Dear Editor: Your Aug. 8 editorial calling for religious tolerance was certainly right on point. Yet in a sense you were probably preaching to the choir.

Ethnocentrism, xenophobia and religious bigotry are not classified as mental illness because they have been the norm for most of human history. But they are certainly unhealthy states of mind.

Equally important to this issue is our need to use our increasing knowledge of psychology to identify and interdict people who pose a danger to the community. We can do that without violating anyone’s constitutional rights or creating a witch-hunt mentality.

That we are not using the knowledge we have is sadly illustrated by the massacre in Aurora, Colo. James Holmes’ psychiatrist was so alarmed by his mental state that she went to the proper authorities on campus, and they dismissed her concerns in an instance of bureaucratic incompetence.

Recently, while talking with a lawyer, I asked her why that psychiatrist couldn’t have gone to a judge and gotten that guy the psychiatric intervention he needed. She said no one person should have that power. I agreed. So why not three people? The law should allow for three medical professionals to attest to a judge that someone is a danger to the community. If this should involve a conflict with privacy, well, public safety should take precedence over privacy in a sane legal system. What makes that tragedy all the more horrific is that it was preventable.

John Morgan

Madison