Men and women alike around the globe are glued to their television sets, computers and smart phones, watching, listening and keeping track of the most incredible trial ever. And yes, that includes the O.J. trial.
We've had some very riveting moments, but at the end of each day, the prosecution seemed to prevail. Then, on Thursday, June 23, 2011, Cindy Anthony, Casey’s mom and Caylee’s grandma, took the stand for the defense and all hell broke loose!
There were a couple of times I thought Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick, leading the cross examination, was going to hurl herself onto the witness chair and try to choke some sense into Cindy. I think some viewers wanted to do the exact same thing.
Under oath, Cindy admitted to performing searches for chloroform, alcohol and other suspicious chemicals on the family desktop computer. She stated it was she, not Casey, who made those incriminating searches, although in the deposition and according to work records, that would have been impossible.
Cindy, by her own mouth, previously claimed to be at work that day during those times. Do you think she’s lying? Do you blame her for what she did? Do you hold this against her?
Let's stop a moment. Consider what Cindy Anthony is going through. She is a mother who has lost her beloved granddaughter. If that isn't bad enough, she is facing the very sobering fact that her daughter is charged with the murder of the child.
Now Cindy has the real possibility of also losing her only daughter to a sentence of death. From the beginning of the trial, the prosecution stacked the deck against Casey Anthony. Until yesterday.
Cindy was visibly different yesterday; her dress and demeanor were different. She was dressed for business rather than the regularly flowered outfits; she was ready for the questions and ready to answer, as opposed to being the emotional mess she had been previously on the stand.
There's much at stake for Cindy. She does not want to lose her daughter to a lethal injection, even if she killed her own little daughter. Cindy just can't let that happen to Casey. She is a mother fighting for the life of her child. It's the most basic instinct for any mother.
So I ask you, what would you do if you were in Cindy's shoes? What if you truly believed there was at least a decent chance that your daughter was innocent? Would you give her the benefit of the doubt?
I believe in people taking responsibility for their actions. However, if faced with these circumstances, would you take a chance that could lead to the death penalty or would you tell a few lies to help her case?
It's easy to be an arm chair quarterback, but until we are in that position, we cannot say definitely what we would do. But for all of you out there wondering why she did what she did this is the answer.
She has been through hell and it's not over yet. To possibly save the life of her daughter, she has perhaps fallen on her sword. Do not condemn Cindy without first doing some introspection. Faced with the same set of circumstances, you just might have done the same thing.
