In reply to Bootrock:
> What about someone who murders a group of people that don't share the same sexuality or beliefs as themselves?
It's still murder.
> Do we dismiss them as mentally ill?
I'm only a pitchfork waving peasant so am not qualified.
> Is religion a mental illness?
IMHO, yes (being slightly flippant here)
> Does religion pray on the mentally ill?
Yes. (No flippancy here)
> Now don't get me wrong, this guys a murderous scumbag. And the loss of any life is deeply saddening, but you all seem to be quick to dismiss, or make excuses for or just plain ignore certain aspects of other Murders of people for differing beliefs or religious doctrine, but yet you all seem to be jumping at every point to blame "the right wing" or whoever else, or proclaim that every "Brexiter" is a murderous scumbag.
No. I don't think anyone is saying that. You are conflating the verbal damnation being heaped on the racist and hate/fear promoting elements of the Brexit side (and Farage is a notable part of this) with disagreement with Brexit as a whole, which is either disingenuous or slightly hysterical.
> You seem to be making the very assumptions you all gob off so much about for every other attack.
Not sure what you mean here. There may be some very opposed voices on here but I don't recall anyone trying to find mitigating circumstances for Lee Rigby's murderers, for example.
> It wouldn't be the first time someone has put words into the mouth of someone else who doesn't quite understand.
> If this man was mentally ill, society has failed him and failed Mrs Cox.
I agree. A poor guy who is likely not very bright and wasn't dealt a good hand from the outset. Easy pickings for the bad 'uns. Most islamic radicals have the same profile. However at risk of sounding all daily mail (with the caveat that our subject here is a white englishman with far right leanings) we should maybe hold back the violins and recall that he may have been a poor guy last week but this week a mother and politician is dead and he is a murdering scumbag (as you said). Society has also failed in that there are enough of us stupid enough or lacking in general humanity to allow ourselves to be whipped up by bollocks, lies and propaganda, some of which is transparently recycled from 1930s Germany.
These are very ugly times.
Post edited at 13:01