(AP) TAUNTON, Mass. — A woman who sent her boyfriend a barrage of text messages urging him to kill himself when they were both teenagers was convicted Friday of involuntary manslaughter in a trial that raised questions of whether words can kill.
Michelle Carter found guilty in boyfriend's texting suicide
I followed this story since it's start. I am glad she was convicted. The decision was a no brainer. She could have easily stopped that death on that day, with a few simple and more reasonable words and actions, showing true care, but instead she was putting pressure on him to do it, when he was showing mixed feelings then of wanting to do that.
Words have convicted others before, so why should this be any different? Let's say a wife tells a hitman to kill the husband, then she should be guilty if that occurs, and is almost always prosecuted for that. Let's say a man yells "Fire" in a crowded theatre, and people die after trampled over. If there was no fire, he could be found guilty for negligence or willful misconduct, depending on his sanity or intentions.
So, regardless if she wanted the attention of his death, or had some condition, she was very reckless and unreasonable in her actions and inactions. I did not see any history of her being insane. One biased doctors opinions of temporary insanity. Whatever. Nice try. Even if she had some psychotic condition or was self-centered that is not an excuse to not take accountability.
So, like the saying goes, "If you do not want to do the time (in jail or prison), then do not do the crime." Some might argue, "Well, it was is his choice. He did it himself." I would argue, "It was not his choice, but her choice, as he was saying he was scared to do it, and was trying to back out, but she kept encouraging it and saying it was the right choice." He was taken advantage of and pressured in his moment of severe despair, and trying to please her, thinking erroneously she cared.
Let's also say some therapist used their own untruthful words, or words that they knew would contribute to a patient's death, to get a patient to kill themself or to commit a crime. In most cases they would be held liable, for a failure to provide reasonable, professional care, and for being negligent and showing malice or gross misconduct. Yes, this girl was not a professional, but it is just Common Sense and reasonable for most to assume that should any lay person encourage another to commit a suicide, that they should be convicted.
Was there not a story recently where some fast food ice cream store manager bullied a young employee and he committed suicide, and she was being held accountable for that. So, yes, I agree with taking a stance on bullies, and mean persons that harm others directly and indirectly and causing death should face severe consequences, if not deemed legally insane by adequate medical history. Only with accountability, will this society get safer and better. Just my rant and personal feelings.
