I watched a good portion of the Casey Anthony murder trial, not because I was interested but because JenB was borderline obsessed. I watched from a distance with a bit of a skeptical eye. I haven’t commented at all on the Casey Anthony trial that’s now in its 6th week here in Florida up to this point. I think there were plenty of other opinions floating around. There was really no need to add my hat into the mix. But something said during the news coverage while the jury was deliberating sparked a thought in my brain that I just can’t seem to put to rest.
If you watched the closing arguments, you saw the state and defense give their last ditch efforts at proving and refuting their respective cases as to the guilt or innocence of Casey Anthony. The defense purported all along that Casey was a “good mom”. Despite her irrational behavior, her bevvy of lies and her missing and then confirmed deceased daughter, Casey was a good mom.
Really?
Even after the trial during news anchor and expert guest discussion, it almost seemed like they were having a hard time calling Casey Anthony a “bad mom”. I know they were thinking what I was thinking – how could a woman (or parent, for that matter) be called a good (parent) when their child died? It doesn’t even matter if the death was accidental or intentional. It doesn’t even matter if the death was at the hands of Casey herself or aliens from another planet. Innocence or guilt can be discussed and debated indefinitely and I can honestly say that I’m glad I’m not on that jury. The indisputable fact is that a child died while in a mother’s care. That’s enough to tell me that someone Casey Anthony is a bad parent.
Is calling someone a bad parent such a taboo that few are willing to do so, despite the most basic of evidence in the case – the child is dead? Casey Anthony, you’re a bad mom. Period.
There Are Currently 10 Comments on this Post
I have to say I’m reluctant to call folks I don’t know a bad parent, although this situations is totally different. Everyone I know has called her a bad parent.
Those bad parents I do know or those with bad parenting moments, I’m more than happy to poke in the eyes and let them know. Luckily, my friends do the same.
All that said, this case is pretty cut and dried.
So what?
Thank you for saying this! Whether you murdered your kid or she died in some accident and because of your uber-dysfunctional past you covered it up . . . YOU’RE A BAD MOM, Casey Anthony!
Here’s my take on the Anthony aftermath – I’d love to hear your thoughts – After the verdict came down, my Facebook and Twitter sites were crazy with people saying how MAD they were. And yet they won’t do anything to prevent these loop holes in the future.
It’s a call for action:
http://mylegalunion.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-ol-soapbox-today.html
Maybe Casey was a bad mom… But I sure am glad to see the clarification that not all parents who have a “dead child”, accidental or not, are bad parents. For a moment there I was doing a bit of a “w.t.f?? take”.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Lindsay. Ya know – I think I may have reacted a little emotionally when I posted this. I still feel that Casey was a bad mom and anyone in circumstances similar to those she was in – namely, lied about her being with a nanny, didn’t report the ‘disappearance’ for over a month, etc. is a bad parent. Many times just typing what comes into my head works well for me. This wasn’t one of those times.
I can DEFINITELY agree that responsible parents lose their children to accidents. It’s no one’s fault despite them often blaming themselves. God, my heart just absolutely bleeds for someone in that circumstance. That was definitely not what I meant as the intention of this post.
Daniel
I HOpe those Jurors can get home to their families and not feel guilty that they let someone like her out to be free on the streets and maybe get a hold of other kids!! Yeah maybe she did not deserve to die but she doesnt deserve fame either!!! The jury should have been focused on justice and not on going home!! The duck tape was a dead give away!!! Pre-meditation!!! What happened???? Why did the Jurors act that way i think America need an explenation!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She IS a bad Mom, and a sociopath. Maybe now society won’t think it’s so taboo to call out the bad Moms and prevent something like this from happening again. I think women/Mothers in general have just been obsessed with this trial because we cannot relate to her on any level. It’s just mind blowing. I think we’ll probably never know for certain how Caylee died, but she did, and her “mother” was knee deep in covering it up. I agree being on that jury would be so hard, so hard to put the emotion of it aside, and deliberate on the evidence. I hope that justice is served.
P.S. Had no idea you had another blog, read how your blended family came to be, great story. Glad you guys found a happy ending
Happy 4th!
Thanks Cari! Glad to see you ‘around’ again. =) I’ll be up your way in just a few days visiting family in MN and IA.
Hi Daniel,
I came here through the Auto-Tribrr tweet from Ted Rubin.
I agree with most everything you say. I don’t think Casey Anthony is a good mom. A good mom whose child accidentally drown wouldn’t need to figure out how to hide the death. Accidents happen and children down in pools all too frequently. And the parents aren’t prosecuted. B/c accidents happen and good parents respond as we’d expect ourselves to react should it have been us.
What I DON’T AGREE WITH is this statement YOU made: “The indisputable fact is that a child died while in a mother’s care. That’s enough to tell me that someone is a bad parent.”
Children die for any number of reasons and the parent can’t do anything about it. Children accidentally fall down stairs or slip while running and mortally injure themselves. Children think they can fly or replicate super heroes or do wrestling moves. All of which go bad. Children choke and run out into the street even though a parent is right there. And a mother or father can’t do anything to stop it. And NONE of these things make them a bad mom or dad.
What makes Casey Anthony a bad mom is NOT that her child died while in her care. What makes Casey Anthony a bad mom is that losing her child did not elicit the response society thinks a parent should have when a child drowns (which Casey’s defense team alleges actually happened). And because she exhibited sociopathic behavior her motives, intentions and behavior deserve to be place under a microscope.
The children of good parents die while in the mother’s, father’s or both parent’s care. Your statement, while likely not intentional, is highly insensitive and offensive. I have not lost my child but I know people who have. And they were great and amazing parents. They did nothing wrong. And they don’t deserve to be called bad parents.
Sara
Hi Sara. Thanks for your comment. I do apologize if you thought I was insensitive. When taken out of context – which I think is the case here – I may have sounded insensitive. But I was commenting about the Casey Anthony trial, not your friends’ loss or any other death for that matter. So, to clarify, not all parents who have a child pass away are bad parents. It happens and sometimes it’s no one’s “fault”.