NOW Helps Mom Charged in Drownings

[eanax]

NOW Helps Mom Charged in Drownings
By PAM EASTON, Associated Press Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - The National Organization for Women and other groups said Monday they are helping to raise money to defend Andrea Yates - the mother accused of drowning her five children in the bathtub - in part to help other women suffering from postpartum depression.

"It gives us a platform for something that obviously needs education," said Deborah Bell, president of Texas NOW. "One of our feminist beliefs is to be there for other women. Some good may come out of this tragedy."

The groups also oppose the death penalty for Yates, saying her depression should be taken into account in any punishment.

Yates, 37, called police on June 20 and admitted drowning her children in the tub. Her husband, Russell Yates, told police his wife was depressed and had been treated for postpartum depression. She is under suicide watch in a jail psychiatric unit.

NOW was joined on Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union, other women's and health groups and several anti-death penalty organizations.

"Addressing violence with more violence creates more suffering, grief and victims," said Gary Norman of the Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation. "Let us end this suffering and treat Mrs. Yates' illness and not allow ourselves to continue the perpetuation of pain."

Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has said he will seek the death penalty.

NOW and the other groups in the Andrea Pia Yates Support Coalition plan a candlelight vigil on Sept. 11, a day before a hearing is scheduled to determine if Yates is fit to stand trial.

The defense fund was previously established by Yates' lawyers, but they cannot publicize it because of a court-imposed gag order.

Any money raised on Yates' behalf but not needed for her defense will go to groups working to educate and help others suffering from postpartum depression, coalition members said.

[buggy]

Lovely. Granted, I have mixed issues on the subject, but femanists kind of piss me off.

That being said, this woman was completely unsupervised, she had an illness that has shown for years to promote unhealthy behaviour towards the offspring, and *no one* was there to see that she did not cause harm to her kids? What kind of bullcrap *is* that? I have mixed issues on whether she should be offed or not... I am not a strong dependant of the death penalty (our legal system is much too imperfect), on the other hand, I've witnessed this type of depression first hand. My Aunt was diagnosed after the birth of her second child. She's great now of course, with much family support and proper treatment, she has been able to lead a regular life and even get things back into a groove of 'normalcy'.

When she *was* diagnosed, mind you she is in Chicago we are in Houston, we banded together as a family to make sure she caused no harm to her children. My Mother opted to take care of her newborn while she underwent treatment. We were not ignorant of her disease, I believe this is what prevented any disasters. Where the hell was this woman's family or circle of friends? How could they be so ignorant as to the seriousness of this illness?

I suppose that rant made little to no sense or made a great deal of it.

Off topic, didn't anyone else find the husband's composure just a tad creepy? Maybe I'm too paranoid, or seen one too many X Files... but he was very well put together for his public appearences.

Cristina-

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"If you expect the worst from a person, you can't ever be disappointed... The pessimist takes a sort of gloomy pleasure in observing the depths to which human behaviour can sink. Everyone likes to have his deepest convictions confirmed; that is one of the most abiding of human satisfaction." ---
Anthony Burgess
The Wanting Seed

[Powerboss]

Yeah, I posted it earlier.
Its total BS.

The husband is almost as responsible as she was. They both knew she had mental problems but they kept on pumping out the kids.
She had been in treatment before, what could society have done to stop it?
Mandatory Sterilization? Then we'd have a bunch of fools running around screaming NAZI and all that.
Its truly sad, I mean for the dead kids, it just rips my heart out to think what was going through their minds.

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Hmmmm, Im thinking

[CGord]

Originally posted by Powerboss:
Yeah, I posted it earlier.
Its total BS.

The husband is almost as responsible as she was. They both knew she had mental problems but they kept on pumping out the kids.
She had been in treatment before, what could society have done to stop it?
Mandatory Sterilization? Then we'd have a bunch of fools running around screaming NAZI and all that.
Its truly sad, I mean for the dead kids, it just rips my heart out to think what was going through their minds.

I agree completely. I nearly vomited reading the details in a Newsweek article; Crimes against children make me physically ill.


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-Curt

"There ought to be limits to Freedom." -Shrub