Elizabeth Smart Thread, 9/17/02 to ???

[Utah Girl]

Just thought I would start a new thread.

[GovernmentShrinker]

45 was a post from jengaio, providing a link to a Univ.of Virginia sociology website which has non-judgemental information about a wide variety of religions (her link went to page on LDS), and then links to both pro- and con- sites about the religion at the bottom of the page. I can't imagine why it was removed, other than being "off topic" -- but it seemed like an attempt to send people off thread for the off topic information they wanted, so I don't see the problem. Utah Girl replied to it positively in post #56, which is still up. The moderators work in mysterious ways . . .

[FR_addict]

If the Smarts really went on vacation while their daughter was taken at gun point from her room, there is something very wrong with these parents.

I know I would have a hard time eating and sleeping until I had my child back, let alone take a vacation.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks. Maybe the removal had to do with copyright conflicts or something, b/c now that you told me what it was, I remember that it was well-received by all the posters, inoffensive, and helpful. Well, that leaves me to wonder about the other 3--I think another one of those was an off-the-cuff humorous remark by Jengaio about "water-drinking cults" or something. Clearly just a joke.

???

[Devil_Anse]

Oh, great, now I found another removed post, No. 89. Well, at least to me, there's another mystery afoot. I'm beginning to think these posts were removed by the poster! Gad, I hope not!

[GovernmentShrinker]

On the other hand, they have 5 other children to worry about, and those kids have been under an incredible amount of stress (except the littlest one or two who are too young to understand). It's not as if staying glued to the house is going to bring Elizabeth back sooner. Both the parents and the children probably need to get away, so why not?

[GovernmentShrinker]

The site was clearly meant to be used as a reference by the public. I can't imagine there would be any copyright issues with placing a link. It was a sociology department project in which students in a sociology of religion class researched the material and prepared the web pages for public use.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Uh oh -- check out jengaio's profile page. That's really annoying because she certainly wouldn't have posted anything abusive. Must be a rogue moderator on the loose.

[varina davis]

And we never heard that anything except the shoes was missing.

You've made good points. But how do we know she hadn't already stashed some belongings in another place prior to June 5? It's possible.

Maybe -- if inded this is the scenario -- this seemed like an opportune time, when everyone was focused on the funeral, etc., and not as much on the kids. Who knows?

[FR_addict]

If your child was missing for three months would you be going on vacation? I know I wouldn't be.

Whether it helped or not I would want to be at home in case Elizabeth could get away from her kidnapper and call.

I would spend every cent I had to find her. The Smarts could bring in someone like Mark Furhman to get a fresh perspective on the case. He seems to be very good at putting clues together. Instead they are off on vacation.

[Devil_Anse]

Or could Jengaio have gotten fed up and just decided to "adios" from freerepublic?

Okay, Jengaio, if you're out there, get over here and tell us what the hell is going on!

Or would you like me to do my Ed Smart impersonation....no, wait, I'm not going to go there, that would be really mean to make light of Elizabeth's disappearance...

[GovernmentShrinker]

I'm absolutely sure the home phone is still being monitored and traced by police and/or FBI.

[Devil_Anse]

I can't check out Jengaio's profile page, b/c I can't even find any of her posts left to click on her name to get to her profile page!

You know, this would be humorous if it weren't also disturbing to think that she just suddenly changed from her normally easygoing self, to being really sick of this forum, or something. I mean, it is just like Jengaio to see the potential for parody, in that there is now a missing poster on the Missing Girl thread!

[FR_addict]

Not the same as the mother being there for her daughter.

[varina davis]

Utah Girl, some time ago, small groups (maybe just two people?) of LDS members would come to our home as they toured various neighborhoods. No one from your church seems to do this now and I was curious why not. The only ones who still seem to go door to door are the Jehovah's Witnesses. (We did have visiting Baptists once).

There are fairly sizeable Mormon communities near where I live (east of the Mississippi), so I was curious. Thank you.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I don't expect the page would say the account has been "banned" if she departed of her own volition. On the other hand, since the page is still up, it must be one of those short-term bannings.

Isn't it about Freepathon time again? If she isn't back when the fundraising starts, I'll let somebody know that my generous quarterly donation will be on hold until her account is restored.

[varina davis]

I can't check out Jengaio's profile page, b/c I can't even find any of her posts left to click on her name to get to her profile page!

I saw her profile page a day or two ago. Nothing there at all, that I recall. She recently removed the reference to being "gay."

[GovernmentShrinker]

Go to any poster's profile page, and then type her name in the box at the top to go to hers.

[varina davis]

It says that account "has been banned."

[GovernmentShrinker]

I know. Now try to think of anything that jengaio might have posted that would have violated FR posting rules. Seems pretty unlikely, doesn't it? Just not her style -- she was always a peacemaker.

[FR_addict]

Perhaps she was posting under two different screen names and they took one name away.