[pollyannaish]

Which is actually what caused them so much trauma with the media, imo.

They are used to "being up front" and public people, so the fact they didn't fall into hysterics convicted them with a lot of people. Personally, I saw a couple of professionals who were in shock and enormous amounts of pain, but had reverted to their trained public face as a coping mechanism.

The media wants you to fall apart and make a scene. It makes for compelling Springer-style television. It is exactly the dynamic that Hezbollah and Hamas have learned to manipulate so well.

[Valpal1]

I agree, the media punishes those who compartmentalize their trauma and continue to function.

Strangely, countless movies about this type of human (once referred to as heroic) are common and hugely popular and the most popular tv show 24 is about someone exactly like that.

I get really tired of the criticisms of the parents that their behavior wasn't "normal" when what they really mean is that they don't think they'd behave that way, so the Ramseys shouldn't have either. As if the indiviual criticizing is the arbiter of normality. Arrgh!