mother-instincts
Motherhood is a powerful thing. When you are fighting to protect your child, anything becomes possible. If the need arises, logic and rational thought become overpowered by the fierce instinct to do what needs to be done. Your instinct may drive you back into the flames of a burning building once you realize your child was left inside. It may send you up against a powerful animal many times your size, even if the battle seems impossible to win. You will do it. Mother-instincts give you the courage to risk your life, even die for your child, without a moment’s thought or hesitation. But what happens when you find yourself in a situation where you can’t rely on instinct alone? When you’re forced to make frightening, potentially deadly decisions, in order to keep your child safe?
Imagine you have a 16 year old daughter. Imagine that the most dangerous gang your police department has ever seen decides to recruit your daughter to help them blanket your city with crack cocaine. What would you do? Could you go undercover within the gang, risking your own life and your daughter’s, to try to bring them down from the inside? Carla Shultz from Springfield, Missouri found herself faced with that difficult decision. But Schultz felt like she had no choice- her daughter was in danger. In the news story from the Ozarks news-leader.com website they describe Schultz’s frightening ordeal:
In the summer of 1994, Shultz immersed herself in the gang. Armed drug dealers cut and packaged crack in her house before stashing it everywhere inside, including electrical sockets. When the supply ran out, she went with them to Chicago’s ghettos for another shipment. Once, Shultz said, the so-called Chicago Boys stole several guns from a rival gang and drove them back to Springfield under the hood of her car. Shultz performed dozens of drug buys for police and wore a wire to capture conversations about the burgeoning business.
Shultz, who was like a mother to the gang members, is certain they would have killed her had they learned she was a spy.
“They would’ve killed me and Kari. I know for a fact they would’ve,” she said. “But if you get pushed into a corner, you do whatever you have to do to get out of that corner.”
Thanks to Schultz’s help, police were able to arrest and prosecute the gang members that were involved in running the drug ring. Justice was served, the town was free from the most notorious gang it had ever seen, and most importantly to Carla Schultz, her daughter was safe.
The thing is, sitting here in my warm house, snuggled up in bed with my laptop, I find it easy to judge Schultz’s actions. I would never do that, I think to myself. Why didn’t she just pick up her daughter and run for safety once she knew how dangerous the situation was? How could she willingly put herself and her child in such a prolonged state of vulnerability? From the safety of my bedroom it seems like a foolish and ridiculous risk to take, and I silently vow never to put my family through such a nightmare.
But I don’t think I could ever really understand. Not until I am face to face with the moment in which I need to do something drastic in order to keep my child safe. I don’t think I have any idea what I am really capable of.
After all, I am a mother.
Hmmm..that really made me think. I know for a fact I would move heaven and earth to save my children. But that article made me think exactly how far I would go. And I find myself saying that yes, I would do even that.
Comment by Queen Beth — February 21, 2006 @ February 21, 2006 at 8:01 am
That article made me think. I say I would do anything for my child to protect him and I’d like to think I would. But I also think I would grab my child and run in a situation like that.
Comment by Rachelle — February 21, 2006 @ February 21, 2006 at 8:29 am
Your last paragraph sums it up for me. I don’t know what I would do in that sort of situation…I can’t even fathom it.
Comment by mama_tulip — February 21, 2006 @ February 21, 2006 at 11:28 am
As I read both the article and your take on it, I found myself wondering how far I would go not only for MY child but for someone else’s child. By helping the police stop this drug ring, Shultz may have saved someone else’s child. I don’t know that I could do that, but I am impressed by it.
Comment by Susan — February 21, 2006 @ February 21, 2006 at 1:28 pm
This post made me think of something my older sister said to me once about a movie we watched called ‘Extreme Measures’. In it a doctor goes underground into the sewer system of NY. (I think) There are people that actually live there. Anyway, she told me she would never do something like that because the thought of it scared her to death. Then she added, “Unless one of my children were down there. Then I could do it.” That was before I had a child of my own. Now I know what she meant.
Comment by Mama D — February 21, 2006 @ February 21, 2006 at 2:17 pm
It truly is amazing what Mothers are capable of. I am constantly amazed at what I will do for my kids. They seriously make me a better person than I ever hoped to be.
Comment by Kelly — February 22, 2006 @ February 22, 2006 at 12:33 am
I honestly don’t think I would have done what she did. Maybe I am the only one who thinks this, but I think she was irresponsible for putting herself and her daughter in that kind of danger.
Comment by Theresa — February 22, 2006 @ February 22, 2006 at 8:07 am
Wow. That’s amazing. I think I would have done it, too, though. Mom’s are powerful people!!
Comment by Kristen — February 22, 2006 @ February 22, 2006 at 9:55 am
I would have run, so far and so fast. Does that make me a coward? Perhaps. Am I okay with being a coward if it means my child is safe? You bet your sweet bippy.
There’s no arguing that the woman is brave, but I would have to add foolhardy to that decription as well.
Aside from that, what in the name of God were the poice thinking? ‘Ok, Ma’am, we’re going to let you do our work for us. This will have you and your daughter in constant danger and even though I’m quite sure there are other ways we could achieve the same objective, we’re gonna go for it.” HUH??
Comment by Contrary — February 22, 2006 @ February 22, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Mind-blowing. It’s amazing what we become when we become mothers.
Comment by Heather — February 27, 2006 @ February 27, 2006 at 9:22 pm
I am trying to find Carla Schultz. We knew each other many years ago. I really appreciated your blog; it puts her in the heroic light that she deserves. Any help you could offer me in finding her again would be greatly appreciated.
Comment by Ed Gernon — June 16, 2008 @ June 16, 2008 at 5:25 pm