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I don't agree that a discussion of Natalee's judgment is counterproductive. I don't know what evidence if any has been gathered but the state of mind of the missing person is I would think vital in trying to figure out what she might have done or how she might have reacted.

And for those of us concerned with out own children's safety or our own I think we could learn a lot by examining how judgment and subsequent events relate to one another. What everyone who doesn't know the people involved in any news event garner from following the news is insight on how we should lead our own lives and how we should approach the decisions both small and large that we encounter every day.

I dont know libs but most of us know about how to look out for our safety. And some of the discussions are just prurient and intended to blame the victim.

I do know that young women I know, and I know alot, as a matter of practice do not take drinks of even orange juice from anyone in a public place or party. They only get sealed cokes or whatever from a machine or a bartender. And if they get drinks, they watch like hawks while the drink is made and never let it leave their hand or gaze.

Most young women don't do that but the careful ones, the ones who have known or experienced being drugged, do. I advise all to do it.

Joran didn't look dangerous. He looked like a tall, young, handsome, Dutch teen. Packages are deceiving and the blanket acceptance of all people with assumptions they are decent is a big mistake. But we know that.

And leaving only with friends, we all know that.

We don't know what happened with Natalee. I lean toward thinking she was naive, her drink was spiked and she was led while in an altered drugged state, not readily apparent to others, into a swiftly arriving car. Her friends didn't respond and that was a mistake.

This is all well known. But no matter how many precautions, things happen like this teaching terrible lessons. But the lessons, everyone knows.