It has been four days since we were struck with the terrible shock of the two words no one expected to hear, "not guilty." These four days have been a time of shock, anger, sadness, frustration, and more anger, and have provided me with the opportunity to think and reflect on the case, the verdict, and life. In the last four days I have reflected on things that have become clear, questions that remain, and things that I believe now, more than ever.
What has become clear, or more clear than it was in the past:
Love of money is the root of all evil.
So many people sought fame and ultimately fortune with their involvement in this case. Nancy Grace's coverage was never ending, the Anthony family set up "command centers" and collected money to aid them in the search for a child they already knew was dead. The State had no choice but to put the Anthony's on the stand, but their character came through loud and clear and impacted the jury's decision.
A bounty hunter and his crew interfered with the investigation and according to one report, dreamed of holding Caylee's skull in the air, for all the world to see, in hopes of cashing in.
Most offensive, though, was the knowledge that the very one on trial for the death of Caylee pocketed $200,000 by hawking photos of the baby she threw in a swamp. Attorneys fawned all over each other, and over the ring leader, Jose Baez, for the chance to be involved in the defense of a monster, knowing that the exposure they would receive would make them rich. One attorney even paid to be a part of the defense team.
Even the "good Samaritan" Roy Kronk liked to "spin a yarn" according to prosecutors, and looked forward to his television time and reward money. The last time I checked, being a "good Samaritan" didn't involve being rewarded with money or television cameos and the yarn that he spun could have been a factor in influencing the jury about how Caylee was killed.
How would the case have been different if these people hadn't sought to cash in, or more importantly, if their love of money hadn't been so dominant? Throughout the trial, we witnessed evil in action, and the ultimate evil played out when the verdict was read. A pattern has emerged since the jury was dismissed, as one hit the jackpot with a trip to Disney, and another hired a publicist and demanded a large sum in exchange for the "wisdom" behind his thoughts.
The love of money was evident throughout the life of this case and this trial, and the evil was evident right along with it.
Common sense has become uncommon.
We saw a jury of 12 return a verdict that no one can understand, and they did so at the expense of common sense. The jury seemed to accept the idea that Casey would celebrate her "beautiful life" as some twisted reaction to her child'd death. The jury overlooked enormous amounts of powerful circumstantial evidence and either believed the load of lies that were fed to them, or confused by them, which were not backed up with any evidence nor even common sense.
Common sense tells us that if something terrible happens, we become upset and that can be seen by our behaviors and interactions with others.
Common sense tells us that when we are innocent, we have no need to lie.
Common sense tells us that when we lie, there is a reason, which usually includes self preservation.
Common sense tells us that if upwards of seven people and two trained dogs think "it smells like a dead body in the damn car", there was a dead body in the damn car and the car belonged to Casey.
Common sense tells us that when a toddler is found in trash bags, decomposed in a swampy trash dump with duct tape over her mouth, chances are her death wasn't accidental.
Common sense tells us that if the mother of said murdered child celebrates, parties, plays house with her boyfriend, gets a tattoo of "beautiful life" and avoids responsibility and the only people who could end her party too soon, chances are that mother is the one who is responsible for ending the life of her duct taped child.
Common sense tells us that if someone searches for "how to make chloroform" among violent acts and themes, and then startling high amounts of chloroform are found in the trunk of her car, which also served as a coffin for her dead, duct taped baby, chances are the search for chloroform isn't an innocent act.
No matter how they spin it, the jury didn't side with reasonable doubt, instead they chose unreasonable "feeling" as the basis for their decision.
Caylee Marie Anthony deserved better.
I could go on and on, but it is clear that to this jury, common sense was uncommon, and this seems to be a trend in our society. And along this same vein, the last thing that has become clear to me in the last few days:
You can't fix stupid.
The Pin-Head-ellas County jury brought this expression to a whole new level last week. They didn't seem to grasp the forensic evidence, which was dumbed down for them, nor the behavioral evidence, which was also clearly laid out. Instead, they "felt" like George was hiding something, therefore nothing the state said really factored in. Remember the argument that 'everyone lies about sex', and 'lies about sex are acceptable?' Think of how lying about his relationship with River Cruz would play on the jury: they would not trust him. Therefore, lies about sex do matter, and anything less is an insult to women.
So, they decided to acquit a sociopathic murderer because of the way George lied, or how he related to his beloved gas can, and whatever other impressions he left them with.
I am convinced that had this jury "deliberated" any longer, they would have found George, his gas can and duct tape responsible for the 9-11 attacks. The dumbing down of our society is evident in this group, as for decades the public school system has taken the position of teaching to the lowest denominator, and this method has failed miserably. Phonics led to Latin and Latin led to learning 2nd and even 3rd languages; today kids can barely read and the mind is left stagnant by the world of passive video games.
One juror, Jennifer Ford, has made it clear that she had little to no understanding of her duty as a juror, and that the jury as a whole failed to understand their instructions. I am left feeling torn between thinking that the jurors were ignorant, or that there were strong personalities on the jury who were looking to cash in, and that these strong personalities exploited the weakness of the ignorant ones, and bullied them into the "bombshell" verdict.
Either way, they have denied Caylee's justice, and that will be hard for them to live with.
Several questions have repeatedly run through my mind since the verdict was delivered:
Why did I recite "with Liberty and Justice for all" as a child, when in reality, there is really only Justice for some?
It seems like Casey Anthony was destined to escape justice just as OJ did in the beginning. Sometimes it feels like those with enough money, enough fame, or enough desirable traits have an unfair advantage in our legal system that the less fortunate don't have, and it is frustrating. Because of the media draw, Casey had a rich case of media capital in which to spend.
How can character be separated from crime in a criminal trial?
Politicians have told us to trust them, even when their own wives and children can't. Character, or so it seems, no longer begins in the home.
When character goes to the very nature, motive and commission of a crime, it does not stand to reason that this character should be prevented from reaching a jury. Casey Anthony is a lying sociopath who wanted freedom from Caylee so she could live the "beautiful life." Our society has sought to make sure that people bear little or no responsibility for their actions, and by preventing prosecutors from showing exactly what kind of person Casey is, they lost the opportunity to present a valuable piece of the puzzle. Casey is who she is, and she acted how she acted, and by the court not allowing her character to be a part of the trial, the court prevented prosecutors from showing what life was like for Caylee being raised by a lying, stealing, immoral monster, someone who had no care about others beyond what they could do to meet her own selfish needs and wants. We saw two disruptions of the trial; one woman got 2 days in jail because she was on medication, but the other got 6 days, even though he did not actually disrupt anything. Had he claimed medication, his behavior may have been 'excused', at least mitigated down to 2 days. Strange as it is, his behavior was far less disruptive but she wasn't held as accountable. This is the trend.
Cindy Anthony perjured and changed the course of the trial entirely.
Will she be held accountable?
People feared that any indication that Casey was molested would some how excuse her in the trial. We took a strong stance against this thinking. We believed that although she may have been molested (after all, mothers who kill statistically would be likely to have suffered abuse as a child) it would have no bearing as to 'excuse' the murder. Thousands of sexually abused little girls grow up to be loving, caring and highly protective mothers. Whether she was molested or not, would not impact the juror's decision.
We were wrong.
The jury, apparently, ignored the murder of a child and chased after the lies and unproven allegations of Jose Baez against George instead.
How do people explain to their children what justice is, and how the justice system works?
For older children, and even young adults old enough to have an understanding of this case, the system that they have learned about at home or in school, a system that is supposed to be fair and seek the truth has utterly failed to live up to the ideals that they have been taught. It is difficult to explain why criminals have more rights than victims, and why the opposing sides in a criminal trial are held to different standards today. One side must present evidence, while the other is allowed to lie, cheat and steal to achieve their desired result.
While there are many great things about our criminal justice system, there are things that need to change. The playing field which was once kept even by the oath of all parties to remain dedicated to the truth has become markedly uneven, as judges are forced to make decisions based upon their fear of appeals and additional wasted tax dollars.
Trials should be about Truth, but as long as there are attorneys and witnesses who feel that they are above that standard, Truth has to fight an uphill battle.
Some of the questions I have been pondering have led me think about what I believe, and what I can learn from this situation.
One question in particular has been the cause for a great deal of reflection:
Why does it feel like evil always wins?
When the verdict was first read, I couldn't stop asking myself this question. I felt so angry, and so saddened, disappointed and betrayed. I felt as if the very foundation beneath my feet was shaken and unstable. I gasped for air, and cried. I stood up and walked around, not knowing what to do with my rage. Peter held me tightly, but I felt no comfort, but was shaken to my core. How is it that evil could win? Why does it feel like evil action only leads to a reality TV show, or another cash bonanza?
As I thought about this question and attitude, I realized that maybe this feeling, of evil always winning means that I need to be more mindful of the goodness that surrounds me every day. Maybe I need to be more thankful of the many times each day when the good does win, in things both big and small. Maybe if I appreciate the good more often, the evil will feel less victorious when it does appear to win. Maybe I need to trust more.
Sometimes it takes losing a battle to really taste the sweetness of victory.
There has been and will be good to come from this injustice, as awareness is being raised and petitions are being signed. People are angry, and anger spurs change. The biggest gift that we have been given in this situation is that our rage, anger and frustration can be put to good use, and can help to change lives and improve circumstances.
Casey felt rage toward her flesh and blood, and that rage led her to take Caylee's life, discard her body and disparage her memory. The injustice of the verdict has fueled the rage of so many in this nation and across the world, and this is a rage that will bring about goodness, peace and light. In this way, Goodness triumphs over evil and Truth wins.
Truth is constant; it never changes and it defines itself.
Casey, the Anthony family and Baez cannot defeat truth.
They will all live as slaves to their lies and what they have done for the rest of their days.
We will move on, but not forget, and will use truth to guide us and to celebrate the goodness in the world that surrounds us each and every day, always ready to triumph over evil.
"Fret not thyself because of evil doers; be not envious of wrong doers. For they will soon fade like the grass." Psalm 37
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