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I was at my friend Jenny's house a couple of weeks ago chatting about life and whatnot when a commercial for a 20/20 special came on her TV.
"Oh, I want to see that! Did you hear about her?" Jenny said.
"Who?" I replied.
"You know, Casey Anthony?" I shook my head. I have no idea who she's talking about. She told me her version of the story and I was pretty appalled, but then I forgot about it for a few hours. At home that evening I turned on the TV and the 20/20 special about her was on. Of course, I had to watch it. I mean, it sounded so sensational!
I turned the TV off about five minutes into it. It grossed me out. I also hate it when the media sensationalizes things like this. I've managed to avoid any talk of Casey Anthony since then, and I'm completely okay with that.
So now you know the extent of my knowledge of this whole thing: my friend's version of the story and five or so minutes of 20/20.
I guess they announced the verdict, though, and I can't hide from that. Remember O.J.? I can tell you exactly where I was when that verdict was announced. You can't get away from it.
The internet lit up with comments about it. It's sick, it's disgusting, it's unbelievable, people hope she rots in hell, et cetera.
And it is disgusting. They're right. But I don't think it's disgusting in the way everyone else thinks it's disgusting. I have been trying to avoid this media frenzy for weeks. It just makes me ill to see how they have dramatized and put a spotlight on bad mothers, and to think about all of the money networks have made on advertising.
Now, I don't know Casey Anthony, and I don't know this story very well. I don't know if she's a bad mother or not, but I can guess from the news what the rest of America thinks of her. So here we have blown up our televisions and the internet full of sensationalism over the idea of this terrible mother who very likely murdered her daughter and then hid it from the world. How horrible! Why in the world would I want to talk about that? In the meantime, media networks are raking in the cash on all of the advertising from this. Sensational news is lucrative, after all.
Instead, I'd like to use the remainder of this space to highlight a few wonderful, fantastic moms. Just for balance.
Ariel Gore: Ariel Gore ran away from home when she was 16. When she got back, she was a fabulous teen mom, graduated from college while caring for her daughter by herself, established herself as a writer, and co-founded one of my favorite webistes, HipMama.com. She writes about motherhood, and about everything else, too. How amazing is that? Her daughter is going to be one fantastic woman with a mother like that!
Rosie O'Donell: Rosie adopted four children and raises them with her partner, and has since established and contributed to charities supporting LGBTQ parenting. Through her motherhood, she has truly become a voice for the people, and her kids are going to grow up with a wonderful and unique sense of community. She's a mom who fights the fight!
Jenny Howe: This is my friend who told me about Casey Anthony. She is one of the best mothers I know. She works hard day and night just to make sure her kids get everything they need. She has overcome so much just to get to where she is. I'd tell you her life story, but she doesn't know I'm writing this. But trust me! She's amazing! A more kind-hearted woman would be difficult to find.
Jeanne Engholm: My grandmother. She was born during the Great Depression and knows how to survive. She raised three children through varying degrees of financial difficulty. She worked when most mothers stayed home, but never once failed in teaching them how to be wonderful, compassionate adults. She also helped raise two of her grandchildren in the absence of their mother. Rest in peace, Gramma.
Those are only a few examples of fantastic mothers I know. There are so many more, and so many on this site alone. I don't want to think about bad moms, or psychopathic moms, or schizophrenic moms. I don't want to talk about Casey Anthony. Why are we even wasting our energy on her when we could be thinking about, I don't know, my Gramma?
Here's a challenge for all of you out there who got pulled into the Casey Anthony Circus. Every time you think of her, I want you to then think of four really good moms. I think 4 good to 1 bad is fair. Or take it further; every time you think of any mom who you think isn't quite the best, replace her with four who you think are.
I say this because life is already hard. We already have so much depression in the world to deal with. We don't have to put the spotlight on bad moms when there are so many great moms who don't get the credit they deserve. Those are the ones we should be putting in the spotlight, not the Casey Anthony's of the world. They don't deserve even a moment of our time.
Very good outlook, Val. The overwhelming majority of mothers on the planet are amazing. We should waste no more time on this bad one. Thanks.I don't always keep up with these things, so when they were talking about it yesterday, I only knew bits and pieces. I am sad for the little girl that is gone, but I am not in a place to decide who should bear the guilt for her loss. You are right, there is so much good out there for us to focus on. Thanks for the reminder to look for the good.Good for you. I've been trying to stay out of the Casey Anthony media circus as well. As a journalist, I've always had a strong opinion about how the media should respect the privacy of individuals who have suffered horrific events.Good prospective Val. I have also stayed out of it. I know who she is but I haven't paid any attention to the day to day. From what I gather a lot of people on FB are of the opnion that she got away with murder. i wouldn't know. I do know I do not care for the way the media grabs onto a story and shoves it down out throats. They also tend to make a lot of nothing in to something, just to get ratings.I admit that I have been a little caught up in the whole Casey Anthony thing. Nonetheless, I think you are right, Val, and in the spirit of celebrating great moms, I'm going to talk about my mom. Her birthday is tomorrow and she is turning (ha!). She has always been there for me and my siblings, and she has become my best friend. She is not only an amazing mom and grandma, she is a awe-inspiring wife, taxi driver, pastor's-wife, piano player, cook, cleaner, secretary, organizer, leader, comforter, anchor, teacher, and friend. We are buying her an iPad for her birthday, because as my brother said, she deserves it. Of course, if it was about deserving it, we'd never be able to afford anything good enough! If the media wants sensational... Well, they should start looking at people like her!
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