Madeleine.......

[chadspad]

As most of you are aware this poor little girl is still missing. I have just an email that is doing the rounds from her Uncle with a photo her asking that it be sent to as many people as possible. What about doing something on here too that ish users can copy and forward to their friends and family as there are many different nationalities on here that might be able to spread the word wider?? I could possibly copy the text and piccy on here and then people copy into their own email - would that work?

[Muddypause]

Oh, strewth; No, a million times no. This whole thing is a media soap opera.

Of course it is an excruciating agony for her and her family, but this whole thing has taken on a completely distasteful dimension akin to Eastenders, or something (tune in to our next news bulletin for the next cliff-hanging episode).

News is one thing, but this media circus is utter reprehensible.

I just don't believe that people are being asked to help, or even care; they are being asked to take part in a Hello Magazine version of the world, to tune in and view other people's tragedies over a TV dinner. Inevitably, it has degenerated into a work of fictional presentation.

Compare this to all the other missing people; to the children being tortured, abused and murdered in the war zones of the world; to the children living in poverty (for whatever reason); to all the places in the world where orphanages are overflowing... And yet we hear nothing about these ugly situations; they are all kept safely out of sight.

Why? Well, I would conjecture it has something to do with perceived 'cuteness' - a little girl who is visually appealing, blond hair, big eyes... If she had a dark skinned ancestry, if the photos of her showed someone who was from a deprived background, if her parents weren't safely well-to-do middle class people, do you think there would be a tenth of the media coverage this has got? How many other children went missing in the world during that week?

Not meaning to get at you, Chadspad, but It can't be right, on a forum like this, to single out this one incident above all the others; it's a personal tragedy for a few, not an international one. Of course you (and anybody else) can give attention to this on a personal level, but I don't think this forum is an appropriate place for it.

[red]

I have to say I agree completely with Muddypause on this one.

[chadspad]

Fair enuf. Just thought it might have been a good use of all the nationalities on here that might have wanted to do something and assist in spreading her photo. Didnt mean it to belittle those others that have gone missing - I would happily suggest the same for them too, regardless of culture, background etc.

[Cornelian]

Well, I live in the bottom end of Australia and we've been inundated with the entire Madeleine thing, too. If we know about it, everyone knows about it. I really feel for her parents and for Madeleine, but am I now wishing the damn thing would go away - or at least cool it a bit. I think the real danger for the McCans now is that people will just get weary of the constant bombardment of Madeleine hysteria. It isn't the McCans I am weary of, I do sympathise with them, but the media hysteria is starting to get to me.

[possum]

I have to say I whole heartedly agree with Muddypause and Cornelian on this one.
I don't think spreading the word ot other countries is going to help in the slightest. If she is alive she probably is still in portugal, though I have to say I think that after this time she probably isn't.

[the.fee.fairy]

Or she'll turn up in a few years time after living in someone's cellar.

[dmwcarol]

The bit that I don't get is why is this one child so much more important than all the other missing children.

I mean, I have every sympathy for her family and everything, but she isn't the only child who has gone missing, why is she the only one the media care about? Why don't the others have massive rewards being offered or world wide coverage? Why haven't I had emails asking me to put up posters for them?

I realise this sounds awful, but do you think we'd be getting this sort of media frenzy if she wasn't pretty, blonde and white? It's either simple racism or there is something else being hidden away in the news while attention is focused on this child.

Cynical maybe, but if that's not the reason why are things different for

YING LEE Missing Since: 26/09/06 Age Now: 3

MAYA LEILA MAHMOUD Missing Since: 24/03/07 Age Now: 1 (Missing from: DONCASTER, United Kingdom)

MINH ANH NGUYEN Missing Since: 20/04/07 Age Now: 11 months

ELIZABETH OGUNGBAYIBI Missing Since: 26/09/06 Age Now: 6

And that's just the under tens I could find listed from the the last year. Why don't they deserve the same outcry?

Carol

[baldowrie]

frankly I don't feel that the amount of publicity given to this little girl and HER ordeal would have helped to preserve her life She is too 'hot' now!

I also believe, and some or may not like it, that if you take children out/away with you then you don't leave them alone in some hotel room whilst you go out and enjoy yourself with a meal and a drink or two. You at least take advantage of the baby sitting service, take them with you or don't go.

Make of that as you will, but that how I and others feel..some may be afraid to say it

[Bonniegirl]

I've had the same e-mail an di have forwarded to all of my contacts.

Any child that has disappeared needs to be found, with the case of Madeline if these e-mails help find her then it surely can't be a bad thing.

If my son was to go missing then I would be grateful for anyone who spent the time sending e-mails all around the globe in the hope of home being found!

Maybe it's the cynical age we live in, but for Heavens sake she's someones baby as all those children are, lets do what we can to find them eh?? Not put down peoples efforts to try and do something no matter how much the media are milking it!

Do what you can when you can and thank your lucky stars it's not one of your children

[baldowrie]

I would not leave my children 'home alone'. Whilst I can not that it could never happen to mine, I have covered all the bases

[Nikki]

I agree with muddypause. DH and I thought we were in a minority.

I'm a very compassionate person, but it's because of this, rather than despite it, that I'm turned off by the media frenzy around this little girl. I think of the hundreds of people that go missing every year, of the children dying every minute in poor countries, and on and on. The money offered by newspapers, etc, for one child, that could go towards helping hundreds if not thousands of children.

If I were the mother, yes, I'd be doing everything and anything. But as a nation, it's just plain bizarre. When I saw them get on a private plane (donated by a millionarie) to visit the pope it was the last straw. We were totally dumbfounded. So they're Catholic, go to church and light a candle, and ask that the thousands of pounds being spent on you go towards charities for young children.

I just think the media circus around this says disturbing things about our nation. As simple as - blonde, blue-eyed, cute, and middle class is worth our time? Who's to say, but it sure looks that way. This is what I find worthy of discussion - what it says about us.

I hope she's found, just as I hope the thousands of deprived, missing, abused, and starving children are helped.

[Bonniegirl]

We haven't had all that hype here in NZ! Wow! Forgotten how bad it can be over there!

[red]

sadly - i believe the emails going round are only phishing for email addresses and will be collected by spam machines. wont help this or any other missing child

[The Chili Monster]

Baldowrie wrote:

I also believe, and some or may not like it, that if you take children out/away with you then you don't leave them alone in some hotel room whilst you go out and enjoy yourself with a meal and a drink or two. You at least take advantage of the baby sitting service, take them with you or don't go.

Make of that as you will, but that how I and others feel..some may be afraid to say it

Hear, Hear.

Actually, the Portuguese Police pretty much made that point, only for it to be conveniently glossed-over by the UK media.

Sadly, though, I suspect many of those contributors to the fund are guilty/have been guilty of leaving their youngsters in hotel rooms whilst nipping out for a meal, drink, etc. A raw nerve pressed, perhaps?