Andrea Yates

[Yusuf Evans]

I'm not sure why people take offense to the notion that her husband could have done more to protect his wife and children.

Because men have been made impotent in society today, that's why. Men are not considered important in the raising of a family.

 

[katautumn]

Because men have been made impotent in society today, that's why. Men are not considered important in the raising of a family.

I'm sorry, but I do not see such a trend here in America. If anything, fathers play more of a role in their children's lives today than they did thirty years ago. Some fathers even stay home with their children while their wives work and the average man spends 70% more quality time with his children today than his 1950's counterpart.

 

[SimplyMe]

Paul repented of his sins, and began to help fellow Christians and was martyred himself. Yates I wouldn't let anywhere near my kids, would you?

The difference between her and Saul is that Saul was not the only one persecuting Christians.

Actually, Andrea Yates isn't the only one committing murders in this country, murders happen daily in the US -- in fact, statistics show there are almost 3 murders a day in Texas. So, why can't she use the claim that other's are doing it and get a lighter sentence? Somehow your logic doesn't seem to work there, and I'm sure if he had been caught by the Romans for murder they would have had not problem crucifying him for the crimes.

If it had happened today, and Judaism was the religion of the majority, I would support Saul being prosecuted and promptly punished for being murdered. Just like any other sin, the forgivness is between the sinner and God.

Sure it is, but you've mentioned things like motive and regret, which are both things courts take into account when assessing both guilt and punishment. The facts in this case are the motive was insane, she wanted to send her children to God because she became convinced (due to her insanity) that the devil was going to get her children. Once she came out of her psychosis, she came close to insanity again from the guilt of what she had done to her children.

However, Yates violated both maternal laws and country laws by killing her kids, then hid behind the fact that she was suffering through PPD and unable to control herself.

Again, I'm not sure of your logic here -- is violating maternal laws somehow worse in court than the laws of the country? In fact, what are the "maternal laws", where can I find them and what are the punishments?

I'm guessing you have never suffered from any mental disease or disorder. People who suffer from them aren't "hiding behind them", though there are people who don't suffer from them who may try to. In this case, especially with the evidence from the doctors who treated her prior to the murders, there is little doubt that she was insane at the time of the murders.

It's funny that a woman can get away with multiple murders, but let a guy do the same stunt and he's going to get the death penalty.

Except that men can and do. A prime example is John Hinckley, Jr. who attempted to kill President Reagan. He attempted to murder the president, and wounded (though failed to kill) a police officer, a secret service agent, permanently paralyzed James Brady, and wounded President Reagan. He was also found not guilty by reason of insanity. Gender makes no difference in whether a person is insane.

 

[Aquamarine81]

I think the right verdict was reached. Yates was clearly insane, I cannot imagine a sane person simply drowning her five kids. As someone who has suffered from bouts of depression myself, I am glad Andrea will be getting the help she so desperately needs.

 

[nicolezoeydafney]

I think the right verdict was reached. Yates was clearly insane, I cannot imagine a sane person simply drowning her five kids. As someone who has suffered from bouts of depression myself, I am glad Andrea will be getting the help she so desperately needs.

insane or not, she deserves to be on death row. she does not deserve help after killing 4 innocent children. why bother helping an evil person???

 

[marblehead]

insane or not, she deserves to be on death row. she does not deserve help after killing 4 innocent children. why bother helping an evil person???

Yes, amen for ignorance!

 

[seebs]

Let me ask you this: Why would people be so willing to damn the Marines who are being investigated for the incident in Haditha, yet wish to cut this woman slack? Maybe they had a psychotic episode, but people aren't willing to let them be.

An obvious reason would be context; we have no basis for even suspecting a psychotic episode in the Marines.

Yates did something that, even if it was calculated "rationally", shows conclusive evidence of incapacity to form rational opinions.

I hope she's locked up for the rest of her natural life. She's a danger to society and particulalrly to children.

I am not at all convinced that there is any danger to anyone at this point; I agree that it's possible enough that I'd agree she should stay under observation and not have access to kids.

If she's being haunted by the ghosts of her kids, good. She will not get any sympathy from me. May the Lord have mercy on her soul, but she needs due punishment while here on earth.

I don't understand this distinction. What makes punishhment "due"? If we think that people should escape due punishment in death, why not in life too? On what basis do we determine what punishment is "due"?

 

[nicolezoeydafney]

Yes, amen for ignorance!

so its called ignorance to have an opinion???

i understand she was depressed, i just dont want my tax paying dollars to be spent helping someone who should of gotten help long ago.
she is past the point of help. whats done is done. she murdered innocent children. she deserves to be punished like all the other murders.
why is her case so different?? other people have used the insanity plea, and are sitting on death row right now.

 

[steen]

Look, I'm sorry this happened to Ms. Yates. Unfortunately, I don't have pity for her. I have pity for the father who has to live with the fact that his ex wife went psycho and killed his children. Could he have done more? I don't know, maybe. Was it his responsibility? Not at all. Andrea knew she was sick and could have checked herself into a mental ward or a hospital or something.

And how do you make that determination?

She didn't think about her kids first before she went psycho. Sorry for being so "cruel" but that's how I feel.

Sure it is how you feel, but insisting that when people go "psycho" they have the capacity to think about anything in a rational fashion seems a very odd belief.

 

[steen]

insane or not, she deserves to be on death row.

I take it you believe in executing the mentally ill?

she does not deserve help after killing 4 innocent children. why bother helping an evil person???

This is downright offensive. This is as bad as when people with schizophrenia were considered evil just because they were psychotic. This is the attitude we saw 200 years ago. To me it is downright despicable.

 

[steen]

so its called ignorance to have an opinion???

i understand she was depressed,

No, she was psychotic. If you don't know the difference, then you need to learn what it is if you are to continue a meaningful, credible discussion here.

i just dont want my tax paying dollars to be spent helping someone who should of gotten help long ago.

So you want to ban cancer treatment for smokers, f.ex? Or treatment for heart attacks in couch potatoes?

she is past the point of help.

Hmm, and what is your qualified mental health degree or training that makes you capable of making such a claim in any meaningful sense? What mental health criteria do you base your claim on?

whats done is done. she murdered innocent children. she deserves to be punished like all the other murders.

She was psychotic. Which raises the question of whether she was actually capable of committing a murder.

why is her case so different??

She was psychotic.

other people have used the insanity plea, and are sitting on death row right now.

Ah, those who claimed to be psychotic but wasn't? Ah, not a lot of comparison there.