After reading the outcome of the Fiske case, I have become outraged. A minimum seven years and ten months just doesn’t do justice to the crime at hand. Christina murdered an infant. Not just any infant but her own flesh and blood. So she has seemingly justified her act, so people continue to make excuses— she murdered her own newborn child, plain and simple. Lets look at some of the excuses that Christine and other supporters have supplied:
Emotional State: Her parents divorce, Grandparent died, Father’s verbal abuse, Mother’s battle with breast cancer
Last time I checked, we had crisis centers, confidential counseling, psychologists, support groups — to name a few. Who is accountable for Christina seeking help? She is. At any time during her emotional problems did she seek help? Not that I am aware of. When as a society do we say, “Individuals are responsible for their actions?” If you choose not to obtain counseling that is a conscious decision and should be addressed as such.
As to her character, let me first say, Christina was not on trial for being “of good moral character”, she was on trial for murdering her newborn child. Any religious affiliation that could consciously address the court pertaining to Christina’s past behavior should keep this in mind: If we could predict when someone is going to commit murder then we would not need murder laws, we would simply keep it from happening. How many people have you heard say, Oh yeah, I knew he was strange, malicious and evil. The fact that he/she killed someone does not surprise me.
Now compare that to the statement: He/she was so normal. He/she helped within the community, was involved with the church, never bothered anyone, kind to animals, etc. Which do you hear more often when someone has been arrested or convicted of murder? Does that make the crime any more or less right? Where in the Bible does it state that sex outside of marriage that results in murdering a newborn is justified? Nowhere! Instead it states that sex outside of marriage is a sin and murder is against the Ten Commandments. So for all you church goers that sympathize with Christina look within yourselves. Forgiveness is within the religion, but Christina was not on trial for forgiveness, she was on trial for murder.
Everyday children are abused, some resulting in death, in America. As a society we are often heard saying, “How could that have happened”, “What must the parent/person have been thinking to have done that to a child”, etc. The answer is often times simple. Reverse the question. Why should the parent not abuse the child? Seven years and ten months. Is that answer enough to keep a child safe?
Melissa Cochran
Senior, CIS
