The news story Why Japan’s isolated mothers are killing their children (The Age [Australia], 11/8/08) has so many outrageously revealing quotes about the pro-mother/anti-father bias that it’s hard to know where to begin.

Quote #1–”[Y]oung mothers feel acutely isolated from their community and receive no support from uninvolved or abusive husbands…In a moment of quiet desperation, they are driven to kill.”

“Driven to kill”–because of an “uninvolved” husband!?

Quote #2–”[B]ecause mothers of this generation have enjoyed greater academic and professional opportunities than their own mothers, they also suffer more depression and stress when confined to the family home.”

“Confined to the family home”? How is their choice to have kids and remain home with them “confinement”? I bet we all know who’s fault it is though…

Quote #3–”Women have become responsible not only for the full-time parenting and care of their children, but also their educational performance. The pressure is immense,” Professor Ohinata says. “That’s why, in recent cases of filicide, women haven’t just been killing infants but also schoolchildren, including teenagers.”

Your 15-year-old does poorly in school so it’s understandable to kill him?

An unbelievable double standard–a man who murdered his child would receive not an iota of sympathy or understanding or rationalization of his motives.

I would add for the “it’s always all the feminists’ fault” contingent that Japan is a relatively traditional society and hardly one where feminists have the kind of influence over family law and domestic violence policies that they do in the US. This isn’t the anti-male bigotry of feminism as much as it’s the anti-male bigotry of traditional chivalry.

The full story is here. Also note the father who was conned & guilted into blaming himself for his 3-month-old son’s murder at the hands of his wife.