Killer Moms and Feminism

The Huffington Post (an American news website) recently wrote an article titled "Mothers Who Kill Children". Its purpose was to promote a separate judicial standard for women. The article was based on research by feminist professors Michelle Oberman and Cheryl Meyer. These professors claim moms kill their children as a result of 1 of 5 circumstances:

• an ignored pregnancy;


• abuse-related;


• neglect-related;


• assisted or coerced filicide (such as when a partner forces the killing);


• purposeful filicide with the mother acting alone.

As can be seen, most of these circumstances blame somebody other than the murdering mom.

The Huffington Post claimed these mothers are isolated in life and should be given sympathy. They quote Penn State professor Lita Linzer Schwartz who states "These women almost always feel alone, with a total lack of emotional support," and "Women need better treatment not only before, but after [their actions]. They get tormented in prison, when often what they need is psychological care." Schwartz also claimed women are rarely checked for mental illness after their crimes.

Notice that it is women (only) who should get treatment. There is no mention of fathers who kill their kids getting treatment. And, although female criminals are rarely checked for mental illness, neither are male criminals. The Huffington Post is promoting the idea justice should be based on gender not actions.

Schwartz continued "We see cases where the mother thinks the child would be better off in heaven than on this miserable earth,". The Post added 'for example [living] with an abusive father'. Oberman was then quoted "Almost all these women are not in their right minds (when they commit these acts),"

This is another way of saying moms should not be held to the same accountability standard as dads who kill their children. Mom is said to be ill but dad is said to be a murderer. This double standard has its roots in feminist philosophy. It is based on the feminist idea that women are all good and men are all rotten.

The Post then gives the example of Lashanda Armstrong, a mom who drove with her children into the Hudson River because her husband had cheated. Before she killed herself and her kids Armstrong is claimed to have said "If I'm going to die, you're all going to die with me." The Post claims women like Armstrong see themselves as a good mother performing a good deed. They quote Oberman "Once she decides she can't bear the pain anymore, she thinks,`what would a good mother do?'"

However in a previous article, the Huffington Post presented the James Harrison case completely different. Harrison was a dad who shot his kids & himself after the family learned the wife had been cheating and she was going to leave them for the other man. Harrision was presented as a control freak and murder who should be given no sympathy. His wife's aunt was interviewed and she emphasized Harrison was controlling. Harrison's relatives, however, were ignored. (In the Armstrong case, the wife's aunt was also interviewed while the husband's relatives were ignored. The Post concluded the Harrison article with a quote from a neighbor "God Bless the five little ones. God bring peace to Mom."

The Huffington Post is an example of how the American media subtly promotes a feminist two tiered judicial system. They write one article, based on a feminist study, use sympathetic quotes about a particular female criminal, and emphasize woman should be given help not punishment. They write another article, about a man who commits the same crime and portray him as a controlling thug who should be given punishment not help.

Judicial punishment should be based solely on an individual's actions. Gender is NOT relevant. Unfortunately, the media promotes the feminist idea of a two-tiered judicial system - one for men and a separate one for woman.