Here are my responses to Jim’s three points in the previous post:
1. A Point About Logic — While I’m not sure I understand Jim’s first point, here’s my point of logic: Though I am willing to concede that it is unclear what the exact circumstances of Caylee Anthony’s death were, she is still dead and her mom still played some role in either her death or the coverup that followed. She was not the one to report it to the police and was out partying just days after the supposed accident. That amounts at minimum to child neglect. I can understand jurors who say the state didn’t prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but can’t get how some of them seem to be saying they think she is completely innocent.
2. Racism and Classism — I don’t know why some abduction stories grab the national attention and others do not, but I am not as convinced of it being based on racism. This is one of those stories where all the factors come together like a perfect storm to create the “perfect,” however tragic, story. Yes, the little girl being super cute and the mom being young and pretty play into that but there are other factors that build on one another. First, the child went missing, then there was the crazy story about a runaway nanny, the grandfather attempted suicide, the mother was suspected and then charged, etc. I don’t understand all the people driving from across the country to witness the trial or all of the picketing. Maybe I am just being naive but I do think to say it is racism that increases our interest amounts to some kind of reverse racism. Somehow it demeans the sorrow we should feel that a little girl is dead, as if we shouldn’t feel as sorry for her because she is white.
3. Erosion of Trust in the Legal System — As to consequences, I have thought about them in reverse, as in how do we get to this point where mothers (and there are plenty of proven cases of infanticide out there) kill their own children. I think that instead of worrying about the consequences of this case, we should consider that this is the legal system which gave permission for women to kill their unborn children. Why should we be surprised when it allows them to walk free when the children are outside of the womb? And what are we doing to stop it? Maybe instead of spending so much time thinking about Casey Anthony and her little girl, we should concentrate on putting an end to the countless murders which go on everyday with the consent our legal system. Then maybe it would be a system worth trusting again.
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