Posted on 07/26/2006 9:35:01 AM PDT by cajunman
Nothing wrong? How about not protecting his children from a mother with mental problems? How about making that mother do home schooling knowing full well that she had problems?
You don't put an unstable mother in a situation of constant interaction with five children without relief when you have been advised that she should have no more children.
Easy to say he did nothing wrong - you are right - he did nothing and the children died. He was the only hope they had in that situation. He chose not to see his wife's building problems, went off to work involved in his life, while the children were left with a crazy woman for their total care.
Smart - real, real smart. Yep, hey! What is he supposed to do, he works, brings in the bacon - the kids are her responsibility. Yet, he chose to keep having those kids but not to protect them from an unstable mother.
You do not expect that an unstable, totally depressed woman can surmount all problems and handle them as well as a healthy person. You are being a fool if you do.
Glad you kept God with you as you went through all of this and may your family be restored.
So very hard to understand post-partum depression.
§ 8.01. INSANITY. (a) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution that, at the time of the conduct charged, the actor, as a result of severe mental disease or defect, did not know that his conduct was wrong.
My mistake. I thought you were speaking of hydrophobia...not sociopaths.
I invite you to read my subsequent posts.
At any rate, Ms. Yates' actions (in my opinion and in the opinion of the previous jury) do not render her insane according to Texas law. According to Texas law, she knew her actions were wrong considering that she phoned her husband afterward telling him "I've done a very bad thing".
Sorry meant to say:
Disgusting verdict FOR a most disgusting evil, vile person!
No, I don't want to bet but I think a judge will think very carefully before letting out a woman that murdered 5 of her kids. If I'm wrong, feel free to come back with an I told you so though.
...the case is not closed....I am not a psychologist but I have a Masters Degree in Psych....and I can tell you that in severe cases, you can know what you did was wrong but so psychotic that you are compelled to do the act...at the time knowing you are doing the right thing...and at the same time, knowing was wrong.....hard to explain but unless you have studied or been around mental illness, I can tell you it is a tough nut.....I don't want to make excuses for anyone, but you are thinking of this in a rational mind, where those that are truly sick...do not have that luxury....so ....the case is closed....but not in what you elaborated on.....
Were Dahmer, Manson, et al, the serial killers sane? How could Susan Smith murder her precious boys? They were all clearly a combination of insanity and evil. Society put them where they belonged.
Because Andrea was the "Mother" we can't bring ourselves to judge her "evil"? We blame it on post-partum depression or meds.
Has she ever shown remorse? A truly remorseful, loving Mother who came to her senses, wouldn't want to go on living knowing what she had done..NOT Andrea...
I'm afraid the jury has been duped.
sw
It would be "unfortunate" if one of the kids broke their arm. Being drown with your four siblings is somewhat worse IMO.
The most just solution would be lethal injection for Yates, and a public square stoning for her deadbeat worthless husband.
Another mother who is has gotten off after murdering her children.
She killed those children out of hate for her husband.
There's (she claimed) a drop of about a factor of 1000 in the hormones in one day after birth; big shock to the body.
Exactly!
She killed those children because she wanted to strike out at her husband.
Just goes to prove: if you kill a whole bunch of people the jury will say you were insane, while if you kill only one, you get a death sentence. You might as well go for broke and kill them all - you will get away with it!
What if she was possessed?
I believe she can be set free after a spell in the hospital. I have to say that I blame the husband somewhat for not realizing how dangerous she was.
So God won't forgive murder?
You're correct. I am a psychologist (though I don't do clinical work) and I'm generally pretty tough on criminals. I've read what's out there on her condition and I'm convinced that she was extremely mentally ill at the time. She had postpartum psychosis - which is different than postpartum depression. Years ago Charles Krauthaumer (not sure I'm spelling his name right) had an excellent editorial explaining why he thought Andrea Yates should be found not guilty by reason of insanity (this might have been during the first trial). He did a great job explaining what, as you say, is hard to explain. The best analogy I can come up with is breaking the speed limit to get a sick person to the hospital. You know that you are doing something wrong and breaking the law, but you are doing it to save a life, so it is the "right thing" to do.
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