# Woman kills her 8 month old
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [June 2, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208 "2004-06-02T04:55:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/21 "2004-06-02T15:56:42Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#):
>
> Besides, I didn’t read the OP as NOT blaming the mother at all, rather suggesting that signals were there that the mother was unstable and no one did anything. Lib decided to make a big political speech instead.
That is exactly what it meant. If this woman passes her psych evaluation, then she is to blame. If not, then the baby’s death was just a horrible accident that may not have been preventable. All too often though, someone in a similar situation will say “I knew that Joe was unstable/abusive to the child but I never thought he’d _kill_ her. He loved the baby”. I don’t want mentally ill people being harrassed, but their family and friends shouldn’t overlook/explain away signals that something isn’t right. That has nothing to do with the government or failed social outreach programs or liberals.
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/22 "2004-06-02T15:59:24Z")
> [@WILLASS](#):
>
> Excuse my ignorance but if you are mentally ill and you kill someone because of the effects of your illness I thought that, in the eyes of the law, you essentially weren’t to blame.
I think that’s basically the case. I think that’s where discussions like this actually come from. The first thing people want to know is, “How could something like this have happened?” When the answer is “Because the mother is off her rocker,” there’s no one concrete to blame…so the question becomes “How could something like this have _been allowed_ to happen?” What should be genuine concern for the factors leading to the tragedy becomes a witch hunt for someone to pin the Blame!!! on. The fact that there isn’t one single thing on which “blame” can be put makes the whole thing even muddier.
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### Author:  [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/23 "2004-06-02T16:01:37Z")
But What Of The Social Programs??!?!!
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/24 "2004-06-02T16:03:33Z")
> [@Omega Glory](#):
>
> That is exactly what it meant. If this woman passes her psych evaluation, then she is to blame. If not, then the baby’s death was just a horrible accident that may not have been preventable. All too often though, someone in a similar situation will say “I knew that Joe was unstable/abusive to the child but I never thought he’d _kill_ her. He loved the baby”. I don’t want mentally ill people being harrassed, but their family and friends shouldn’t overlook/explain away signals that something isn’t right. That has nothing to do with the government or failed social outreach programs or liberals.
And this is why I took issue with **Lib’s** post - I thought it had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the subject. I didn’t think the OP was saying, “Social Services should have jackbooted their way in and taken that baby at the first whisper!” I think he was saying “Why weren’t her family and neighbors watching her extra carefully, knowing that there were potential problems?” It didn’t seem (to me) to be a politically charged issue in the first place.
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/25 "2004-06-02T16:04:52Z")
> [@jarbabyj](#):
>
> But What Of The Social Programs??!?!!
FOR GOD’S SAKE, WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?
Oh, wait…
🆒
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/26 "2004-06-02T16:12:47Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> you failed to notice this is not GD.
Well, my goodness! That just entirely invalidates my statement.
Or maybe just requires a trivial amendment: it’s antithetical to the spirit of honest debate. And last I checked, the Pit was a debate forum, just with less restrictive rules than your usual stomping ground in GD, where you originally introduced this technique and raised it to the art form you have made it into.
> [@](#):
>
> Frankly, if you and your people would just let me speak my peace and leave me alone, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen.
Let me explain about message boards, Lib. You get to speak your piece, but so does everyone else. Which means you have no reasonable expectation of speaking your piece and then being left alone, which means it’s pretty dumb to go blaming those who don’t let your words go unchallenged.
You’ve been a regular at this message board since 1999. One would think you’d have figured this out by now.
> [@](#):
>
> But no, lacking self-control like all leftist extremists, you cannot help but jump on the bandwagon while simultaneously condemning it.
Hey Lib, how many times have I said diddly to you in the past year? I see your posts all the time, but I leave it to newer posters to deal with you. They generally do a pretty good job.
Nah, I was pointed to this thread from somewhere else, and decided to offer some historical perspective on you. Having done that, I’m out of here again.
> [@](#):
>
> I was one voice — you have turned it into five.
Admittedly, you _have_ always counted on the visceral reactions of others to your cryptic-yet-infuriating posts to gain a platform and an audience for your views. In another time, I frequently fell for the technique. I think it’s a net positive to point out _what_ you are doing (rather than react to it), so that others may more quickly recognize it and sidestep it.
Since you’ve **said** you want other people to let you speak your piece and leave you alone, hopefully this will help you achieve that goal, whether it’s reasonable or not.
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### Author:  [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/27 "2004-06-02T16:24:21Z")
**RTFirefly** , don’t forget the part where you admire AlQaeda!
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/28 "2004-06-02T16:44:25Z")
> [@RT](#):
>
> Let me explain about message boards, Lib. You get to speak your piece, but so does everyone else.
Well then, quitcher bitchin. If five or ten of you want to come in here and make me into some big deal, don’t be surprised when the thread derails. You’re like the guy who shoves a knife up his butt and doesn’t understand why his ass is bleeding.
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### Author:  [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/29 "2004-06-02T17:00:19Z")
And you’re the guy who walks up to the guy with a bleeding ass and blames it on leftists.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/30 "2004-06-02T17:03:15Z")
And the beat goes on… Next?
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### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/31 "2004-06-02T20:50:40Z")
I don’t get the whole “next” part, but my question remains unanswered.
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### Author:  [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/32 "2004-06-02T21:22:43Z")
> [@WILLASS](#):
>
> Excuse my ignorance but if you are mentally ill and you kill someone because of the effects of your illness I thought that, in the eyes of the law, you essentially weren’t to blame. You would get banged up in a mental home for the rest of your life but they couldn’t try you for commiting a crime. I may be wrong and more than likely this is a very compressed, inarticulate, simplistic take on it but I’m pretty sure that, in essence, that is what happens.
Yes, perhaos I worded my response poorly. I think Lib’s point is that there are situations where blame cannot be attributed to anyone. It was a terrible occurence, which nobody could have prevented.
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-kills-her-8-month-old/248208/33 "2004-06-03T20:09:29Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Well then, quitcher bitchin. If five or ten of you want to come in here and make me into some big deal, don’t be surprised when the thread derails. You’re like the guy who shoves a knife up his butt and doesn’t understand why his ass is bleeding.
Who’s bitching? I’m just saying to the others, “This guy has a standard technique for hijacking threads. He’s been perfecting it for years. Don’t fall for it.”
I don’t really care what _you_ think about that, even if (by your own logic) you should appreciate my assist. I’ve long since given up expecting you to be logical.
I’m amused by your analogy, though. Let me try one of my own: you’re running a con game, and when I point that out, you say it’s all the fault of the marks who fell for your con. I admire your adroit dodge of personal responsibility.
At any rate, this here is **my** hijack now, and I take full responsibility: this seems like as good a place as any to _analyze_ and _discuss_ your con, rather than fall for it. The best place for fighting ignorance is always here and now.
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