posted on Oct, 28 2010 @ 11:44 AM
Addiction is an ugly truth that has ugly repercussions.
Just as Drug addicts can pimp out their children so that they can buy more drugs, just as an Alcoholic can physically abuse their entire family, just
as a Gambling addict will put their family out on the street, so can a Gaming Addict.
Addiction is a mental illness, and having a mental illness doesn't prevent someone from committing an atrocious, unfathomable act such as killing
their own flesh and blood.
This is a truly tragic event, that baby should have been loved and treasured, not beaten to death for doing what babies do (crying for
attention). Although I would like to see this sorry excuse for a mother be sent to prison for the rest of her life I know that this is but a
single example in a much bigger social problem, and that we do not recognize the signs of addiction and mental illness early enough to prevent
tragedies like this from occurring in the first place.
Until we, as a society, can acknowledge and address addictive behavior (as to an addict, anything can become addictive, it's not Farmville that is
to blame here as it could have easily been food, collecting coins, sex, or drugs) and provide the proper support and treatment to those who are
mentally ill, this will not be the last time we have a headline such as this.
It is so very easy to point the finger and say "Bad mommy, sorry excuse for a human-being, go to jail you good-for-nothing who doesn't deserve to
live" but there comes a point where we cannot so easily absolve ourselves of partially sharing the guilt as a society that failed this newborn
child born to a mentally ill mother who had an addiction and needed treatment and help.