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So sorry to hear about your brother. I do know someone who is paranoid schizophrenic (which, by the way, prosecution psych. Dietz said that he believes Andrea is actually schizophrenic). I do agree that the mentally ill can know right from wrong, but the difference is that your brother, I'm sure, is properly medicated. Andrea was not, at the time of the murders. As I'm sure you know, schizophrenics can have their "moments." An ex-boyfriend's brother is PS and has definitely had his psychotic/delusional moments (scary as hell, I won't go into it). The point that I'm trying to make is what you brought up: as a Christian, yes, she knew killing was wrong. But as a mentally impaired Christian, she *thought* she was protecting her children from hell, and was even willing to sacrifice her own soul in the process. Sick as that may be, that was, for Andrea, the ultimate act of "love." To lay down HER life for her children. That doesn't sound sane, or cold-blooded, to me (and when I mention people saying she isn't sane, I am referring to the many other threads on this topic where I have encountered this attitude).

I tend to agree somewhat with you except that she thought the devil was in her. To rid herself of the devil would mean that she would have to do away with her own body, not necessarily the bodies of the children. She made several half-a$$ed attempts to kill herself and were she truly unconsolable and sincere with her illness, she would have done it right the first, or at least, the second time and quite possibly left a long letter describing her turmoil and her actions. I believe when she comes to terms with what she did and faces what Rusty really is, she will have a lot to say on the subject. Rusty better hope she never gets well.

My brother has a tendency to go off his meds on a regular basis, like all schizophrenics. However, the only crimes he's ever committed are vagrancy a couple of times, and hitch hiking on an on-ramp of a freeway in Florida.

Yes, Andrea Yates' symptoms, as described, DO sound like one or more of the 53 known types of schizophrenia. Unlike the 'victim', Rusty, I LEARNED all I could in order to help my brother.

I've never heard anyone argue that Htler was sane, either. We don't hear arguments thay UBL is sane. What we DO believe is that they knew the difference between right and wrong. And that they're both cold blooded killers.

REAL cold blooded killers ar sociopaths. Which means that real cold blooded killers are also crazy. They know the difference between right and wrong. They just don't give a rat's tail end.

I'm not assuming or implying that Andrea Yates is a sociopath as well as a possible schizophrenic. I'm pointing out a flaw in your reference to real, cold bloodd killers.

Another possibility for Andrea's psychosis: the same symptoms also occur in speed freaks. She IS very thin. Not to say she's a speed freak. Just pointing out another possibility for her symptoms and actions, as outlined in court and in public statements to the press.

"But as a mentally impaired Christian, she *thought*..."

Interesting aside about the Yate's family version of Christianity: it was informed and based on the twisted teachings of an itinerant "preacher" who used to frequent the Grand Rapids Michigan area where I grew up. Until he got run out of town on a rail by the local prosecutor who grew weary of this jack-ass' hassling kids and women on the streets. At the time, the plea bargain was fairly groundbreaking: get out of town and agree to never darken our door again in exchange for a suspended sentence. He's never been back to my knowledge, but I see that he's been a busy beaver, spreading his poison in other parts of the country. What a disgrace to the Gospel. What a stumbling block for those who don't follow Christ. We may never know how many more lives this "evangelist" has touched for the worse, but here's one of his prize "students" and her handiwork for all to see. Plus, as an added bonus, we get to watch the spectacle of Rusty appearing on all the "important" chat shows, exihibiting an appalling and disturbing demeanor in the face of a loss that most of us would find absolutely debilitating.