“Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent – the Lord detests them both.” Proverbs 17:15
Like thousands of others, I watched this trial unfold and was appalled at the verdict rendered by the Anthony jury. I am persuaded, without so much as a shadow of a doubt, that Casey Anthony planned and carried out the murder of her daughter.
Over the course of the past few days, I’ve spent much time searching my own thoughts and feelings to ascertain what it is I find so very disturbing about this jury and its verdict. Having finally arrived at what I believe that to be, the following is submitted for your thoughtful consideration:
In my view, there was a collective inability on the part of the jury to cognize – that is, to notice, perceive, and recognize.
The truth was not arrived at because they failed to perceive and recognize the manipulation in play by the defense that shifted their focus away from Anthony and onto her father. The miscarriage of justice occurred at the very moment Casey Anthony was accepted by the jury as a victim and, as we know, ultimately evidenced itself in the final delivered verdict.
They failed to perceive and recognize the genuine grief exhibited by George Anthony while on the witness stand. As a career-toughened cop, he has likely been witness to more violence, death, and gore than most of us would like to even think about, yet he simply could not hold back the tears of gut-deep anguish he continues to suffer at the loss of his granddaughter. That this jury could even entertain the notion that this grandfather might in any way have been involved in her death is simply inconceivable to me.
Reasoning reflective of common sense appeared to be absent from this jury. For example, even if they were unable to fully grasp all aspects of the scientific evidence, a stepped-back overview of the collective pointed directly to Casey Anthony as the only person who stood to gain anything from the death of this child. The remainder of the family experienced loss and each, in his or her own way, exhibited the pain of that loss. The one with something to gain remained impassive from Day One. Even animals in the wild mourn the loss of their offspring.
It’s disturbing to me to see that 12 people without an ability to deduce can be appointed to determine the guilt or innocence of another. I’ve never served as a juror so am unfamiliar with all that happens throughout the process. However, in my view, if a questionnaire containing some sort of basic reasoning exercise is not part of that process prior to final jury selection, then it needs to be. I submit that the truth in any circumstantial case simply cannot be found without jurors’ ability to reason and infer, and that the subject case spoke directly to that issue.
This jury failed to recognize or acknowledge intrinsic duties of parenthood by refusing to assign any responsibility for the overall well-being of this child to her mother. Implicit in this verdict is blanket absolution from all care-taking responsibility normally, and rightfully, associated with the role of a parent. Its message is this: a child can suffer harm at the hands of another, up to and including loss of life, without anyone being held answerable. I find that abhorrent – and unacceptable.
Being a grandparent myself, I have absolutely no doubt that the one pure joy in George and Cindy Anthony’s life was their granddaughter. That relationship carries with it a love like no other. It would have been infinitely kinder to drive a stake directly through their respective hearts than to forever rob them of that joy. Such an act speaks to a cruelty few of us can fathom.
As a born-again Christian believer, I know that the spirit who is Caylee Anthony has returned to Almighty God who gave her and that she is safely in His loving care. I know that the very best I can do for George and Cindy Anthony is pray that the Lord will boldly manifest His comforting presence in their lives and bring them peace. And I know beyond doubt that a day of reckoning is coming for their daughter when God will, at His appointed time, call her to stand before Him and answer for the taking of her child’s life. Meanwhile, how she is, where she goes, what she does, and who she does it with is of zero interest to me. She’s made her bed with Satan. So be it. Let the chips of that sleeping arrangement fall where they may.
Beautiful written!
I agree with Your Observation of this Trial and the Outcome.
It also is no Interest to me where Casey Anthony is, eventually she will have to face up to what she has done to her Daughter Caylee.
There is no Doubt in my Mind Casey killed her Daughter, that the Jury couldn’t use their common Sense and pay close Attention to ALL the Evidence the Prosecution so carefully presented is beyond me.
This Jury did our Legal System Injustice and let a Child Murderer walk free.
I do feel Comfort in knowing Casey Anthony will be judged someday by a Higher Power than us, meanwhile let her believe and even laugh about it that she got away with Murder and most likely make Money of her beautiful little Girls Murder. JMO
Well said. There’s no fear of God anymore among the people. If one of those who thought Casey was guilty had just one iota of respect for God, there would have been a hung jury, at least.
I do wonder about the love that the Anthonys had for Caylee. Yes, they loved her and have genuinely grieved but why did they lie and pervert her justice due. IMO, Casey won’t be the only one having to answer for Caylee’s murder and travesty of justice.