Pretty much, I figured she was guilty and walked away from paying attention to it, and pretty much, I was surprised that she was found not. But here's the thing -- my life does not hinge upon, hang upon, concern what she did or didn't do. And I'm not losing sleep over whether or not she killed her daughter.
Personally, I think it was an accident, and she covered it up. She didn't handle it like any "normal" person would (ie: give a shit/call 911/not throw her baby's body in the swamp). It is what it is, and the prosecution went for the gold medal in putting her up for the death penalty, they shot their wad and missed the target. The jury didn't think there was enough REAL solid evidence, and obviously felt that putting her to death was not the thing to do without actual REAL solid evidence. Death penalty on circumstantial (even though it is a lot) evidence without an actual cause of death or DNA or fingerprints shouldn't get you the needle.
I'm very pro-death penalty when it looks pretty lock safe and rock solid that the person in question "did the deed" and the deed is that incredibly heinous that they really deserve what they get.
In this case, I honestly don't think that they proved it, and my thoughts and gut feeling don't matter against the jury decision. That also said, I think that it is good that we live in a society where the general public doesn't make decisions made off of 30 minute news broadcasts on CNN and FOX, and that a jury gets to sit and decide.
So back to my friends who are currently obsessing over this trial, this verdict. I'm not saying anything to them to enrage them, I'm kind of just staying quiet on Facebook... but my cousin Amy said it very well, and I want to share these thoughts here:
Amy has seen some crazy things in her life's line of work. She is currently in the process of relocating to Guatemala to pursue her career as an occupational therapist at a children's hospital. She has traveled there a couple of times, and is dedicating herself wholeheartedly to being there long term. You can and should read her adventures here. And many of you know Keri and her efforts on behalf of orphans in Siberia. Mind you, a lot of these kids are kids with parents who are alive, and families that COULD take care of them but do not... and then these families block the adoptions so there is no hope for these kids aside from living in institutional insanity.
Children are left on doorsteps, unwanted. Children are left in fields, to die. Children are tortured, used as prostitutes, sold. Children suffer horrible fates all over this world. Caylee Anthony suffered horribly, I'm sure. Or, she suffered not at all and it was quick and done. I have no idea. We have no idea.
But people are out of their minds insane and upset over this one little child. When there are literally thousands of other children suffering the long term ill effects of crap parenting, horrible political strife, war, and other not-perfect life situations. But they don't get panties in collective bunch over any of that.
Perhaps this is a collective outcry on the behalf of ALL children? No. It is outrage over one child. One mother. One trial. My friend Bree pointed out that outrage comes in the form of a white child, and to some extent she's right. There are plenty of missing/dead inner city minority kids all over this nation. Based on the percentage of national population, the percentage of missing black kids in this country is incredibly high. (NPR).
So what is the point? What is the point in being so incredibly obsessed with this particular trial? Why can people be so incredibly invested and focused on this one situation, but be so unwilling to pay any attention to all the other situations in the world where they can take an active role in preventing death and abuse?
If anyone has any ideas and suggestions, please let me know. And if you yourself are neck deep in obsession with this trial, unplug from it, find your local do something good agency, do a little research, contact Keri and offer to do good through her in Siberia... take action. Do, so someone else can be better.
I personally think the obsession stemmed more from the fact that this played out like a reality TV show for all to watch and judge. If it wasn't publicized as much people wouldn't have water cooler talked, armchair quarterbacked and Jerry Springerized it. I'm not discounting your theory or that you are correct that there is more to be outraged about, but until that is on the nightly news, on Howard Stern and the radio every day and dissected endlessly the General Public will never be onboard because they are really just too bored and looking for something to thrill, and chill and entertain.
ReplyDeletetrue jo. but then it begs the question -- why does the MEDIA put on this show and get the ball rolling and create the frenzy?
ReplyDeleteI think trying to bring race into it is a smokescreen. If it were a black (or any shade of brown) mother and child, can you IMAGINE the outrage, the insinuations? The implication is that noone would care if it were a black child. I think not. I think it's a media frenzy, and people are so invested in it because they want someone punished. Especially mothers. Mothers cannot stomach the idea of this little girl not getting to "rest in peace" with someone solid to blame, someone in jail, someone on death row. Especially when this girl's mother is an unlikable character. We like vengeance. And often the death penalty is about vengeance. But I agree - focus elsewhere. But right this moment on TV they're saying how they'll carry the sentencing LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE!! The media's just doing what they always do.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I don't think this is a race thing, I think the public was informed about a particular story and wanted justice. She was an angelic looking child, there's grieving grandparents, it's not your average trailer park tragedy like that kid up in Maine that was killed by his mother and then dumped in the woods. It also sounded like to me like they whipped the state of Florida into a frenzy looking for an abducted child when the reality was, the mother killed her because she was inconvenient and then lied her ass off and got away with it. The family and police asked the public for help, right? I don't blame the media. It's no different that reporting on just one solider that died or one cancer victim. I don't think anyone could have possibly predicted the level of interest in the case. And, come on - don't you love to watch Law and Order or CSI or Bones and were waiting for the inevitable science related solution and then we didn't get it!! Amazing. Recently, there was a story about a puppy that was supposed to be euthanized and somehow lived anyway. The shelter was mobbed with calls to adopt the dog. Why?? Why did everyone want that puppy? I found the whole CA thing absolutely fascinating. I agree that there was no direct evidence and therefore she had to be found not guilty but haven't talked to anyone yet that thought she wasn't responsible. C
ReplyDeleteAmy and C -- I think that the media fed it, because the people wanted it, which made the media feed it more.
ReplyDeleteIf people were up in arms about dead black babies, the media would cover it.
we can't blame the media alone, or the crazy obsessed with True Crime people alone. They feed each other, and it is out of control.
My friend Maureen posted this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/if-caylee-anthony-had-been-black-would-you-know-her-name/2011/07/06/gIQAtTW23H_story.html?fb_ref=NetworkNews&fb_source=profile_multiline
which I think is better written than my opinion.