>>IMO, Andrea Yates was mentally ill at the time she killed her children, and as such, should not be in prison, but under medical treatment. Her doctors failed her, the system failed her, and her family failed her. As to why there was no "massive revolution", my only hypothesis is that the American public was "brainwashed" by the talking heads appearing on every news program, talk show, etc., each with their own agenda to advance.<<





I also think it is a result of the extreme individualism and volitionism which dominate American society.





Surveys show that most Americans believe that individuals should always be held responsible for their own actions, a viewpoint which is problematic at best. If you couple that attitude with the lack of understanding most Americans have of mental illness, it becomes a recipe for disaster.





If anything is evidence of the lack of human rights and criminal justice in the U.S., it is the fact that the government was even permitted to prosecute Andrea Yates.