The Case of Cooper Harris

I typically try not to judge. I try to keep an open mind and realize that things happen, people do things that I don’t agree with, that not everyone reacts the same way. That being said, and in light of last week’s post about my biggest fear, I am floored as I continue to follow the story of Cooper Harris, the 22 month old boy who was left in the car and perished.

As more information comes to light, it becomes less likely that this was a careless accident, and more so like a calculated plan to use the absent-minded Justin Ross Harris causing the accidental car death of a child to get away with murder. Over the weekend as I read about the sexts, and the searches, watching the unemotional face of the father as the evidence was piled up in front of him, I wondered, about the mother, Leanna Harris.

Sure enough, this morning, there were more details about the possible involvement of the mother. Everything from her questioning her husband “Well, did you say too much?” while he was in jail to knowing immediately that when hearing that Cooper hadn’t been dropped off at daycare that her husband must have left Cooper in the vehicle. But the most alarming item I’ve read so far is what she said during her son’s eulogy. As stated in an article on CNN, she said “I miss him with all of my heart. Would I bring him back? No. To bring him back into this broken world would be selfish.” Another thing she stated was that she was “happy” that Cooper would not have to experience heart break or family members’ deaths.

Wait what???

I don’t mean to sound callus, but how could dealing with a parent’s death or your first break up with a girl compare to being left in a car and suffocating to death. We’ve all been there. We’ve all been stuck in a hot car at some point. It is incredibly uncomfortable and I would think is one of the last ways I would want to pass.

What kind of mother would not want to bring her son back after such a horrible death? The more and more I hear the more I wonder if she wasn’t suffered from some sort of post partum psychotic break – it sounds more like something a woman who wanted her child out of this world would say.

I will never understand the ability to harm a child. It blows my mind when I read about people intentionally doing something horrible – how can you lack such compassion, empathy, and for lack of a better word – a soul?

So, yes, I do tend to not judge. We all make mistakes. I try to put myself in other people’s shoes. See things from their point of view. I try to keep an open mind and understand that the media may be trying to demonize these parents (though with the evidence that is coming to light and the initial support that the Harris’ received when Mr. Harris was first charged – it is becoming more and more unlikely that is the case), but today, I fail. I am floored and disgusted how my biggest fear could be something someone quite possibly chose to do to get money and not be a parent anymore.

Jamie Webster

About Jamie Webster

Just your average blogger. Married 2 years with two wonderful children who are 6 years apart. Little about me: I’m turning 31 this year (yikes), have had 9 foot surgeries in 8 years and have spent a little over 4 years of my life in and out of a wheel chair (or scooter). And today, I am training for a half marathon. I attribute two major changes in my life to my healing: the power of goal setting and going gluten free.