Vegans or baby killers?

[James_xeno]

Sick!

Vegans or baby killers?

Fulton jury to decide couple's fate

By BETH WARREN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 05/02/07

This Buckhead newborn didn't stand a chance.

By the time he saw a doctor, the 6-week-old, born at home, was dead. Fed a diet consisting largely of soy milk and apple juice by his vegan parents, the baby boy weighed just 3 1/2 pounds.

Fulton prosecutors say it's a chilling case of murder by starvation, a painful and prolonged death. Attorneys representing parents Jade Sanders, 27, and Lamont Thomas, 31, told jurors the first-time parents did the best they could while adhering to their vegan lifestyle. Vegans typically live free of animal products.

"They're not vegans, they're baby killers," Fulton prosecutor Mike Carlson told the jury Tuesday during his closing arguments. "Think about how long they had to listen to his screams and hollers."

Thomas hung his head and appeared to nearly collapse on the defense table during closing arguments, while Sanders sat next to him listening intently. The couple's attorneys claim the parents didn't realize their baby, named Crown, was in danger until minutes before he died.

Jurors began deliberations Tuesday. Prosecutors urged jurors to convict the parents of murder, which carries an automatic life sentence in prison. Defense lawyers told jurors the death is at most a case of involuntary manslaughter, reckless conduct that results in an unintentional death, punishable by up to one year in jail.

Please, someone tell me that breast milk wasn't excluded as an option because of their vegan lifestyle! Because that would be so fucking stupid that it's not even funny.. I only hope there's a good reason, one that also explains the preclusion of baby formula as well.

[J-Stop]

Undereducated vegan parents. There isn't any malice or motive.

If they just wanted to kill their baby they could have just not given him anything to begin with.

[Samurai Drifter]

They should be arrested and jailed for being too damn stupid.

[Nega-Brent]

People need someone to blame when children and babies die.

[Samurai Drifter]

People need someone to blame when children and babies die.

Especially in a case such as this, where it's clearly someone's fault.

[Nega-Brent]

Especially in a case such as this, where it's clearly someone's fault.

Yes, it's so easy to place blame on someone after reading a single article about them and their family tragedy. Their child died, it's their fault, open and shut case, circumstances be damned.

[Samurai Drifter]

Yes, it's so easy to place blame on someone after reading a single article about them and their family tragedy. Their child died, it's their fault, open and shut case, circumstances be damned.

They starved their baby to death through neglect. That much is clear or they wouldn't be in court. The only point the court is arguing over now is whether it's manslaughter or murder.

[Nega-Brent]

They starved their baby to death through neglect. That much is clear or they wouldn't be in court. The only point the court is arguing over now is whether it's manslaughter or murder.

And you have no idea who they are, yet you're placing blame on them. You've read one article about their situation that said nothing about their character, social status, health background, income, or criminal record. All you know is that they are vegans and their baby died as a result of a poor diet.

[margot]

it's not because they're vegan, it's because they were uneducated about nutrition.

I think that's strange though, everyone knows breast milk is the best thing for babies.

[Nega-Brent]

it's not because they're vegan, it's because they were uneducated about nutrition.

I think that's strange though, everyone knows breast milk is the best thing for babies.

Not everyone, I've sat through debates over whether or not formula or breast milk is better.

EDIT: In some cases formula is actually better.

[Gundampilotspaz]

All Vegans should be tossed in prison, baby killers nor not.

They are just not human.

Is there a link for this? I'd like to blog it.

Yes, it's so easy to place blame on someone after reading a single article about them and their family tragedy. Their child died, it's their fault, open and shut case, circumstances be damned.

The baby weighted THREE AND A HALF POUNDS, clearly a case of blatant neglect.

You're an inhuman monster for suggesting they don't deserve punishment. Lets see how you feel after you starve to death.

[Samurai Drifter]

All you know is that they are vegans and their baby died as a result of a poor diet.

Yeah, I'd say them feeding their baby a poor enough diet that it starved to death places blame pretty squarely on them.

[margot]

Not everyone, I've sat through debates over whether or not formula or breast milk is better.

EDIT: In some cases formula is actually better.

no. unless a woman is physically unable to give breast milk of course

[Nega-Brent]

You're an inhuman monster for suggesting they don't deserve punishment. Lets see how you feel after you starve to death.

Well if I'm inhuman for not wanting to jump to conclusions and call these parents murderers based on the very little information provided by that single article then I'll gladly throw my lot in with the other inhumane monsters of the world.

Yeah, I'd say them feeding their baby a poor enough diet that it starved to death places blame pretty squarely on them.

Given that logic I suppose every parent in the world whose child is starving should be blamed, regardless of the circumstances.

[Samurai Drifter]

Given that logic I suppose every parent in the world whose child is starving should be blamed, regardless of the circumstances.

You are an idiot.

[Nega-Brent]

no. unless a woman is physically unable to give breast milk of course

In some cases the mother's breast milk could be akin to poison.

[Nega-Brent]

You are an idiot.

Clever retort.

BTW, that's what you are doing, damning these people without any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding their tragedy.

[FaultyClockwork]

They knew nothing about nutrition and were trying to adhere to their life style, and their baby died. We don't know any other details so Brenton is right, we can't jump to conclusions in this situations. And either way it isn't murder because there was no intent nor malice (evidently).

[Gundampilotspaz]

Given that logic I suppose every parent in the world whose child is starving should be blamed, regardless of the circumstances.

Kill yourself

[DreamerGirl]

There was no intent or malice, but these people were idiots. No matter how you look at it they were.

[Ceraziefish]

All Vegans should be tossed in prison, baby killers nor not.

They are just not human.

I really fucking hope you're joking. Since when is humanity determined by diet?

Anyway, I'm gonna have to say that Brenton is being the sanest person in this thread and SD and GPS are giving him shit for it. They may have been dumb as hell, this is true (I've met a couple of people who were raised 100% vegan, by the way, they were perfectly healthy), but no matter how much GPS wants it to be, stupidity is not a crime.

Should they really be punished for not educating themselves before having a kid? I mean, they've already got one hell of a punishment -- their fucking kid is dead.

Now, should they be required to learn about nutrition and how you stay healthy as a vegan (because most vegans have to take vitamins, etc, because you don't get certain nutrients from just vegetables -- not that I'm saying this is a bad thing) before having another kid? Yes, certainly, but everyone should be educated about childcare anyway.

[Nega-Brent]

Kill yourself

You first.

[Ceraziefish]

Given that logic I suppose every parent in the world whose child is starving should be blamed, regardless of the circumstances.

BTW, this is EXACTLY the logic you guys are using. And both of you talk a lot about how amazingly perfect logic is all the time, and how well you understand it. Either you guys are admitting that logic isn't always the solution to every problem, or you're pursuing an argument you don't actually agree with.

"What, your kid starved because you didn't have enough money to buy food? Should've taken on another job, you lazy piece of shit."

"What, your kid starved because you live in a third world warzone? Maybe you should've gotten a gun and fought off the enemies, you cowardly piece of shit."

[DreamerGirl]

But, they allowed their child to starve to death. It's the same as people who leave babies in cars in Florida and the babies die. It's manslaughter, and they should be charged with it like everyone else would be.

I mean, if I killed someone doing something stupid in a car I'd be charged. It's the same idea. They didn't mean to kill anyone, but it's still a form of neglect.

[Nega-Brent]

But, they allowed their child to starve to death. It's the same as people who leave babies in cars in Florida and the babies die. It's manslaughter, and they should be charged with it like everyone else would be.

I mean, if I killed someone doing something stupid in a car I'd be charged. It's the same idea. They didn't mean to kill anyone, but it's still a form of neglect.

If they didn't know their vegan lifestyle was killing their baby then they weren't allowing their child to starve to death.