Conspiracy theorist and unrepentant liar Alex Jones now says that he was consumed by some kind of “psychosis” that led him to concoct completely hare-brained theories that the Sandy Hook massacre never happened [“Alex Jones says he has a ‘psychosis’ in deposition about his role in spreading false rumors about Sandy Hook shooting,” courant.com, March 29].
Tragically, Jones’ rants had predictable effects: The grief-stricken parents of the Sandy Hook children were subjected to years of brutal harassment and death threats that compounded their heartbreak and trauma. One of those parents has now committed suicide.
In his deposition, Jones says that he takes no responsibility for the horrors his slander inflicted. Worse yet, Jones’ brand of hysteria now passes for “journalism” that earned him a White House press pass from a president who prefers Jones’ “alternative facts” to journalistic integrity.
If the Texas courts hearing the Sandy Hook slander case have a shred of common human decency, they should protect families of shooting victims from similar harassment and bury Jones under a mountain of punitive damages.
If we want to understand how a nation’s tolerance for unchecked lies and delusional psychosis can lead to disaster, we should read Madeline Albright’s sobering best-seller, “Fascism: A Warning.”
Alex Kuzma, Glastonbury
