Deep in my bosom, I'm not really a plain jane, suburban working mom. I'm really a hippie chick, granola-loving peacenik who just doesn't care for tie-dye.
That said, it still fries me when a headline states that a "marine" was sentenced for shaking his 4-month-old son to death. This crime was not committed by a marine while acting in the service of his country. In fact, the killer's status as a marine is absolutely irrelevant to this crime. This guy could have been an accountant, a plumber, or a hairdresser for that matter. But you never see a headline saying "Accountant gets 20 years in shaken baby case."
In reality, this crime was committed in this man's capacity as a FATHER. But that fact is often hidden from view. I can't tell you how many times a man's fatherhood status is cloaked in a headline under "man." As in "MAN gets 20 years in shaken baby case."
This time, the DAD was MICHAEL BIXBY. And lo and behold we have another "frustrated" daddy who just wanted to play his video games when that dang baby started fussing again.
Wow, this is the THIRD video-game playing killer dad we've had in two days. I'm really thinking that young dudes obsessed with World of Warcraft really aren't very nurturing caretakers at heart, and probably shouldn't be taking care of babies.
And observe that once again, we have a case with no mention of a mother. Why?
INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_17255735?nclick_check=1
Marine gets 20 years in prison in shaken baby case
The Associated Press
Posted: 01/31/2011 10:09:07 PM PST
Updated: 01/31/2011 10:09:07 PM PST
SAN DIEGO—A 23-year-old Marine who shook his infant son so badly that the baby later died from his injuries has been sentenced 20 years in prison.
Michael Bixby was sentenced in San Diego Superior Court Monday for the February 2010 death of his 4-month-old son, Andru.
Bixby pleaded guilty in December to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of child abuse as part of a plea agreement.
Judge David Danielsen says Bixby would likely serve 85 percent of the sentence.
Bixby, a lance corporal, was playing video games at the family home at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station when his son began to cry. The father grabbed the infant's right arm so hard that it broke and shook him, causing injuries to his brain and spinal cord. Andru died the next morning.