Has anyone else been following the Andrea Yates case? Please read <a href="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/topstory/1276115">this article</a> from the Houston Chronicle. I'm interested in hearing everyone's thoughts so far. Here are a couple of quotes: <b>Yates said he and his wife had wanted their family to live a simple, traditional life. "Man is the breadwinner, and woman is the homemaker," Yates said. "It's the way it's been for years." </b> and <b>"At the time, we didn't know whether she'd ever recover," Yates testified. "But if she did recover, there would be more space for home-schooling." He added it was "unthinkable" that he would ever send their children to school. "The social integration that the world claims is so essential is exactly what we need to protect our children from," Yates said.</b> (my opinions here): Look, I feel really bad for this guy losing his whole family, but does he have no responsibility here? His wife has been in fragile mental health, at best, for years. Yet they kept having more kids. Kids can really stress you out, especially so many young ones at once. She was being expected to care for them and home-school them when she wasn't even able to take care of herself. They were left alone with her even when she was known to be a mental case. The family had a history of ignoring doctors' advice. It looks like there were some unusual pressures and expectations that went along with being part of that family: enforced traditional gender roles (which, if you look back through history, are not all that "traditional"), mistrust of authority and any kind of school system, and wanting to separate themselves from the world. You don't have to allow the world to corrupt your morals, but you do have to live in it. I'm not saying this excuses what she did, but no matter what this woman's mental health had been fragile for a long time. I know she used to dream of continuing her career as a nurse. Obviously not gonna happen if you're married to a guy like this one, who wouldn't let anyone get in the way of his lifelong dream of having six kids and keeping the woman in the house. If you want to drive someone even crazier, this is a good way to do it. Curious to see what people think... (and, by the way, I am a Christian and actually pretty conservative for a gen-Xer)
In my opinion, it's as much his fault....the guy is weird. I've got a mentally sick wife but let's keep having kids anyway. As the psychiatrist put it, they were intent on having as many kids as nature would allow. I'm not sure I buy into that the psychiatrist told her to quit the medication. She definitely recommended not to have any more kids but they didn't listen. Why the hell do you need so many kids anyway and all at once practically? I think any woman would be under alot of pressure even if completely sane dealing with all that. Plus, they were pretty much not letting the rest of the family help out and keeping to themselves. It all just strikes me as weird. And to think I grew up a few blocks away from where this family lives. I feel bad but there is blame to pass around. This blame the psychiatrist thing isn't sitting well with me...they knew damn well she had problems and those problems just don't disappear. Certainly, having more kids isn't going to help the situation. I have to wonder what in the hell this guy was thinking??? Surf
It struck me as weird from the day this tragedy happened. My wife and I could not believe that Yates would do an interview with any TV station after such a horrible event. Granted I didn't see him in private, but in public, he seemed to have no emotion about what happened. I think he has a significant amount of responsibility regarding what happened. If my wife were that sick, I would like to think I would forget my "traditional" points of view, and get her help. I know she was receiving some sort of assistance, but apparently, it was not enough. And the demands of all of those children and an unbending husband probably drove her over the edge. Living in Clear Lake, my wife works at a pretty public location where Russell Yates frequents. She has never had direct contact with him, but several of her co-workers have and they've all said that he was not the niciest of people. They all generally summed him up as a jerk. After seeing how he has handled this entire situation, and after hearing Andrea's best friend's testimony, I believe them. I can only hope that God will find some way to bless this woman and the rest of her family. I believe that she was truly sick and that somehow, this tragedy could have been prevented.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Mr. Yates is creepy. Obviously, I don't know the man, but it seems like he married Ms. Yates and then pressured her into the stereotype of a "little woman." You wish she had shown a little more judgment when picking a husband. This whole case is just tragic.
I think that the guy is a freak too. We also noticed the lack of emotion after all of that happened and then he defended his wife? You have to be kidding me. If my wife killed my kids she had better go turn her ass in before I get a hold of her. I love my wife but if she killed all or any of our kids then she can kiss her ass goodbye. She said the same thing would go for me too and if she felt any different then I would worry. I think he knows that he is partially to blame and so he thinks that he can gloss it over with the media. He is a disgusting man and deserves the same thing that she gets. It almost looks as if he enjoys the attention that he is getting.
I do think Russell is creepy...but I can't hold him ultimately responsible...he certainly didn't have the intent to kill his children...Andrea acted with intent...Russell did not
