Colorado Springs

One has to wonder just what is in the mountain air these days. In January of this year Maria Darlene Gardner doused her five children with gasoline, and set them ablaze. The children aged from 16 months to 9 years old were all severely burned, with the youngest dying from the injuries her mother inflicted on her sleeping body. Now, she is claiming insanity in a court hearing before 4th judicial dist judge Timothy Simmons. While I think anyone would agree, she would have to be insane to do such a thing, why should "insane" (what a vague term these days!) be any defense against such a crime? After the she set the fire that claimed Ashia Joseph's life she purportedly inflicted wounds to her wrists, and ankles. Although not reported as such, it is inferred we are supposed to believe she attempted suicide. We are to believe the October 2007 suicide of Gardner's husband sent her into some tailspin of emotions that ended when, as 8 year old Dominic told 911 dispatchers... "She dumped some oil on the ground and started it on fire."

In court docs here, police reported finding a five year old boy had a "cut type" injury to his throat. Police reported that Gardener fled the scene as responders arrived. I would not think an "insane" person who had no grasp on right or wrong would have tried to avoid police. The El Paso county child welfare dept reported previous contact with Ms. Gardener, but refuse to say why they were involved. They cite data privacy, but one has to wonder if that is more CYA than concern for the privacy of any person involved. More here.

Frankly, I am a bit tired of reading about nut-jobs killing their husbands, and children, then citing "family problems" of one form or another. Where are all these social programs we seem to dump endless dollars into? Why can't a mother/wife that is having trouble dealing with an emotional problem seek help without the "help" coming in the form of police jackboots insisting the husband be arrested for whatever minor cause they can come up with? It's all about arresting people, generating more self-justification for bloated, overbearing, and ineffective police agencies. Previous domestic disputes between the "adults" of the house were settled in typical Colorado fashion, they arrested him, charged simeon with a load of crimes, and issued the typical restraining order. Did this help? Did anyone address the real problems? No, they cost the family more money, induced more of the stress that was tearing these people apart, and in all likelihood caused her to be afraid to have anything more to do with what passes for "help" these days. Maria may have poured the gasoline, and set the fire, but there is an equal blame on the system, and it's handmaidens for the burned remains found in that home.

A domestic situation can never be cured by the introduction of more laws, police, restraining orders, and the endless line of overbearing one size-fits-all mandates we are generating.