What's YOUR Take?

 
  Vince Li is severely mentally ill. For those not aware of who he is, Mr. Li is the man who bludgeoned, decapitated, and cannibalized 22 year old Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus. Mr. Li was found not criminally responsible by reason of psychosis last year and the horrifying non-crime that resulted in an innocent young man dying is still fresh in a lot of minds both local and globally. The details are so shocking that folks simply cannot forget.

  So today is the second anniversary of Mr. McLean losing his life due to a man who is severely ill. And on that anniversary the Manitoba authorities announced that Vince Li will be allowed escorted walks. While he and other forensic patients will be accompanied by unarmed guards, the Selkirk Mental Health Centre is a fenceless facility.

  While the government apologized for the timing of the announcement, I'm more than a tad concerned about the perception of this. While Vince Li is schizophrenic and probably will not be released any time soon, you cannot erase the horrifying things that he did. I do understand that the mentally diseased are far different from conscienceless beasts like Paul Bernardo and Clifford Olson. But no matter how medicated a guy is, pills don't cure his disease and being sedated for a year doesn't mean Vince Li is harmless.

  The guy has spent less than 2 years under supervision and I personally believe that Vince Li has not proven that he will not be a harmful individual. I mean all he has to do is bolt from the unarmed guards and stop taking his meds and he likely will harm someone else. Such a short period of time in a hospital might mean the guy is doped up, but won't get to the root of what happened to this guy's brain to make him think that he was supposed to kill and eat a perfect stranger.

  Add onto this the timing that can only harm the living victims; the friends and family of Tim McLean. Who the hell decided that this was appropriate? And what about the family? They were the ones who had to receive the horrifying news that their loved one was mutilated to death on his way home from work. Who's listening to them?

  It is my belief that Vince Li should be transferred to a secure and gated psychiatric facility until the end of his demented days. But I open the floor to you folks- is Vince Li a dangerous killer or a victim of unfortunate mental circumstance?

  The photo is of Tim McLean from his Myspace page. Vince Li doesn't deserve to be pictured on such an ominous anniversary.