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Death by Mom: The Age of Filicide

Langur Monkeys

In the animal kingdom, killing young species for the sake of survival is acceptable. A host of wild creatures which include but are not limited to langur monkeys, bears, lions, hyenas and wolves engage in this savagery. Numerous scientists who have studied the behavioral patterns of animals surmise that animals are innately programmed to be narcissistic, selfish and intent on preserving the means for their own existence. Whereas there are some animal groups that work towards the greater good of the community, others simply operate like the plot of a television soap opera.

Time Magazine ran an article which profiled the scientific exploits of Harvard Anthropologist, Sarah Blaffer Hrdy. Throughout the course of her 1500 hours with the langur monkeys of India, she observed that the male ascendancy played a key role in the survival of the younger monkeys. According to Hrdy:

By eliminating infants in the troop that are unlikely to be his own, a usurping male hastens the mother's return to sexual receptivity and reduces the time that will elapse before she bears his offspring.

Conversely, when the male dominance forces the female into a position of submission, the offspring are offered up to the murderous desires of the male authority. For the mother, it is a gesture which is indicative of surrendering to the headship of the male.

Human beings are gifted with five senses, a biology that is unmatched by any other species on the planet and an ability to think, act and react within reason. Mothers reside within an elite class of human beings in that they are able to produce the next generation of offspring. From the womb, the young receive physical and emotional nourishment that prepare them to enter this volatile planet. At the sound of that first wail, the maternal instinct is stimulated and there is an impulse to rush to the aid of the helpless infant. When an infant stares into the eyes of his or her mother, there is a subliminal request for unconditional love, care and immeasurable support.

As a collective, headlines that contain the words, "kill", "child, "mom" and "murder" arrest our attention. Notably, cases which include a father may not garner as much attention as a mother's case. Reason being that such female aggression is, unfortunately fascinating. In the face of other criminal cases and news stories, such occurrences coerce the society to do a double take. What would possess a mother to do the unthinkable to her own flesh and blood? What were her thought patterns during the contemplation or commission of such a heinous act?

Casey Anthony

While the media circus that surrounds the coverage of the Casey Anthony case continues to magnetize society, the issue of filicide and the sacred role of mothers is brought to the fore. Filicide is defined as the act of a parent killing his or her own child. Ms. Anthony's trial is currently in progress but may have already been adjudicated in the court of public opinion. Whether or not she is getting a fair trial remains to be seen. But the explosive bombshells emanating from courtroom testimony are damning. Up to this time, the public has been painted a portrait of a woman who had been viewed as an unfit parent. Is there any empathy for this embattled mom?

Perhaps, in the face of all of the fascination with this case of alleged filicide, the conscious public would seek to redirect its sights to the human face of this tragedy. The young and helpless are often the pawns in the grown-up rules of warfare. They do not possess the ability to chart the course of their lives and fend for their survival. It is the age of filicide and unfortunately it is the offspring that are the prey.

Tags: kids, moms

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