Casey Anthony Trial Verdict

Ahhh, so the trial of the decade has finally come to an end...and as the verdict was passed I was....napping? True, oddly enough. Sorry, eating an entire pizza from California Pizza Kitchen does that to you.

Google news feeds, twitter feeds and facebook statuses ring loudly with shouts of "what the fuck?", "that bitch deserves to die for what she did", and "no justice for Caylee" and all the cable news networks sound like they are reporting the apocalypse. So, what does this not guilty verdict mean for the rest of us? Well, really, nothing. Now hold on before you decide to have me tarred and feathered and then pressed or drawn and quartered (your choice of course). The Casey Anthony trial really isn't anything special per se. Really, the only reason we know so much about it and why the media reports on it so much is because Caylee Anthony was a pretty, White 2 year old whose mother happened to be a partying and not terribly responsible mother, qualities we despise in American culture for understandable reasons. There are dozens if not hundreds of similar situations playing out in similar manners across the United States and the world for that matter at this very moment, affecting disproportionately minority and impoverished populations. Do you honestly think that this case is truly special? Sorry to say, hardly.

I can imagine what you're thinking right now, "JP, you're a dumbfuck, how can you be so cold and heartless?" Well, dear reader, I'm sorry you feel that way, and I can say I am hardly a dumbfuck; sure, I may not be the next Tesla, Einstein or Hawking, but If I can make it in to one of the most selective schools on the East coast and in the world for that matter, you are hardly justified in calling me so. As for being cold and heartless, your convictions may be more understandable, maybe. I'm not being heartless, callous or any other fun word you could look up in a thesaurus synonymous with those terms, I'm just being objective and realistic in a situation where most people would prefer for me not to be.

Am I shocked that Casey Anthony got off on the charge of murder? Not really. While I am no expert on the case (as I doubt is the vast majority of people probably marching in the streets pitchforks and torches in hand), I had my doubts of the integrity of the prosecution's case. Things was mostly speculation on their part and while Anthony was not exactly the best at casting herself in a good light, the case from the get-go was hardly foolproof (and teh fact that the defence showed that the police could have planted evidence doesn't help). Casey Anthony was hardly a good mother, she lied, she was scared, made stupid decisions and acted irrationally, but I have a feeling that if any of us had to go through what she did (and I pray none of us do) our sympathy for her, or at least our levels of rage towards her would be much more tempered.

This case, if anything is a victory for our judicial system and not a failing. Our judicial system is based on a system of innocence until proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. It's that last part which people often forget. Also, trials are based not on the character of somebody or speculation but solid factual evidence. In this trial, it cannot be denied that if Casey Anthony were to be convicted based on her character, she would have been jailed for life back in 2008 and probably would be on death row, but that's not how we do things. If we followed that model, half the United States would be jailed and everyone else would be so afraid of offending their next door neighbor that we'd all be reclusive. The only thing that can be proved in this case was that Casey Anthony did lie to police about what happened to her daughter, was irresponsible, and that she was a bad mother, and I'm sorry for the pitchfork crowd, there is no punishment for that except from social repercussions. The jury did a good job here, they listened, saw the evidence, deliberated and acted with their heads rather than their hearts; and while I rarely am a proponent for that kind of approach in everyday life, in the judicial system of the country I was born and raised in, I do believe they did the right thing, however unpopular.

So what's next? Well, just because this trail is over-ish doesn't mean that the saga is over. Anthony will be facing a few years in jail on misdemeanor charges, but I worry for her once she is let out. Emotions run high when young children die, and when the convicted mother is found innocent, her safety is hardly ensured. When she is let out, I fear some sort of revenge killing from a crazed individual who got too wound up in the trail for their own good. Sad thing is, if something like this did happen, I think the majority response by Americans would be a resounding "meh" or "she deserved it, that bitch", which is a kick in the balls of everything this nation stands for. Justice is important, but we are America, where every human deserves to be treated as a human and that sort of response just shows how blind we can be. Same can be said for the jury to arrived at the not guilty verdict, I fear for them as well. They're under great risk from the same people after Casey Anthony even though they did nothing in terms of harming Caylee. It would be a sad day if anything were to happen to any of these people, not "bitches", "motherfucker's who deserve to burn in hell" or what other derogatory term one could label Casey or the jury with, and it would be a miserable day where I lose my faith in the American people if anyone is killed in revenge of this verdict.

Hate me if you will, tell me I'm going to hell, cut my ears off, break my fingers one by one or use whatever other medieval torture method you prefer, but these are my views and don't for a second think you can change them.

JP