NEW: Kennedy on CNN Calls Mental Illness ‘Greatest Discrimination’

Patrick Kennedy disagrees with most Americans that minority groups of color and gender have suffered the worst from discrimination. In a CNN interview with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Kennedy, former US Representative for Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District, said he sympathizes with Jared Loughner and other people with mental illnesses.  

Loughner was charged with the January 8, 2011 Tucson, Arizona shooting that killed six people, including Chief US District Court Judge John Roll, and left 14 others injured, including US Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

Shooter's neurotic behavior "overlooked"

Loughner’s continuous neurotic behavior was overlooked, Kennedy said. “Because we look the other way and he goes untreated,” Kennedy said, “he shoots and kills people including a good friend of mine Gabrielle Giffords.”  

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Along with Gabrielle Gifffords, “[Loughner] has a brain injury as well,” Kennedy said, “because clearly his brain was not working properly when he picked up that gun and shot all those people.” 

Violence due to inability to attain proper health care for mental illness

Kennedy feels that Loughner’s violence in Arizona was due to his inability to attain the proper health care to treat his mental illness. During his career, Kennedy helped introduce legislation that includes mental illness in health insurance. In a speech to the Cleveland City Club in 2008, Kennedy acknowledged having bipolar disorder and being a recovering alcoholic. 

“Now our attention is on Gabby and her recovery of her brain and he’s being jailed for his brain not being recovered, it’s an irony.”