Actor/Director Rob Reiner found dead in home, apparent 'homicide'

[WheatenLover]

I think I'd rather bring up kids in the slums of a big city than in Hollywood. So many stars have lost their children to drugs or suicide.

A lot of ordinary people have lost their children to drugs or suicide, too. I don't think the location, per se, has much to do with it. Anyway if you brought up a child in the slums of a big city, they would have a lot of exposure to drugs and crime.

 

[hollydolly]

I've seen and heard reports they were found in bed with their throats slit but don't know if they were posed or that's where he took them out. Wonder if he knew they took sleeping pills let alone their schedule. That's premeditation. They say knife attacks are personal as well.

Judging by his long history including drugs, mental health etc he's basically still stuck in teenage rebel mode because they say many stop maturing at the age their drug issues started.

I think many nepo babies are so spoiled they never grow up....

 

[hollydolly]

A lot of ordinary people have lost their children to drugs or suicide, too. I don't think the location, per se, has much to do with it. Anyway if you brought up a child in the slums of a big city, they would have a lot of exposure to drugs and crime.

As I was growing up... I grew up not in the slums.. but in the city.... however all my paternal relatives and many of my friends lived in the slums, and we were always over there... and we never as far as I know neither I nor any of my siblings took drugs..

 

[WheatenLover]

As I was growing up... I grew up not in the slums.. but in the city.... however all my paternal relatives and many of my friends lived in the slums, and we were always over there... and we never as far as I know neither I nor any of my siblings took drugs..

That is wonderful, HD! But times, they have changed a lot. Plus, I think the cultures of our countries are somewhat different. We have a long-engrained gun culture that makes things in the projects even worse. Sometimes the projects are so bad the police refuse to go there -- this was true several decades ago, and for good reason.

I have older friends who grew up in housing projects, and their stories of their childhoods are totally different than they probably would be today. Oh yeah, one got shot in the behind with a pellet gun because he had been repeatedly fishing in some man's lake without permission. On like the dozenth time he got caught, he got shot. Apparently a pellet gun isn't like a shotgun, rifle, or handgun. His mom was a nurse and fixed him right up.

My husband had a lot of clients who grew up in the projects and their childhoods were uniformly alike -- none of it good. But not all drug addicts and sellers are from the projects. My one drug client was from the upper middle class - still addicted, still selling drugs, no guns involved.

 

[Irishdude]

If the nation finally REPEALED the 2nd Amendment, countless gun suicides and homicides would be prevented!

True, but this was a knife attack.

 

[hollydolly]

That is wonderful, HD! But times, they have changed a lot. Plus, I think the cultures of our countries are somewhat different. We have a long-engrained gun culture that makes things in the projects even worse. Sometimes the projects are so bad the police refuse to go there -- this was true several decades ago, and for good reason.

I have older friends who grew up in housing projects, and their stories of their childhoods are totally different than they probably would be today. Oh yeah, one got shot in the behind with a pellet gun because he had been repeatedly fishing in some man's lake without permission. On like the dozenth time he got caught, he got shot. Apparently a pellet gun isn't like a shotgun, rifle, or handgun. His mom was a nurse and fixed him right up.

My husband had a lot of clients who grew up in the projects and their childhoods were uniformly alike -- none of it good. But not all drug addicts and sellers are from the projects. My one drug client was from the upper middle class - still addicted, still selling drugs, no guns involved.

No...I understand your point...but I grew up in a city that during my youth , and before that my fathers' youth.. was dubbed the most dangerous city in all of Europe....

Today that city in the areas that were once slums still has a horrible reputation for violence and drugs...


However I have known more people who take hard drugs like Cocaine, and worse.. since being an adult and working in the entertainment industry..tv * film production...

 

[hollydolly]

Look at this family picture, you can see in the eyes of the murdering son... that something is awry

 

[David777]

The person who cannot handle hard drugs doesn't necessarily have poor self-control or a warped mind (whatever that is.) Many factors could contribute to drugs having a devastating effect on a person. The age of first use is important as a brain still growing in a 15 year-old is different than one of a 25 year old. The brain of someone with a genetic tendency toward mental illness is also different. Not everyone who eats a high carbohydrate diet will get diabetes, because insulin sensitivity varies from one pancreas to another. The person who enjoys cake and candy everyday and never gets diabetes is not superior to the one who does, just luckier.

I don't think prohibition, backed by good law enforcement, has been given a good chance.

Generally true, but to be clear, my generalized statement was not focused on "hard drugs" in which your input is certainly more true for. For instance, a person that occasionally uses Valium when confronted with say addressing a business meeting with others. For most, not an issue. While others might start using it regularly when they don't otherwise need to, because of a general lack of self control and or common sense, or other siituational factors, that has nothing to do with mental illness.

My statement, "There is no way for societies to set some clear, fair for all threshold on what is ok and what is not. Black and white prohibition has proven to be unworkable while open freedom of any drug use has likewise proven to make society worse, thus is unwise."

That means we cannot use black and white drug use policy for all mental affecting A to Z drugs in all situations. Your input is certain true for harder drugs that society and this person quite agrees with. For other situations, especially given the vast numbers of physician prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, including those fighting depression, such is a gray area where will never be firm thresholds for much, It Depends... on individuals that vary greatly.

What I would add to the general discussion is highly unpopular with the psychology profession and most people. That is a return to some level of corporal punishments that is not by pain as was once practiced but rather by making at least some of those incarcerated, particularly lower level short term sentenced, more uncomfortable and unhappy of being locked up so, than many seem to be.

For instance, instead of a pleasant 70F degree indoor cell environment, a lack of air conditioning for temperature unless temperatures reached some more extreme levels live below 60F or above 80F. Instead of access to cigarettes, coffee, candy, television, take those away. Instead of a range of enjoyable food, very basic boring, though healthy food. Instead of peace and quiet, listening to some speaker teaching correct behaviors and why not doing whatever will result in consequences. Much more in that vein.

For drug users, if they are made uncomfortable every time they are arrested instead of just being released after a few days with a hand slap, if many would be in jail for a couple weeks in such conditions they would try to avoid repeating doing so.

 

[WheatenLover]

No...I understand your point...but I grew up in a city that during my youth , and before that my fathers' youth.. was dubbed the most dangerous city in all of Europe....

Today that city in the areas that were once slums still has a horrible reputation for violence and drugs...


However I have known more people who take hard drugs like Cocaine, and worse.. since being an adult and working in the entertainment industry..tv * film production...

A friend of mine was a lawyer in a big firm. She had to go to parties given by the partners. She was so shocked that cocaine was freely available. It is illegal and lawyers are officers of the court! I was shocked too!

When I worked for a tv production company, I didn't know of any of my people who used drugs. Could be they felt free to tell me about how they got parasites and other illnesses by not spending their per diem on food, but thought drugs would be a step too far. I kept all their confidences, though.

 

[Della]

A lot of ordinary people have lost their children to drugs or suicide, too. I don't think the location, per se, has much to do with it. Anyway if you brought up a child in the slums of a big city, they would have a lot of exposure to drugs and crime.

That was my point. We all know that the poorest sections of the big cities are usually dangerous places to raise children, with lots of gangs and exposure to drugs. I was saying that, as bad as those areas can be, it might, sometimes, be even harder to raise children in a super wealthy area like the Reiner's neighborhood because the kids are going to big parties where alcohol and drugs flow freely and the kids have lots of spending money.

Of course suicide and addiction happens everywhere. I was just trying to express sympathy for the this one particular family and acknowledge that even the very wealthy among us can find it difficult to raise their children.

 

[RambleTamble]

That is a return to some level of corporal punishments that is not by pain as was once practiced but rather by making at least some of those incarcerated, particularly lower level short term sentenced, more uncomfortable and unhappy of being locked up so, than many seem to be.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

 

[RambleTamble]

I used and abused a lot of drugs and alcohol during my younger days. Had I not had the relief it provided, I most definitely would have ended my life.

 

[hollydolly]

A friend of mine was a lawyer in a big firm. She had to go to parties given by the partners. She was so shocked that cocaine was freely available. It is illegal and lawyers are officers of the court! I was shocked too!

When I worked for a tv production company, I didn't know of any of my people who used drugs. Could be they felt free to tell me about how they got parasites and other illnesses by not spending their per diem on food, but thought drugs would be a step too far. I kept all their confidences, though.

My husband and I both worked ( he still works there) in the UK TV major networks..cocaine is easier to get hold of than cigarettes or sweets ( candy)... almost everyone is taking it... same in the media at large.. nespapers et al...

 

[hollydolly]

That was my point. We all know that the poorest sections of the big cities are usually dangerous places to raise children, with lots of gangs and exposure to drugs. I was saying that, as bad as those areas can be, it might, sometimes, be even harder to raise children in a super wealthy area like the Reiner's neighborhood because the kids are going to big parties where alcohol and drugs flow freely and the kids have lots of spending money.

Of course suicide and addiction happens everywhere. I was just trying to express sympathy for the this one particular family and acknowledge that even the very wealthy among us can find it difficult to raise their children.

that's because generally speaking they don't ''raise'' their own children. Mostly they're raised by Nannies, and Boarding schools...

 

[WheatenLover]

My husband and I both worked ( he still works there) in the UK TV major networks..cocaine is easier to get hold of than cigarettes or sweets ( candy)... almost everyone is taking it... same in the media at large.. newspapers et al...

Well,, that is a bridge too far for me. There is just no way. I always looked at hard drugs as though they could injure my brain. I can think of no worse fate.

The company I worked for was Turner Broadcasting, I was around 28 years old when I started there.

 

[WheatenLover]

That was my point. We all know that the poorest sections of the big cities are usually dangerous places to raise children, with lots of gangs and exposure to drugs. I was saying that, as bad as those areas can be, it might, sometimes, be even harder to raise children in a super wealthy area like the Reiner's neighborhood because the kids are going to big parties where alcohol and drugs flow freely and the kids have lots of spending money.

Of course suicide and addiction happens everywhere. I was just trying to express sympathy for the this one particular family and acknowledge that even the very wealthy among us can find it difficult to raise their children.

Yes, even the wealthy can find it difficult. BUT their children get exposed to lots of things the average American child has no clue about. Some are great and some are bad. The lifestyle is certainly something with which I am not familiar.

My SIL got so much spending money when she was in high school that she started giving it away. Her parents would not give her the next week's allowance unless she had spent all from the previous week. Me? I would have hidden the excess and said I spent it. But for some reason she was adverse to lying.

I think if I had been wealthy when I had kids, I would have hired a bodyguard for each of them, someone mature who would keep them out of trouble, instead of joining in. They would have hated that. Too bad, so sad.

 

[hollydolly]

Well,, that is a bridge too far for me. There is just no way. I always looked at hard drugs as though they could injure my brain. I can think of no worse fate.

The company I worked for was Turner Broadcasting, I was around 28 years old when I started there.

BBC for me.. and several commercial channels until I was 58.. ex O/H is one of the studio bosses at the BBC

 

[dobielvr]

Look at this family picture, you can see in the eyes of the murdering son... that something is awry

That eerily look in his eyes may be due to the medications he's taking. He looks rather spooky to me.

 

[Jazzy1]

Update-->Nick Reiner has hired renowned defense attorney Alan Jackson, famous for representing Karen Read in her murder trial, along with other high-profile clients like Harvey Weinstein, to defend him after being charged with the murders of his parents, director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. Jackson confirmed he's representing Reiner and stated that a procedural issue prevented Nick from appearing at his initial court date, as he wasn't medically cleared.

---

Wonder where he's getting the money for this attorney.

 

[hearlady]

Unbelievably shocking and sad.

 

[Lewkat]

This case will no doubt be relegated to an insanity or some medically incompetent plea. No doubt, this being California, it will drag on for ages, and the son will not get a severe outcome. Especially, if he pleads guilty.

 

[JustDave]

The New York Times uses a coverage technique they call their latest updates format, which involves several reporters updating a story every 5 minutes with usually repeated information from different sources. It's like a written form of watching CNN all day long. I learned 20 times who will be Nicks attorney, but not much else. I think I'll just stick with senior forums, or wait for coverage from Reader's Digest.

 

[Sunny]

This case will no doubt be relegated to an insanity or some medically incompetent plea. No doubt, this being California, it will drag on for ages, and the son will not get a severe outcome. Especially, if he pleads guilty.

If there ever was an obvious case for an insanity plea, it's this one. What else could this be called?

The problem is protecting the rest of the world from him. He has to be locked up for the rest of his life, insane or not. I am against the death penalty, and life without parole seems the only civilized option.

This young man is obviously very sick. It doesn't matter at this point whether it's because of the state he lives in, his friends, neighbors, teachers, whether he was spoiled or not, whether his parents loved him enough, whether he was rich or raised in a slum, whether his teachers were perceptive enough, whether his drug dealer sold him the wrong kind of stuff, or whatever. Millions of other kids are raised with some of the situations.

Sadly, this kind of brutal, pointless murder is not unique, and never has been. Every century has its insane killers. I don't think anyone has ever found a single motive. (The series Mindhunters deals with this.) But this case grabbed everyone's attention probably because Rob Reiner was so well-known, so decent, and loved by millions. We related to him as a fellow human being, not just a name.

 

[Sunny]

Generally true, but to be clear, my generalized statement was not focused on "hard drugs" in which your input is certainly more true for. For instan" not. Black and white prohibition has proven to be unworkable while open freedom of any drug use has likewise proven to make society worse, thus is unwise."

That means we cannot use black and white drug use policy for all mental affecting A to Z drugs in all situations. Your input is certain true for harder drugs that society and this person quite agrees with. For other situations, especially given the vast numbers of physician prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, including those fighting depression, such is a gray area where will never be firm thresholds for much, It Depends... on individuals that vary greatly.

What I would add to the general discussion is highly unpopular with the psychology profession and most people. That is a return to some level of corporal punishments that is not by pain as was once practiced but rather by making at least some of those incarcerated, particularly lower level short term sentenced, more uncomfortable and unhappy of being locked up so, than many seem to be.

For instance, instead of a pleasant 70F degree indoor cell environment, a lack of air conditioning for temperature unless temperatures reached some more extreme levels live below 60F or above 80F. Instead of access to cigarettes, coffee, candy, television, take those away. Instead of a range of enjoyable food, very basic boring, though healthy food. Instead of peace and quiet, listening to some speaker teaching correct behaviors and why not doing whatever will result in consequences. Much more in that vein.

For drug users, if they are made uncomfortable every time they are arrested instead of just being released after a few days with a hand slap, if many would be in jail for a couple weeks in such conditions they would try to avoid repeating doing so.

David, I disagree. I doubt that being incarcerated makes anyone "comfortable." If you were (mistakenly) locked up in a prison, would your main problem be the lack of candy, cigarettes, etc.? I doubt it. I think the overwhelming punishment of incarceration is taking away your freedom to move where and when you choose. You are penned up like an animal, constantly exposed to some of the worst of humankind, with no escape.
You are exposed 24 hours a day to loud obscenities, shouting and fighting, punishing insults, no privacy, etc. (At least, that's how prison is always depicted in the movies. I've never actually been in one.)

Would the lack of candy, etc, be such a profound lesson that it would turn a criminal into a law abiding citizen?

Would the time spent in prison make anyone eager to get arrested again so they could return to that wonderful place? Even if they got candy and cigarettes?

One thing that may have people fooled is that there is a "prison mentality," which I've read about and seen on TV. There's a kind of macho attitude where you always try to look tough and happy, as if you are one of the insiders, and in on the secret. But it's a pose. They are mostly angry and miserable. Inflicting Dickensian punishments won't change anything except maybe to make them determined not to get caught next time, if they are criminals, and teach them to hate the system that wrongfully locked them up, if they really are innocent.

This is not the 19th century!

 

[David777]

While you are correct that the majority entering jails even briefly, much less prison, don't like that situation, there are a minority that enjoy at least for awhile, the free food, housing, medical care, etc, as a respite from whatever street life including homelessness,

As noted, so does most of the psychology profession, that has shown a strong reaction to any mention or use of any level of corporal punishment, even at the limited level I mention. And the reason? Because they are afraid it will be successful and lead to increased use or rather misuse like it always was before. When I became a young adult, it was horrible what many police departments did to those that even looked in any ways like those they disliked. The whole Easy Rider thing.

As those emotional angry types in control abused their positions because it used to be easy to do so before this telecommunication and Internet era where oversight is now possible. The clear success of how such works today in Singapore, that goes far beyond what I suggest, has them seething. Criminals themselves, forever, have used physical punishment on their own to keep them in line, that says much about that logic.

David777 >>>"but rather by making at least some of those incarcerated, particularly lower level short term sentenced, more uncomfortable and unhappy of being locked up so, than many seem to be."

To be clear, I was clearly not referring to prison but rather those in short term jails for lower level crimes that today's sentences often have little deterrence. I'll add, I also lean towards publicly embarrassing convicted law breakers, and that especially applies here in California to youth that create all manner of felonies and then cannot even be named. In all too many cases, they are quietly released in secret without the public being aware, that then gaming our loony system, repeat the same property crimes like auto burglary endlessly.