One of the victims in the shooting has been hospitalized for observation when he said to a founder of the Arizona Tea Party "You're dead." This was in the news this morning.

I wonder whether the same rule would have applied if he had said "you're politically dead."

The "dangerous to oneself or others" criterion for involuntary commitment has been around for at least 40 years. As a psychologist in the 70's and 80's, I had the onus of making these decisions. It is not always easy to decide...at least if you take it seriously.