Andrea Yates R.N.

LydiaNN · Jul 27, 2006

"I don't forget my children, and I don't forget Andrea, but I don't dwell on it either. I try to remember my children fondly," he said. "I'm building new life ... and have a new family and am more focused on them."
HUH? He remembers his kids 'fondly'? That's how you remember your dead cat, not your five precious children. Did this quote from Rusty Yates make anybody else cringe? I would be broken beyond imagination if I lost a child, and it would be a searing pain that would last a lifetime. I don't get this guy.

Frankly, the very existence of Rusty Yates makes me cringe. ITA about the quote.

banditrn · Jul 27, 2006

"I don't forget my children, and I don't forget Andrea, but I don't dwell on it either. I try to remember my children fondly," he said. "I'm building new life ... and have a new family and am more focused on them."
HUH? He remembers his kids 'fondly'? That's how you remember your dead cat, not your five precious children. Did this quote from Rusty Yates make anybody else cringe? I would be broken beyond imagination if I lost a child, and it would be a searing pain that would last a lifetime. I don't get this guy.

I think that husband belongs in prison!!:trout: What a piece of work he is.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 28, 2006

"I don't forget my children, and I don't forget Andrea, but I don't dwell on it either. I try to remember my children fondly," he said. "I'm building new life ... and have a new family and am more focused on them."
HUH? He remembers his kids 'fondly'? That's how you remember your dead cat, not your five precious children. Did this quote from Rusty Yates make anybody else cringe? I would be broken beyond imagination if I lost a child, and it would be a searing pain that would last a lifetime. I don't get this guy.

I always thought there was something wrong with this guy. This really settles it for me. He is sick, too. Those poor kids never had a chance.

nightingale, RN · Jul 28, 2006

The dog... searing pain beyond belief!

CHATSDALE · Jul 28, 2006

there was a program on abc tonight concerning her, couldn't finish watching it it tore my heart out

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

Wow 25 pages of replies. I haven't read through most of them, but here's my $.02 anyway.

Andrea Yates, mental illness or not, makes me sick to the point of no return. I could see if she was psychotic and drowned one child, but not all 5. I'm glad that this recent trial was only for 4 of her 5 children so they can still get her for something more serious on the 5th child. To get off not guilty by reason of insanty is just insane in itself. For me she deserves no less than to be held down in a bathtub by someone she loves and trusts 5 separate times and experience the terror, fear, confusion and the sense of asphyxiation the way those 5 poor little souls did.

I have ZERO tolerance for ANY crime against a child. I don't care what the circumstances were, I don't care what the provocation was, there is NO EXCUSE to harm a child - ever.

Additionally, like what some others have said, I believe that Rusty had a hand in this, unintentionally. He KNEW his wife was going off the deep end yet he kept having sex with her and kept knocking her up then leaving her alone with the children feeling overwhelmed. I've got ONE child and can feel overwhelmed some days. I don't know how people would do it with 5 under the age of 8. The whole situation is horribly sad, but she certainly didn't deserve to get off.

Ok /soapbox.

LydiaNN · Jul 28, 2006

Wow 25 pages of replies. I haven't read through most of them, but here's my $.02 anyway.
Andrea Yates, mental illness or not, makes me sick to the point of no return. I could see if she was psychotic and drowned one child, but not all 5. I'm glad that this recent trial was only for 4 of her 5 children so they can still get her for something more serious on the 5th child. To get off not guilty by reason of insanty is just insane in itself. For me she deserves no less than to be held down in a bathtub by someone she loves and trusts 5 separate times and experience the terror, fear, confusion and the sense of asphyxiation the way those 5 poor little souls did.
I have ZERO tolerance for ANY crime against a child. I don't care what the circumstances were, I don't care what the provocation was, there is NO EXCUSE to harm a child - ever.
Additionally, like what some others have said, I believe that Rusty had a hand in this, unintentionally. He KNEW his wife was going off the deep end yet he kept having sex with her and kept knocking her up then leaving her alone with the children feeling overwhelmed. I've got ONE child and can feel overwhelmed some days. I don't know how people would do it with 5 under the age of 8. The whole situation is horribly sad, but she certainly didn't deserve to get off.
Ok /soapbox.

Sorry, but how can you believe that Rusty ''knew his wife was going off the deep end'' and not think that Andrea was psychotic?

LoriAlabamaRN · Jul 28, 2006

My thoughts exactly. It seems she's arguing both sides...

Fuzzy · Jul 28, 2006

NJNURSING,

All I can say is that I hope that you never have the opportunity to care for me. I hope that your empathy inproves as you enter the workplace because depending on where you work and what field that you work in, you will be dealing with people that may have done horrible things. Some of these things may involve childern. Remember mental illness statistically affects one in four people. You have a 25% chance of having a mental illness of some type in your future. Don't say that you're too old because you're not. I had my first psychotic break when I was 35. I had no idea what was going on or what I was doing. While I didn't hurt a child, the potential was there. Thankfully I was successfully treated by an understanding, non-judgemental advanced nurse practicioner. That was 10 years ago.

Congratulations on your new job. I hope that part of your training includes some empathy.

Fuzzy

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

I never said she wasn't psychotic. You might want to re-read my first paragraph there.

Rusty has said in many interviews/reports that he sensed even after the first child that she just wasn't right. Then after the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th..... All it did was compile the problem.

She is mentally ill - anyone who harms a child is, especially one who kills her children in such a way and then blames it on religion. I just truly despise the not guilty by reason of insanity ruling that was handed down. Now she'll just spend years in a cushy mental facility rather than life in jail or on death row for what she did. Plus it sets precedent on further cases.....

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

You cannot presume to think that I'm not empathetic or caring towards my patients. This is COMPLETELY different. I'm going into maternity. I've had my own bouts with depression and anxiety - but I was smart enought to get myself help and medicated. Of course I was no where near hurting anyone. I was just miserable myself.

I may end up helping to deliver the babies of people who have previously harmed children, but I'm sure their faces won't be plastered over every single paper or news station all over the country and in a workplace setting, personal beliefs need to be set aside - the patient comes first.

This is SOOOO not the same thing. This is a woman who CHASED down her children with them screaming, crying and wondering why the person they loved and trusted most in the world was forcing them to a terrifying end. To heck with Andrea Yates, put yourself in the shoes of thie children and imagine what a horrifying day that was - especially for the 2 that were last - they had a cognitive idea as to what was going to happen and that had to be worst of all.

NJNURSING,
All I can say is that I hope that you never have the opportunity to care for me. I hope that your empathy inproves as you enter the workplace because depending on where you work and what field that you work in, you will be dealing with people that may have done horrible things. Some of these things may involve childern. Remember mental illness statistically affects one in four people. You have a 25% chance of having a mental illness of some type in your future. Don't say that you're too old because you're not. I had my first psychotic break when I was 35. I had no idea what was going on or what I was doing. While I didn't hurt a child, the potential was there. Thankfully I was successfully treated by an understanding, non-judgemental advanced nurse practicioner. That was 10 years ago.
Congratulations on your new job. I hope that part of your training includes some empathy.
Fuzzy

LydiaNN · Jul 28, 2006

I never said she wasn't psychotic. You might want to re-read my first paragraph there.
Rusty has said in many interviews/reports that he sensed even after the first child that she just wasn't right. Then after the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th..... All it did was compile the problem.
She is mentally ill - anyone who harms a child is, especially one who kills her children in such a way and then blames it on religion. I just truly despise the not guilty by reason of insanity ruling that was handed down. Now she'll just spend years in a cushy mental facility rather than life in jail or on death row for what she did. Plus it sets precedent on further cases.....

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand your reasoning. Okay, so you agree she was psychotic. That being the case, if you could see her drowning one child, I don't understand how you can't see her drowning all five. All five deaths were part of the same action, the one you're agreeing was committed while she was psychotic. What happened to those children is tragic beyond comprehension. It doesn't dishonor their memory in any way to acknowledge what drove their mother to do such an unthinkable thing to them. To the contrary, justice is about finding the truth. If the fact that she did this was enough to hang her from the rafters, there'd have been no need for a trial in the first place. In civilized societies, courts of law weigh all the facts- not just the degree of tragedy resulting from one's actions.