Blog 1: A Mother's Defense

When the wedding dress arrived at our home, I looked into my young daughter’s eyes and asked her if she was sure she loved him. When she answered, “I’m sure I want to marry him,” a dreadful feeling came over me. I had married for love and willingly sacrificed a life of luxury. Still, after my beloved soldier never returned from war, I spent the rest of my days in financial hardship. I take responsibility for what happened for I did not stop the wedding in hopes that my instincts were wrong. I wanted my innocent child to experience life influenced by her husband’s wealth. The first phone call I received from my daughter after she was married confirmed that something was wrong. You ask how I, a mother, am able to act in such violence and kill my daughter’s husband. I’d like to ask you whether you have any children; for if you did, you would not question what I had to do. I protected my child the only way I knew how and even though I do not take any pleasure from ending a human life, I do not regret my decision. Someone was bound to die that night so I killed him before he can harm my child. Vilma Bursac