Equality Means Equal Responsibility

China Arnold has, yet again, been found guilty of microwaving her baby to death.  (One trial ended in mistrial, and a second was overturned on appeal.)  She's gone through a whole list of improbable explanations, pointing fingers at various other people but admitting she was so drunk that night she doesn't remember anything.

Of course that disturbs me.  Everyone should be disturbed about a microwaved baby.

But what really stands out to me is her lawyer, who insisted "No mother is going to do this, in this way," while also pointing out the baby's father as a potential alternative suspect.


Fathers care for their children as much as mothers.  Why is it so heinous to think of a mother doing such a thing, but less heinous to think of a father doing the same?  I'm not even sure who it insults more: women by essentially defining their nature as centered around mothering, or men by depicting them incapable of bonding with a child like women do.


An associate of mine has a terrific picture of him him cuddling his baby.  It's adorable, and loving, and amazing.  You don't see dads in those pictures very often.  Moms, sure.  Lot's of sentimental moments between mother and baby, but dad and baby pics are much more often either silly or the dad is presenting the baby to the camera like a trophy or a prize fish.


Men care.  Men should care.  And society should recognize it and encourage it.