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October 27, 2003
The Smarts?
Does anyone have thoughts on this? I've watched none of this past weekend's interviews, was merely amazed that they've already made a TV-movie about it. Nancy has thoughts
If my daughter had been kidnapped, raped and held captive by a crazy homeless man I'd hired to wash my windows, and I was lucky enough to get her back, I'd spend the rest of my life scourging myself in hopes of somehow escaping the guilt over it. Schmoozing with Today show hosts would be the last thing on my mind.
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Maybe they just want their daughter to stay in the public eye, so that her terrible experience can serve as a warning to parents.
Posted by: Jason at Oct 27, 2003 12:30:35 PM
I picked up a copy of People magazine last week and inside was a picture of the family's Christmas card from last year. All of them are smiling warmly and in matching sweaters.
With one daughter missing?!?!?
That woman is obviously a lot tougher than me because I'm pretty sure I'd be marginally functional, not smiling on a Christmas card.
Posted by: mar at Oct 27, 2003 1:19:14 PM
I just can't get over the fact that the girl goes for nine months, supposedly living with a homeless guy, then comes back looking more fleshed out, rosy cheeks, more pronounced curves...I'm sure you women out there know where I'm going with this....
Moreover, the first news conference after she was found, the dad is up there jumping around, whooping and pumping his fist. I, personally, would be vacillating between tears and rage if my kidnapped daughter had just been returned after living as some guys concumbine. I'd want to kill the guy and collapse with my daughter, not whoop and hollar for the media. I just don't get the people.
justin
Posted by: Justin at Oct 27, 2003 1:57:27 PM
Justin,
I am naive, I guess. I really, sincerely don't know what you mean.
Posted by: Meggan at Oct 27, 2003 2:11:12 PM
I agree. Weird and creepy...the whole family, throughout the whole saga. I saw the Today show interview this morning and am now convinced that this girl likely has some kind of breakdown in her future.
But a red flag did go up for me..I'm always uncomfortable when people (especially media) start throwing around the label "deeply religious." There's a lot of baggage attached to those words these days.
It IS possible to be deeply religious and NOT be a nutcase. Just thought that needed to be pointed out.
Posted by: Cheryl at Oct 27, 2003 2:21:02 PM
Of course, when it comes to the mainstream national media if you believe in God and attend a church regularly, you may qualify as "deeply religious." I know I have a cynical side, but I strongly suspect that the term is used by news outlets as a put-down. These folks may be a bit strange, or even bad, but the story works better if one can connect that weirdness to a "deeply religious" angle as opposed to a race, ethnicity, education, interest or some other irrelevant angle.
Posted by: Mike Petrik at Oct 27, 2003 2:51:55 PM
I agree with you on this, Jason.
Posted by: Lynn at Oct 27, 2003 3:17:48 PM
I was saying to my wife during this interview "why do we need to hear this?" I think that Katie Couric was fishing for details that would'nt be helpful to anyone.
My wife's comment to this "You are so wrong about so many things."
Maybe a therapist told the parents that this would be good for her.
Posted by: Brian at Oct 27, 2003 3:22:15 PM
A warning to parents??
I'm obviously in favor of using common sense and take all kinds of reasonable precautions to protect my children. I always lock doors and windows, for example...
But I seriously doubt there has been a rise in incidences of crazy handymen kidnapping children from their beds in the middle of the night then parading them around in broad daylight for weeks. My risk of this happening is probably equivalent to a meteor dropping on my house.
In other words, the Smarts may have a need to tell me to watch over my kids, but they are not necessarily performing a great public service in going on the Today Show to do so. Something else is going on here.
Posted by: Cheryl at Oct 27, 2003 4:07:27 PM
I do not know alot about Mormonism but I get the impression that the value placed on a woman in that culture has something to do with the strangeness.
Posted by: Tom Mohan at Oct 27, 2003 4:17:04 PM
It's nice to speculate about what *we* would do if *our* daughter had been kidnapped, etc. But it's important to note that this is just that - speculation. We don't know how we would react in that situation. People often act strangely when put in strange and/or taxing situations, and I'm sure this qualifies.
Posted by: Josiah at Oct 27, 2003 5:13:03 PM
Tom wrote, "the value placed on a woman in that culture [Mormonism] has something to do with the strangeness" of the Smart situation. I'm curious how the value of women in Mormonism differs from the value of women in Catholicism. It seems to me that Elizabeth Smart's mother -- the stay-at-home mother of a large, close-knit family -- embodies an ideal we in Catholicism embrace.
Posted by: Becky at Oct 27, 2003 5:31:16 PM
Meggan,
I was referring to pregnancy.
Justin
Posted by: Justin at Oct 27, 2003 5:33:39 PM
Becky wrote about "the stay-at-home mother of a large, close-knit family" common to Mormon culture resembling Catholic values. I do not disagree, but beyond those appearances one must consider the history of polygamy and some of the Mormon religious customs which I have heard allow the will of a husband to play a role in a wife's eventual salvation ie- choosing whether a wife can eventually get to heaven.
I don't remember enough to be authoritative and hope someone with the goods can jump in here and prove my point for me. Catholic teaching respects the dignity of both men and women equally. I cannot assert that Mormonism does not respect that dignity as equally, but I am concerned that it may not.
I was and am thrilled that this young girl was found alive. I would not bring this out into the media circus, however, for reasons of modesty on behalf of my child.
Posted by: Tom Mohan at Oct 27, 2003 6:06:58 PM
My understanding, from previous cases I've read about, is that if they want to do a TV or theatrical movie about you they can do it over your objections or without your support because you are a now a newsworthy "public figure", even if you became a "public figure" against your will and through no fault of your own. You will then have absolutely no feedback or veto possible over the production, and of course make absolutely no money off of it. If your ordeal or "newsworthy event" cost you a lot of $$$, somebody is going to get rich off of it, while your post-movie costs for security or seclusion will add tremendously to the work days lost you've lost, if you haven't already lost your job. You'd be a fool not to take considerations like this into account. Also, you're probably going to have to hire a lawyer or pay for special physical or mental health care costs to deal with the consequences of the ordeal or tragedy. If you're just an average person of modest means, how the hell are you going to pay for all of this if you don't reluctantly go for a cut of the bonanza that the vultures will make off of you anyway? Be realistic.
Posted by: KBK at Oct 27, 2003 6:58:36 PM
Think of it in reverse. If you had hired a crazy homeless man to wash your windows and if he had NOT harmed your daughter, wouldn't you have earned brownie points for good works, social justice etc. etc.
And if you had not hired him, just sent him packing with maybe a few bucks and maybe not, wouldn't you have felt guilty for not ministering to Christ in the poor and the homeless and the stranger?
Posted by: Caroline at Oct 27, 2003 7:25:57 PM
As a single man, never married and no children, I can't even begin to imagine what I would do if it had been my daughter. But, we have to admit that mom and dad did everything they could, even bypassing the police when they felt they needed to, to make it known that their daughter was missing. And, I can assure you, if my nephews or neices were missing, my siblings wouldn't have to worry about who would take up the Public Relations part of the job... I would, because I know that job well.
Secondly, I am relatively sure that the Smarts really don't/didn't want to go on national TV, or publish a book... but, as I am sure some savvy media consultant/agent told them "someone's gonna do it, wouldn't you rather it be you and accurate?" Listen, Katie Couric, and Oprah Winfrey et al have shown their true colors in this situation.... they want to be first, they want the ratings, and they could care less how it affects Elizabeth, or anyone else in the Smart family... or your family, or mine, if, God forbid, it had happened to any of us!
She's gonna need the money in the future to continue counseling probably well into her adult years. But, I'm gonna tell you something... I expect her to be in California by the time she's 18. Some Hollywood agent is probably in Utah right now trying to convince her to use her blonde hair, blue eyes, and pretty face to make LOTS of money. I hope she tells them where to go and leave her alone. But, I doubt she will.
Posted by: Phillip Swindall at Oct 27, 2003 10:23:39 PM
Justin, I think you're off on the pregnancy thing, simply because Elizabeth was 14 when she was snatched and 15 when she returned. Girls just get curvier and more womanly at that age. I agree that pregnancy was a possibility, but with the diet she was fed, it's possible her body didn't have enough nutrition to keep developing her AND ovulate.
As far as the Smarts parading their daughter around, I can see the temptation -- simply that they don't want Elizabeth to forever be the poor, helpless, filthy, mind-controlled victim in the eyes of the public. They WANT people to see a beautiful, intelligent, "healed" young woman, not Mitchell's raped concubine. Is this the best way to change the public image of Elizabeth? Probably not. But certainly the fastest.
--Sparki
Posted by: Sparki at Oct 28, 2003 9:32:59 AM
Sparki,
I think Justin is hinting that maybe Elizabeth was already pregnant at the time of her disappearance...hence her return after 9 months. Or am I way off, Justin?
Posted by: Laurrie at Oct 28, 2003 10:43:59 AM
Laurie,
That's exactly what I meant. I know it's pure speculation, but given how wierd these people are acting, anything is possible.
Justin
Posted by: Justin at Oct 28, 2003 12:27:09 PM
Oh, I see what you meant now, Justin. I guess that's another possibility. We'll just have to see how things shake out in the long term. Like I said, I can see a parent's desire to want to "cleanse" his/her daughter's image after it became publicly known that she was taken as a hostage concubine and raped.
Posted by: Sparki at Oct 28, 2003 2:27:35 PM
Sparki,
You're interpretation is also possible, even if it is not what I would ever think to do. In my opinion, it's none of their damn business, and any shame rape victims feel is a reflection of societies problems, which I would not like to play into.
Justin
Posted by: Justin at Oct 28, 2003 9:29:17 PM
