Elizabeth Smart Found Alive
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Yea, I heard the headline on Fox News and Mrs. looked at each other and we were trying to remember who she was. Then I was like UTAH, the kidnapping from last summer. It just seemed impossible. I guess that's why one should never give up hope.
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i can't stand these kinds of news stories. i mean, this rich-white-suburban-girl-kidnapping crap that the media is feeding us is really getting tired. kidnappings have declined over the past decade yet they get more coverage now than ever before. not to mention that it's always upper-class caucasian females that get the lead stories. you never hear about any others and that's no coincidence...<br><br><br><br>
ahh, the good ol' media playing on our fears. better lock up your white daughters before they get kidnapped too! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="
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i am just as thrilled as anyone else that she was found alive and everything but come on, this is <i>not</i> news..
ahh, the good ol' media playing on our fears. better lock up your white daughters before they get kidnapped too! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="
"><br><br><br><br>i am just as thrilled as anyone else that she was found alive and everything but come on, this is <i>not</i> news..
I think most kidnappings make the news anymore especially with "amber" alerts etc. Just being a parent, I put myself in their shoes, and it has to be an awesome moment to re-unite. With all the strife in today's world, a happy ending is a bit inspiring.
stonecrest, from my readings on this report she was found because someone recognised the kidnappers from the news reports, so the higher publicity is helping, atleast in this case, which means it was worth it, but i do agree it does seem that white upper-class kidnappings dominate the airwaves.
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I'm grateful that she was found alive, and glad that news media coverage helped people to spot her. But I think this and other disappearances are basically local stories. They have dominated the national news because the national news media would rather report them than report on national issues.
Here's an article that attempts to explain why the media covers some kidnappings and not others.<br><br><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/20/national/main512915.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/...in512915.shtml</a>
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I'm glad to hear she's alive.
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Wow. I think that's pretty amazing. I wonder what happened to her over the last months? I'm so glad I've never been through anything like that. I mean, could you imagine?<br><br><br><br>
I'm thrilled for her family, but much more thrilled for her! She must be so relieved and exhausted.
I'm thrilled for her family, but much more thrilled for her! She must be so relieved and exhausted.
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I wonder what it would be like for her going home in almost a year. Im sure she has changed alot over the months considering everything she must have went through. Im glad they found her alive though. and about all the idnappings that happened during the summer it was sad about the girls that were found dead <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">
"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">
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I read that race related article, but I think in this case it has more to do with the sensationalism potential of the kidnapping 'technique' so to speak, rather than race.<br><br><br><br>
People were horrified to hear of her being taken away as her sister watched, terrified and playing dead.<br><br><br><br>
Kids get stolen all the time on their way to school, or similar situations. It's totally sad anyway, but much more common, and somehow seems far less likely to get anywhere as an investigation. The Smart family had a report on how it happened, and that he seemed 'familiar' somehow...
People were horrified to hear of her being taken away as her sister watched, terrified and playing dead.<br><br><br><br>
Kids get stolen all the time on their way to school, or similar situations. It's totally sad anyway, but much more common, and somehow seems far less likely to get anywhere as an investigation. The Smart family had a report on how it happened, and that he seemed 'familiar' somehow...
The Smart case is far more "entertaining", that is, interesting, fantastic, and fear provoking that some kid being taken by a parent without custody, which is what most kidnappings are.<br><br><br><br>
Imagining oneself (or one's child) pretending to be asleep to avoid being taken while hearing your sister being taken can send chills down anyone's spine. A girl here one day and gone the next with no background or interesting story to it is a bit more prosaic. The public is tired of that. That is, unless the female is pregnant or the ex mistress of a congressman.<br><br><br><br>
One important thing noted by the article is the way in which the family positively and actively engaged the media.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Edited to add- <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/indepth/andrews/index.ssf" target="_blank">this</a> was a kidnapping case of an adult pregnant woman that not only deserved the coverage it did, but revealed the strange story of this weird woman (the kidnapper) and how she had fooled all of her relatives. Creepy stuff. (Warning, story has bad ending)
Imagining oneself (or one's child) pretending to be asleep to avoid being taken while hearing your sister being taken can send chills down anyone's spine. A girl here one day and gone the next with no background or interesting story to it is a bit more prosaic. The public is tired of that. That is, unless the female is pregnant or the ex mistress of a congressman.<br><br><br><br>
One important thing noted by the article is the way in which the family positively and actively engaged the media.<br><br><br><br><br><br>
Edited to add- <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/indepth/andrews/index.ssf" target="_blank">this</a> was a kidnapping case of an adult pregnant woman that not only deserved the coverage it did, but revealed the strange story of this weird woman (the kidnapper) and how she had fooled all of her relatives. Creepy stuff. (Warning, story has bad ending)
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Well, whether or not Elizabeth Smart was overpublished because of her race or economic status, it is a story of good stuff happening despite the intentions of the kidnapper. We complain that the news is often too negative, so I'm not surprised that I kept hearing this story over and over and over today, perhaps as an attempt to make up for overcoverage of negativity.<br><br><br><br>
Thalia, please, oh please do not bring that story up again if you can help it! I know you meant well, but at the time the story was prominant in the news, it gave me nightmares. For awhile I couldn't hear a mention of Ravenna, Ohio, without cringing.
Thalia, please, oh please do not bring that story up again if you can help it! I know you meant well, but at the time the story was prominant in the news, it gave me nightmares. For awhile I couldn't hear a mention of Ravenna, Ohio, without cringing.
Sorry Skylark. It was close to home.<br><br><br><br>
I saw primetime last night about Elizabeth Smart. It showed videos of her walking around with the family in veils and not trying to get away, and even when first approached by police, she denied who she was. There is speculation she suffered from the "stockholm syndrom" (identifying with your captor, like battered woman syndrome). I feel really bad for her and her family. I hope she is able to return to normalcy to a reasonable degree.
I saw primetime last night about Elizabeth Smart. It showed videos of her walking around with the family in veils and not trying to get away, and even when first approached by police, she denied who she was. There is speculation she suffered from the "stockholm syndrom" (identifying with your captor, like battered woman syndrome). I feel really bad for her and her family. I hope she is able to return to normalcy to a reasonable degree.
<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block"><i>Originally posted by mushroom</i><br><br><b>I think it is easier to "brainwash" someone who is already brainwashed with religion...<br><br><br><br>
I have a 15 year old son and I can't see him not faking compliance and then running for it, first chance he got.</b></div>
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Actually, one of the experts mentioned this, that if she already had a religious upbringing, she would be more likely to buy into his extreme belief system. I think this could happen to anyone (the stockholm syndrome at least), but I have my wonders, too, at how my brother or I would have reacted to the religious stuff considering our non-religious upbringing. It's hard for me to imagine us buying into it when we don't even buy into going to church. But you never know. You just don't.
<div class="quote-block"><i>Originally posted by mushroom</i><br><br><b>I think it is easier to "brainwash" someone who is already brainwashed with religion...<br><br><br><br>
I have a 15 year old son and I can't see him not faking compliance and then running for it, first chance he got.</b></div>
</div>
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Actually, one of the experts mentioned this, that if she already had a religious upbringing, she would be more likely to buy into his extreme belief system. I think this could happen to anyone (the stockholm syndrome at least), but I have my wonders, too, at how my brother or I would have reacted to the religious stuff considering our non-religious upbringing. It's hard for me to imagine us buying into it when we don't even buy into going to church. But you never know. You just don't.
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keep the news coming if it will help bring stolen children home.<br><br><br><br>
even white rich children.
even white rich children.
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