I have something I would like to say about the Casey Anthony verdict.
My heart goes out for Caylee Anthony. I shudder to think what her last moments on earth must have been like, regardless of who harmed her. My faith tells me she is in a better place now. That does not excuse a life cut too short either intentionally or due to negligence in some form. That does not make the actions of whoever did this permissible.
Before one believes me to be cold hearted, let me explain something. I live every day with scars that very few people can see. I live with the fact that I was abused and neglected by my birth parents until I was removed from their care at age 3 and put into foster care. During a child's most formative time in their lives, I did not know love - I knew fear. That has followed me all of my life - before I could understand, explain or get help for it.
I was blessed immensely to be adopted and to have two parents who love me. They took me into their home, knowing I was a "high risk" child because of what I had endured. The extent of what I had to endure with my biological parents and a subsequent foster home will most likely never be fully known. And, it is Ok. I have felt the peace of telling both of my biological parents that I forgive them. I have a Mom and a Dad I may not always see eye to eye with, but when I need them, they drop everything for me. They love me. They don't consider me their "adopted" daughter - they consider me their daughter.
But, yes, I will always bear the scars. I am not alone. There are many other people out there in this world like me - adults who had a part of their childhood taken away from them. No matter how much love I have now - no one can give that part of my childhood back.
I was lucky. NO ONE can give Caylee her life back.
The verdict yesterday was a little shocking. But, what is more shocking to me is the utter ignorance I keep seeing displayed. The jury in this case did not choose to ignore evidence. They did not choose to exonerate Casey Anthony anyway. They obeyed the letter of the law and the instructions as were given to them. They contemplated the evidence they were allowed to make their judgement on. The prosecution team did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. As much as I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall in that jury room, I was not. And neither was anyone else.
We have a justice system in this country for a reason. We have our justice system to be fair and impartial to those accused of a crime. We do not allow inflamatory or prejudicial circumstancial evidence with direct causal links to be introduced in a trial. Our justice system is based on fact, not emotion. It is based on evidence, not judgement. It is based on the presumption of innocence until proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, guilty. If there is the smallest doubt, then the prosecutors somehow did not do their jobs OR they did not have enough evidence at their disposal to be able to do their job.
Our justice system is based on the premise that it is better to let one hundred guilty people go free than to let one innocent person be falsely imprisoned. Let me ask - would you have traded your freedom in order to see a "Guilty" verdict for Casey Anthony? Would you have wanted her convicted, despite the reasonable doubt, if you knew that in your future you would be falsely accused of a crime you did not commit and incarcerated? Would you be more rational concerning reasonable doubt in that case? (I don't mean YOU specifically - it is a "general" you aimed at those who are unreasonable in the way they speak.)
For the record, I believe Casey Anthony to be guilty. The verdict yesterday was not an exoneration or a proclaimation of her innocence. It was simply a jury telling us that the prosecution did not give them enough evidence. Personally, I wish there was a hung jury to allow the time for the prosecution to retry the case. It makes me angry that should new evidence come to light, Casey Anthony can never be tried again.
However, this moral indignation and outrage will soon cease. One day, if Caylee Anthony is mentioned, her name will play around the edges of your consciousness but you may not be able to recall EXACTLY who she is. This whole situation is like a campfire that suddenly has lighter fluid thrown on it. It burns hot, high and strong for a little while but it soon goes out without a sound. No amount of social networking, bad mouthing our legal system, TV Network boycotting, petitions, or leaving porch lights on for Caylee Anthony is going to change that. Unfortunately, this is the "cause of the month" for ninety percent of the people who are making the most noise right now.
No one can make a difference for Caylee Anthony right now. But, you can make a difference for the millions of other children who are at risk for being, or have been, hurt. You can make a difference to prevent other stories like this from happening.
Shut off your porch lights. Get on the phone. Get on the computer and research ways to help. Do you have enough room in your home to take in a foster child? Do you have a passion for both children and the law and could possibly volunteer as a guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate for children? Do you have children and could talk to your children about befriending those who seem lonely and withdrawn in their school? Do you have an idea for a law concerning how children are reported missing? Call your congressman or congresswoman. Do you have extra that you can donate to an orphage or to a foster care agency? Does your community have safe haven laws where children can be left? There are so many ways in which one can help if they only look. Helping looks different for everyone. Many people taking small actions can yield a big change. THAT is more effective than any Facebook campaign.
Take your voice and be heard in ways that may actually have a difference. Please do not use your voice to send me anymore nonsensical things that will make no impact besides temporarily fuel a fire that has no purpose and will die out next week.
Please feel free to forward this on. Please tell me if you find a way you can help. I would love to hear about real people making a real difference in the lives of children.
RIP Caylee Anthony. Your memory, and the memories of all children who lost their lives, will live on in those who choose to help make a difference.
My heart goes out for Caylee Anthony. I shudder to think what her last moments on earth must have been like, regardless of who harmed her. My faith tells me she is in a better place now. That does not excuse a life cut too short either intentionally or due to negligence in some form. That does not make the actions of whoever did this permissible.
Before one believes me to be cold hearted, let me explain something. I live every day with scars that very few people can see. I live with the fact that I was abused and neglected by my birth parents until I was removed from their care at age 3 and put into foster care. During a child's most formative time in their lives, I did not know love - I knew fear. That has followed me all of my life - before I could understand, explain or get help for it.
I was blessed immensely to be adopted and to have two parents who love me. They took me into their home, knowing I was a "high risk" child because of what I had endured. The extent of what I had to endure with my biological parents and a subsequent foster home will most likely never be fully known. And, it is Ok. I have felt the peace of telling both of my biological parents that I forgive them. I have a Mom and a Dad I may not always see eye to eye with, but when I need them, they drop everything for me. They love me. They don't consider me their "adopted" daughter - they consider me their daughter.
But, yes, I will always bear the scars. I am not alone. There are many other people out there in this world like me - adults who had a part of their childhood taken away from them. No matter how much love I have now - no one can give that part of my childhood back.
I was lucky. NO ONE can give Caylee her life back.
The verdict yesterday was a little shocking. But, what is more shocking to me is the utter ignorance I keep seeing displayed. The jury in this case did not choose to ignore evidence. They did not choose to exonerate Casey Anthony anyway. They obeyed the letter of the law and the instructions as were given to them. They contemplated the evidence they were allowed to make their judgement on. The prosecution team did not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. As much as I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall in that jury room, I was not. And neither was anyone else.
We have a justice system in this country for a reason. We have our justice system to be fair and impartial to those accused of a crime. We do not allow inflamatory or prejudicial circumstancial evidence with direct causal links to be introduced in a trial. Our justice system is based on fact, not emotion. It is based on evidence, not judgement. It is based on the presumption of innocence until proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, guilty. If there is the smallest doubt, then the prosecutors somehow did not do their jobs OR they did not have enough evidence at their disposal to be able to do their job.
Our justice system is based on the premise that it is better to let one hundred guilty people go free than to let one innocent person be falsely imprisoned. Let me ask - would you have traded your freedom in order to see a "Guilty" verdict for Casey Anthony? Would you have wanted her convicted, despite the reasonable doubt, if you knew that in your future you would be falsely accused of a crime you did not commit and incarcerated? Would you be more rational concerning reasonable doubt in that case? (I don't mean YOU specifically - it is a "general" you aimed at those who are unreasonable in the way they speak.)
For the record, I believe Casey Anthony to be guilty. The verdict yesterday was not an exoneration or a proclaimation of her innocence. It was simply a jury telling us that the prosecution did not give them enough evidence. Personally, I wish there was a hung jury to allow the time for the prosecution to retry the case. It makes me angry that should new evidence come to light, Casey Anthony can never be tried again.
However, this moral indignation and outrage will soon cease. One day, if Caylee Anthony is mentioned, her name will play around the edges of your consciousness but you may not be able to recall EXACTLY who she is. This whole situation is like a campfire that suddenly has lighter fluid thrown on it. It burns hot, high and strong for a little while but it soon goes out without a sound. No amount of social networking, bad mouthing our legal system, TV Network boycotting, petitions, or leaving porch lights on for Caylee Anthony is going to change that. Unfortunately, this is the "cause of the month" for ninety percent of the people who are making the most noise right now.
No one can make a difference for Caylee Anthony right now. But, you can make a difference for the millions of other children who are at risk for being, or have been, hurt. You can make a difference to prevent other stories like this from happening.
Shut off your porch lights. Get on the phone. Get on the computer and research ways to help. Do you have enough room in your home to take in a foster child? Do you have a passion for both children and the law and could possibly volunteer as a guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate for children? Do you have children and could talk to your children about befriending those who seem lonely and withdrawn in their school? Do you have an idea for a law concerning how children are reported missing? Call your congressman or congresswoman. Do you have extra that you can donate to an orphage or to a foster care agency? Does your community have safe haven laws where children can be left? There are so many ways in which one can help if they only look. Helping looks different for everyone. Many people taking small actions can yield a big change. THAT is more effective than any Facebook campaign.
Take your voice and be heard in ways that may actually have a difference. Please do not use your voice to send me anymore nonsensical things that will make no impact besides temporarily fuel a fire that has no purpose and will die out next week.
Please feel free to forward this on. Please tell me if you find a way you can help. I would love to hear about real people making a real difference in the lives of children.
RIP Caylee Anthony. Your memory, and the memories of all children who lost their lives, will live on in those who choose to help make a difference.
I tweeted this in hopes people will read this. When I was younger, there was a girl that died from all the child abuse. I once worked at a camp and this child had cigarette burns on his chest. I reported the parents and the kids were still in custody of the parents.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the wrong people get accused of abusing their children and the abusive ones get away with it. I know signs of abuse and it is my job as a preschool teacher to report it.
As for this trial, I had a feeling it was going to be like the OJ trial. You know she's guilty, but there was no real proof of what happened and that's all we want to know. What happened to that poor baby?
Thank you for posting this. =D
--Diana Jillian
Excellent post-- I will say that I think the FB vigil for the Porch Lights on was done in taste. No bashing was allowed on the wall and it was a way for the nation to come together to heal in their grief. Many of us fell in love with a girl we did not know because she was unjustly taken away from us all. Does the vigil do anything to help Caylee, well--no--you are so right there but it does bring about a sense of closure.
ReplyDeleteAs for doing something about the other abused children, I think that is a great idea--a call to action. I thank you for sharing your story. Giving back in small ways can help...and I think this post was very timely!! Cheers, Jenn