Lincoln Discussion Symposium

How much more does MTL have to endure in History?

HerbS I agree.

I agree with others: it strikes me as insulting that this event is taking place.

I believe these are the same folks who did the Mary Surratt retrial a year ago. If you have a spare 90 minutes there is a video of the Mary Surratt retrial here.

(the link to the video is only working erratically on my computer; if you cannot connect to the site, it is not just your computer)

I would like to see a trial starring John Wilkes Booth as the Defendent. It would be one of those "what if" deals kind of like "what if" the south won the war.

Craig

I am aware of a book project that deals with the exact same topic, but I'm not sure how far along it is.

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I should have also mentioned that our education staff at Surratt House Museum frequently does classroom presentations (or on-site after class tours) that feature a mock trial of Mary Surratt. The lead-in to it presents as many pro- and con- facts as possible. Unfortunately for Mrs. Surratt, most of the time, the children (5th-8th graders) find the lady guilty.

It is also an excellent means for bringing across the idea of modern gang members being responsible for what other gang members might do. Unfortunately, we are right outside D.C., and there is a significant gang presence in certain pockets of the area.

Mary Todd Lincoln arrives for insanity re-trial.

I never knew that. I had no idea her son had her committed. How awful.

And didn't RTL provide his mother with a lawyer of his choice to 'defend' her???

(09-24-2012 09:37 PM)Hess1865 Wrote: [ -> ]And didn't RTL provide his mother with a lawyer of his choice to 'defend' her???

He provided the attorney, the judge, the jury, and the expert witnesses.
I suppose since I have a bit of a theatre background, I have a different feeling about events such as this trial. My friend, Pam Brown, will be portraying Mary in this production. And, that is exactly what it is -- a theatrical production. If events such as this one create interest in the topic and people are inspired to read well written history books, then I applaud the cast and crew. I have the same feelings toward well done historical films. We are a society that craves entertainment. It is a credit to the actors when their craft entertains and educates.

To see the decision in the mock trial, CLICK HERE.

There is a video replay of the mock trial here.

Roger, in Michigan most of the State mental health hospitals were closed about a decade ago. Those patients were released to the community at large. Many of them have symptoms comparable or, perhaps, even more severe than what MTL was alleged to have-and they are living in their communities. It doesn't surprise me if MTL was deemed to not have criteria by today's standards then. I have treated hundreds of patients who hear voices everyday and are delusional. They are not considered acute enough to be hospitalized. Even when they are hospitalized-its only for a few days. The days of being hospitalized for extended periods of time are pretty much over.

Hi Bill. I have had several folks write me over the years with the suggestion that perhaps Mary suffered from a condition known as Borderline Personality Disorder. I do not know enough about that to give any sort of intelligent reply. Have you ever heard of this?