Thursday, July 7, 2011

Casey Anthony trial/verdict


Let me start by saying I know nothing, seriously nothing, about this case or this trial. What I do know is that people have been tremendously gripped by it, and they have tried their very best to get me interested. But I have declined. Much as I did with the Michael Jackson and the Natalie Holloway cases, I chose to ignore it all. And now, with the acquittal of Casey, I know why I do so. The people who were following this case so avidly are aghast, horrified, and (generally speaking) disgusted or even depressed. In other words, they are not enjoying much peace at the moment. I won’t go so far as to say they’ve done something wrong. Instead, I just want to note that I have none of these issues. I don’t find crime fascinating, and I generally trust that our legal system gets most things right. This woman will forever be believed to be a child-murderer, even though the jury found her not guilty, similar to the historical case of Lizzie Borden. The real questions I hope people will ask themselves now are:

--Does investing my time and effort and energy into cases like this usually pay off well?
--Has my effort to follow and maintain my opinions about this case brought me closer to God or other people?
--If I worry a lot about wrongfully incarcerating or even executing innocent people, does this example of how our system goes out of its way to not convict people reassure me?
--Am I aware of all the ways I have been manipulated by visual media to care about and be horrified by this case and this verdict?
--When I see Casey Anthony’s picture, do I react to it as a Christian should?

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