIT was the tipping point, so be it. But often the tipping point is just the proverbial straw, and shouldn't be held responsible for Aaron's actions.

3.downplay the villain's actions severity through showing a perceived weakness of the victim.

Nice, man!