John Hinckley Jr. to be freed after 35 years

John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to President Ronald Reagan in March, 1981, is scheduled to be released from a Federally operated psychiatric hospital and needless to say, quite a few people are upset with U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman decision to release the 61 year old Hinckley.

Comments left on the Washington Post website include:

"A terrible decision.
When someone shoots a President, no matter how privileged one's background, there should not be a return to society.
Reagan's would-be assassin, Hinkley, being released - a person who paralyzed James Brady (a brave man who fought an admirable fight against gun madness, but nevertheless lost his crusade to the sickness that is the NRA), a person who also shot the Secret Service agent who sacrificed his body to prevent Reagan from taking another hit?
This is wrong.
Thank goodness that New York State has been keeping John Lennon's horrible murderer from returning to society".

and:

"If there's any bloodthirsty, marginally-insane terrorist out there, representing any half-assed crackpot group, and you need a little practice targeting a totally expendable American piece of crap, why not pay John Hinckley a visit? If the guy has to do volunteer work anyway, running down the street with a bull's eye on his back would seem to be right down his alley".

Folks on Facebook were equally upset.

"This man tried to kill the President of theUnited States and he gets out of jail. We are becoming a nation of complete assholes".

" 'Insane' that is a good word to describe this. Shot Prez Reagan, paralyzed Bradey, tried to shoot others! He should rot in jail till death!"

"He should have gotten the death penalty!"

However..........

Ronald Reagan was far and away my favorite POTUS. There'll never be another like him. But, I happen to agree with the President Reagan's son Michael Reagan, who believes the time has come to release Hinckley. Michael Reagan said the former president didn't believe in holding onto feelings of anger, "My father not only could say the Lord's Prayer, but lived the Lord's Prayer because of his forgiveness of John Hinckley".

The younger Reagan also said, "As my father taught me, if you want to live with anger all of your life, you're gonna be very unhappy. You've gotta learn to forgive and get on with your life and go forward, instead of looking back and being angry all the time."

According to Michael Reagan, President Reagan wanted to visit Hinckley and tell him in person that he forgave him, but doctors would not allow it.