True Insanity

This is a complete travesty.

To find a woman who coldbloodedly murdered her five children "not guilty" is a crime against humanity.

But, then, what should we expect from a society where it is considered a right to choose to kill one's own child by abortion?

AP: Jury finds Yates not guilty in drownings---

HOUSTON - In a dramatic turnaround from her first murder trial, Andrea Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday in the drowning of her children in the bathtub.

(emphasis added)

"Not guilty" by "reason of insanity"?!?!?!?! So, since she's insane, she didn't, one by one, hold her precious children's heads under the bathtub water until they died from drowning? So, since she's insane, this didn't happen? What, the five Yates children are living somewhere in Disneyland? They aren't dead?

What a travesty of justice. This woman ought to be locked up in jail for the rest of her life, found guilty of one of the worst crimes possible.

Instead,

The 42-year-old woman will be committed to a state mental hospital and held until she is no longer deemed a threat. If she had been convicted of murder, she would have been sentenced to life in prison.

Oh, how nice. Once Andrea "I-drowned-my-children-in-the-bathtub-but-I'm-crazy-so-it-didn't-happen" Yates is feeling better, she can have a normal life. How nice for her. A pity her children don't have lives! A pity they can't grow up and live actual normal lives.

I believe that one's sanity, or lack thereof, as is the case here, ought only be considered in the sentencing, not in whether one is guilty or not guilty. Just because someone is not cognizant of doing something does not mean she did not do it.

Guilty means one did the act one is charged with. Not guilty should mean that one didn't do the act one is charged with.

What kind of plea is "not guilty by reason of insanity"??? Did someone else drown 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah????

Or, did 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah drown themselves???

Basically, this verdict means that the lives of 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah meant nothing. That their deaths meant nothing . . . nothing other than a moment of insanity in an otherwise regular woman's life. And, that a moment of insanity isn't really that bad of a thing.

Yuck. I hate living in a culture where people, yes, even insane people, get away with murder. So Andrea Yates needs mental help (don't we all?). Fine. Give it to her after she is found guilty of these heinous crimes. Lock her up forever, but send a psychiatrist to her so that she finds her sanity.

Really, I can't think of a worse---or better fitting---punishment than for Andrea Yates to spend the rest of her life in jail, sane, with the knowledge that she held her children's little precious heads under water until the life spilled out of them.

That should be enough to drive anyone to true insanity.

Pray for Andrea Yates. Pray for the souls of 6-month-old Mary, 2-year-old Luke, 3-year-old Paul, 5-year-old John and 7-year-old Noah. Pray for the Yates family. Pray for the 12 stupid people who freed Andrea Yates. And, pray for our country, that we no longer allow evil murderers to go free because they are insane.

Foul whisperings are abroad; unnatural deeds
Do breed unnatural troubles; infected minds
To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.
More needs she the divine than the physician.

-William Shakespeare
Macbeth
V.ii.75-78

My previous posts on this witch:
-9 November 2005: It's Ok to Kill Your Kids . . .
-9 January 2006: "Unnatural Deeds"

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