Considering that people are killed on a fairly regular basis and left in the street to rot purely based on the POSSIBILITY that there are $40 bucks in their pocket [cash value based on average street price of meth-amphetamines], it would seem as though people DO kill over things significantly less valuable than a television. The most major difference I notice in this case is that an innocent child was killed as opposed to the regular innocent adult/teen. I don't promote the death penalty, in fact, in my country (Canada)it doesn't exist anymore. I also happen to be against vengeance, especially second hand, [referring to those who would see the woman tortured/killed etc.] mostly because that's the sort of impulsive blood lust and lack of clear thinking that likely had a hand in causing this and other tragedies. Interestingly, I, like several others here, can't say I'm all that shocked. I'm angry, but not shocked, frustrated, but not surprised. I may be the only one to hold this opinion but I've noticed over the course of my life that mothers are among, if not the most short fused and impulsive people I've ever met. It doesn't surprise me at all to think that a mom could see her broken tv that she no doubt spent many hours working to purchase and fly into a rage. I could see my own mother trying to hurt me for breaking our tv, just because she's high strung. Lack of self control or forethought are too of the least desirable traits in a human being from my perspective, because of things like this. Fortunately, I'm in my mid teens and am big enough to defend myself physically, and I'm faster than she is when I need to be.
Short version: People kill for less money, this is a kid though, so its different. Mob mentality and self righteous anger cause murder, and mothers seem have a habit of being very stressed out and irrational, and they yell about everything...for no good reason..then feel justified in hitting you for suggesting that they overreacted.<--Catch the irony? -Sigh- I'm a little bitter -shrug-