John Hinckley’s Unconditional Release Hailed For Ending Stigma Against Trying To Kill The President

ARLINGTON, VA—Hopeful that the ruling would set a new precedent for such cases, advocates hailed John Hinckley’s unconditional release Monday for ending the stigma against trying to kill the president. “Presidential assassins and would-be assassins have been treated as second-class citizens in this country for centuries,” said National Alliance on Mental Illness spokesperson Katherine Schee, who applauded the federal judge’s decision to grant the man who wounded Ronald Reagan his freedom as an incredible victory for aspiring president shooters everywhere. “It’s heartbreaking to think about all of the young men and women over the decades who probably ideated about killing sitting presidents like Gerald Ford or Bill Clinton, but felt too scared or embarrassed to even try. Just look at the reprehensible way people treated John Wilkes Booth.” At press time, Schee added that the next step forward was decriminalizing presidential assassination.