In her column yesterday, Rebecca Harkness concludes that punishing Andrea Yates for drowning her five children "would be a slap in the face for all women" because postpartum depression is not fully understood.

While Yates' depression surely played a role, I would argue that her behavior is more like that of Columbine High School shooters, Harris and Klebold, and the wave of copycat killers that have followed.

Andrea Yates took the easy way out of her problems. She chose to exact revenge from the source of her torment.

And while the high school victims were shot, Yates was able to coldly drown her "troubles" one by helpless, innocent one.

The real question in Yates' insanity plea is whether she knew right from wrong at the time of the killing.

Fortunately, we are not forced to decide as Yates put that nail in her own coffin.

After the murders she called the police to report the incident, a clear indication of her knowledge of wrongdoing.

Andrea Yates will likely avoid the death penalty and might even escape imprisonment, which would be a slap in the face to everyone who believes in right and wrong.

Perhaps scariest of all is the number of people who have come forward to defend Yates.

Rebecca Harkness can side with Andrea Yates as she chooses.

I will stand with Andrea Yates' children.