Wintersong

And the rescue services were there within 4 minutes. They still didn't manage to save the children, so I'm fairly sure there would have been 4 dead bodies to recover if the guy who witnessed it had jumped in himself. The water in SF Bay is incredibly cold.

scrubbedexpat099

I would tend to agree, I was surprised (is'nt SF on the same latitude as Gibralter?) that the sea is freezing and of course the tows. One of the reason Alcatraz was a good spot for a Prison, looks like a quick paddle to shore.

AmerLisa

I didn't judge her.....just wondered about human nature.

Manc

I think throwing 3 kids into San Francisco BAy is plenty reason to judge her, now I may not be a psychologist, but I'd hazard a guess that's she's a nucking futter.

Hebapotamus42

I don't think any reasonable person should have waited to witness the mother throwing 3 children into the bay. If I saw someone about to throw a little baby into the water, I think I'd grab the child from the nut before she did it. And if the mother had made threats and it was known she was mentally unstable, then why in hell was she left to take care of these children by herself?

Angry White Pyjamas

It aint that easy...unless you happen to wear your knickers outside your pants and a big S on your chest. Unless they were stood next to her and expecting her to throw the child in they wouldnt be able to stop her. Even then what would you do? Smack her in the face and grab the child? That'd be assault and kidnap. Have a go heros are all very noble but just end up creating more problems for EMS. They witness would appear to have done the correct thing. Call EMS ASAP and give them the info they need.

Yorkieabroad

A truly horriffic, sad situation. I swing from absoute disgust that anyone could be evil enough to do this to anyone (let alone 3 of their own kids!), to abject pity for the lady that she could be so mentally disturbed to commit such an act. I think I'm coming down on the side of the latter - I really just can't believe that anyone in their sane minds could do such a thing.

Is it just that these cases are getting highlighted more now, or are they on the increase? I don't remember seeing things like this 20, 30 years ago? Or were people with problems banged away "out of harms way" more then, rather than being relased into the "care of the community", which lets face it, doesn't really seem to care enough until its too late.....

Rete

Sorry I cannot agree. Why not be a hero? Why not try to save a person? Why not show that you value human life and are willing to act on behalf of someone who can't save themselves when there is a better than average chance you can help them without hurting yourself. I'm not advocating going into the bay if you can't swim but damn they were dropped into the bay at the pier. You grab a child and hang on to the pilings until help arrives. Who says you would have to choose which child to save. You save the one closest to you that you can grab. Why not have grabbed the woman before she threw the other two in?

If you saw a person being robbed would you run the other way or start screaming to perhaps thaw the attack. Would you walk away from a car accident you witnessed without trying to help an injuried person in the vehicle?

The woman is mentally ill. Who is to blame? Her, the system, her family. Her family admits they knew about her mental illness and yet they did nothing. They allowed her to live with her three children in a homeless shelter. Did they offer their homes to those children? Did they go to the state's social services and report the living conditions of the children and the mental illness of their mother? It's always someone else's responsibility or its too inconvenient for them to have an infant or a toddler around.

It comes down to a personal choice. I could not live with myself knowing that I failed to do everything within my power to save at least one of those chldren. Passivity is not a virtue. It is the fastest growing disease of the 21st century in my opinion.

Manc

I'm sorry, when did the USA deem that we should give a toss about other people?

Rete,
This is a typical BS response.

The current setup in the USA deems that everyone is responsible for their own actions, yet when things like this happen, people start throwing around "where were her family?"
"Why didn't her family take in the kids?"
"Did the family go to social services"

It's far to easy for you to sit back and say "Why didn't X do more to help this woman."


why should they? My sister could have magic dust for brians, but you see, I have my own problems to attend to, I am responsible for me, my wife and my kids.

Not anyone elses.

Now when the right wing are bitching and moaning about pork-barrel spending, and recalling the state in questions governor to elect a republican whom slashed the state budget.
One could argue that the family may have tried to get help, but it simply wasn't there nor anyone listened.

AmerLisa

Just read this......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051021/...dren_in_bay_39

So she's made threats before and no one thought she would harm her children.....sad.

cindyabs

Rete,
Remember Kitty Genovese case? Now THAT was an incredible case of people not wanting to become involved.

Leslie

I say put her down, like the rabid dog she is.
That way she won't ever hurt anybody else ever again.

Can you imagine how terrified those kids were?

Hebapotamus42

Well it's kind of good that they're dead now. Imagine them surviving and having to live with that kind of trauma on top of them being homeless. I know I'm not being politically correct, but there are certain types of people who should really be banned from having children.

Partystar

Reading this made me feel physically sick. I am the same age as this woman (23) & have a 16 month old boy too. It makes my heart heavy when I imagine someone doing this to my son, it's just not right to do such an awful thing to a helpless child, let alone 3 of them.

NJ_Dave

Don't worry about it, political correctness is overrated

I'm sure this woman didn't plan to have 3 kids before the age of 23. If she was so desperate then why didn't she put them up for adoption instead of throwing them off a pier? The stupid cow was obviously as crazy as a box of monkeys, and will hopefully spend the rest of her days getting the shit beaten out of her by the orderlies in a mental hospital.