Hello all GCers:
I was listening to Russ Parr and Olivia Foxx this morning and the question of the day centered around the story behind the woman who killed her five children last year and the issue of postpartum depression/psychosis. Was this woman depressed? Did she lose her mind for a minute and in the process killed her kids? Should she get the death penalty? Was her husband at fault for not recognizing her behavior? And there were other questions related to the topic.
Now, I'm a mother of two. I had my last child 2 and a half years ago. I KNOW the trauma (physical and mental) that a woman endures when pregnant and giving labor to a child. I know that, to some degree, all woman experience depression after having a child. It's stressful and life-changing, to say the least. BUT... for the life of me, I just CAN'T SEE or even FATHOM actually KILLING my children. Now I know that there are different feelings and opinions about this topic. And I realize that the concept of postpartum depression/psychosis is REAL (I'm a Qualified Mental Health Counselor and I work with children with many mental diagnoses on a daily basis). But, like I told my friends when we were discussing this topic, I would LEAVE my children FIRST if I EVER contemplated hurting or killing them. I love them just THAT much. I would leave them with my husband, family, or friends or even give them up before I went so far as to do something as HEARTLESS as that.
Now as far as whether she should get the death penalty.... Well, I don't really know. But I DO feel that the death penalty is not a REAL punishment. This woman should be allowed to LIVE so that she can deal with her conscious and the negative stigma that comes with what she has done. I also feel like this. No matter WHAT this woman has done, no matter how terrible this crime was, if she repents, gets things straight with God, and receives the Holy Ghost, she's going to be forgiven and she'll go to Heaven. Now that's not to say that she won't haveto suffer the consequences of punishment here on this earth.
Now I heard Olivia Foxx say that she could not/would not forgive this woman (because the husband has said that he forgives his wife) for what she did. The twist to that issue is that if her husband and their families DON'T forgive her, then they will not be forgiven by God for their transgressions. HATING this woman won't change anything and it won't bring those beautiful children back. And that does not mean that her husband and their families should beg that she not be punished, but they are SUPPOSED to forgive her. Now THAT'S something to ponder, right?
What do you-guys think?
Oh yeah, please don't go off. These are JUST my thoughts and... sorry for the long post.
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