Ever wonder how many people suffer from schizophrenia?
How about postpartum depression?
Well, according to some sources:
As for postpartum depression:
I'm going out on a limb here with the postpartum depression thing. Mainly because I believe that if you give someone with a PHD in their name enough money- they are willing to come up with some sort of "illness" to explain away any negative actions you may take. Don't get me wrong- I've had three kids, I understand how stressful that is. But women have been having babies for, well almost for ever- so for there now to be this big thing where women decide to use having a child as a excuse for whatever sick and twisted actions they take- I'm not buying it. But for sake of argument, I'm not going to get into that.
My point is that all these people- 2 million Americans a year for one illness and, 10% of new mothers for the other- well that's an outstanding amount of people. The rest of us, the "sane" ones should likely be fearing for our lives right about now. After all, defense teams around the US would have us believe that for these "insane" people, controlling their actions is impossible. They are deadly, and unpredictable- oh and of course, not to blame at all.
Imagine 2 million crazy homicidal people out there. No one is safe. Right?
If we were to believe that to be true, then we also need to look at just why there are so many of these mentally ill people, and yet statistically few of them are running around killing people.
If we are to buy into the Yates School of "It's not my fault I killed my children, cause I'm sick", then we also must be willing to accept that the rest of the women who suffer from postpartum depression- remember the 10% of women giving birth- are also likely to kill their children, and therefore it is our RESPONSIBLITY to round them up and lock them away. And we better take to locking up every single person with schizophrenia as well. After all, we can't chance having all these insane people scurrying around killing people.
I get it, she has mental illness. But, I also get that thousands of Americans have mental illnesses- and they aren't running to drown their children. Somewhere, we have come to allow ourselves the right to believe anything. We see something horrible, something that the average person can barely even begin to fathom- so heinous we have trouble rationalizing it. And that's really all people want to do. To rationalize the how and why someone did something. So when we sit back in our comfortable chairs and turn on our television and see stories like the Yates case, or the Dena Schlosser, we have a human need to be able to comprehend how someone could commit these terrifying crimes against their own children, so much so that we willingly will accept any theory as long as it allows us to explain away the unexplainable. "Well, she didn't mean to do it- she's sick".
The problem with that lies with the thousands of other people suffering from the same illnesses. Because, if we are willing to accept it as a reasonable excuse for their actions- than we must also we just as willing to accept that the same dark shadow could befall the many others who suffer from it. And if we accept that- then we come to a crossroads- do we allow these potentially dangerous people to continue to walk free, or do we lock them all up under the disguise of public safety? If we are to believe that those who are mentally ill present a danger to society- than shouldn't we welcome the thought of opening up the old insane asylum of the early 1900's? Let's just play it safe, and round up those who smile too much, who are indifferent to the daily political battles, those who perhaps yell a bit too much, or a a little shaky in their walk. It'll be the new twist on an old favorite, instead of the Salem Witch Trials, we can have the Postpartum Depression Roundup. New mother looking a bit worn out and slightly too tired for your taste? Call the men in the white coats to come take her off before she rushes to kill your baby. Neighbor man seem a bit schizophrenic? Quick, call the 800 number before he begins chopping arms off of babies.
I don't doubt mental illness exists. I just do not believe it is a reasonable excuse for committing heinous crimes. That's all. If thousands upon thousands can deal with these disorders everyday without ever crossing the line and killing someone- than I have to believe that there is no reason to believe these illnesses to be the only cause behind the actions of these women.
All that being said, Yates was offered a plea deal- which will remain on the table until 10 days before her new trial. The deal would mean she would have to plead either guilty or no contest to the murder of three of her children. (Yes, there were five, but she was only charged with the deaths of the oldest two and the youngest one- evidently the other two just weren't that important to someone at the DA's office in Texas) Having taken the plea, she would have gotten 35 years in prison. But wait- don't think that that means she would have served all 35 years- no sir-ee Yates could have accepted (and still can) the deal and been out in as little as 12 and a half years if she could swindle a early parole in there.
12 1/2 years, so what is that just a little over 2 years per kid? Sweet deal. Wonder if it's too late to ask that she be sterilized before she is paroled. Thankfully, she has so far rejected the deal. I mean, hey she's INSANE so why should she have to spend anytime in prison. I mean, just because 2 million American's have been able to NOT KILL BABIES doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to do it and blame it on mental illness. After all, why should THEIR abilty to maintain self control rob her of the right to murder kids?
FOXNews.com - U.S. & World News - Andrea Yates Rejects Prosecutors' Plea Offer
Categories: murders
How about postpartum depression?
Well, according to some sources:
Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime – more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. (Read more on schizophrenia)
As for postpartum depression:
After giving birth, about 70-80% of women experience an episode of baby blues, feelings of depression, anger, anxiety and guilt lasting for several days. About 10% of new mothers develop the more severe postpartum depression (also postnatal depression), a form of major depression for which treatment is widely recommended. (Continue reading about it)
I'm going out on a limb here with the postpartum depression thing. Mainly because I believe that if you give someone with a PHD in their name enough money- they are willing to come up with some sort of "illness" to explain away any negative actions you may take. Don't get me wrong- I've had three kids, I understand how stressful that is. But women have been having babies for, well almost for ever- so for there now to be this big thing where women decide to use having a child as a excuse for whatever sick and twisted actions they take- I'm not buying it. But for sake of argument, I'm not going to get into that.
My point is that all these people- 2 million Americans a year for one illness and, 10% of new mothers for the other- well that's an outstanding amount of people. The rest of us, the "sane" ones should likely be fearing for our lives right about now. After all, defense teams around the US would have us believe that for these "insane" people, controlling their actions is impossible. They are deadly, and unpredictable- oh and of course, not to blame at all.
Imagine 2 million crazy homicidal people out there. No one is safe. Right?
If we were to believe that to be true, then we also need to look at just why there are so many of these mentally ill people, and yet statistically few of them are running around killing people.
If we are to buy into the Yates School of "It's not my fault I killed my children, cause I'm sick", then we also must be willing to accept that the rest of the women who suffer from postpartum depression- remember the 10% of women giving birth- are also likely to kill their children, and therefore it is our RESPONSIBLITY to round them up and lock them away. And we better take to locking up every single person with schizophrenia as well. After all, we can't chance having all these insane people scurrying around killing people.
I get it, she has mental illness. But, I also get that thousands of Americans have mental illnesses- and they aren't running to drown their children. Somewhere, we have come to allow ourselves the right to believe anything. We see something horrible, something that the average person can barely even begin to fathom- so heinous we have trouble rationalizing it. And that's really all people want to do. To rationalize the how and why someone did something. So when we sit back in our comfortable chairs and turn on our television and see stories like the Yates case, or the Dena Schlosser, we have a human need to be able to comprehend how someone could commit these terrifying crimes against their own children, so much so that we willingly will accept any theory as long as it allows us to explain away the unexplainable. "Well, she didn't mean to do it- she's sick".
The problem with that lies with the thousands of other people suffering from the same illnesses. Because, if we are willing to accept it as a reasonable excuse for their actions- than we must also we just as willing to accept that the same dark shadow could befall the many others who suffer from it. And if we accept that- then we come to a crossroads- do we allow these potentially dangerous people to continue to walk free, or do we lock them all up under the disguise of public safety? If we are to believe that those who are mentally ill present a danger to society- than shouldn't we welcome the thought of opening up the old insane asylum of the early 1900's? Let's just play it safe, and round up those who smile too much, who are indifferent to the daily political battles, those who perhaps yell a bit too much, or a a little shaky in their walk. It'll be the new twist on an old favorite, instead of the Salem Witch Trials, we can have the Postpartum Depression Roundup. New mother looking a bit worn out and slightly too tired for your taste? Call the men in the white coats to come take her off before she rushes to kill your baby. Neighbor man seem a bit schizophrenic? Quick, call the 800 number before he begins chopping arms off of babies.
I don't doubt mental illness exists. I just do not believe it is a reasonable excuse for committing heinous crimes. That's all. If thousands upon thousands can deal with these disorders everyday without ever crossing the line and killing someone- than I have to believe that there is no reason to believe these illnesses to be the only cause behind the actions of these women.
All that being said, Yates was offered a plea deal- which will remain on the table until 10 days before her new trial. The deal would mean she would have to plead either guilty or no contest to the murder of three of her children. (Yes, there were five, but she was only charged with the deaths of the oldest two and the youngest one- evidently the other two just weren't that important to someone at the DA's office in Texas) Having taken the plea, she would have gotten 35 years in prison. But wait- don't think that that means she would have served all 35 years- no sir-ee Yates could have accepted (and still can) the deal and been out in as little as 12 and a half years if she could swindle a early parole in there.
12 1/2 years, so what is that just a little over 2 years per kid? Sweet deal. Wonder if it's too late to ask that she be sterilized before she is paroled. Thankfully, she has so far rejected the deal. I mean, hey she's INSANE so why should she have to spend anytime in prison. I mean, just because 2 million American's have been able to NOT KILL BABIES doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to do it and blame it on mental illness. After all, why should THEIR abilty to maintain self control rob her of the right to murder kids?
FOXNews.com - U.S. & World News - Andrea Yates Rejects Prosecutors' Plea Offer
Categories: murders
Comments
I too have made the “men in their clean white suits” or funny farm references lately.
I really hope that Andrea does not read here and reconsider the deal that is on the table. Texas has shown it can get a**backwards especially in the surrounding Houston area with the Durst Verdict and now the Yates debacle. Yes Texas does have the death penalty, and Andrea Yates handed it out fives times,How about some reciprocal justice.
There is a piece of me, however, that also wonders how someone as sick as Andrea Yates was, displaying the obviously disturbed behavior she did prior to committing this horrible crime was allowed to be alone with 5 children? Why, after demonstrating psychosis & suicide attempts after #4 was she pregnant yet again? If she had no control, certainly her husband could have been more responsible.
I guess what I'm saying is NOTHING excuses what she did. For God's sake, though, if I'm ever behaving as she did & my family & friends see it, SOMEONE make sure I'm not alone with my daughters.