The fact is, right now, Aug.27th, 2002, my child (if I were the Smart's) is still missing. I have stated in quotes, that my youngest daughter, Mary Katherine saw her taken AT GUN POINT...
I am now faced with the reality, after a long, difficult summer, that school is starting tomorrow. Somewhere out there, there may be the abdustor or God forbid, the killer of our daughter, Elizabeth.
Does it make sense to ME, that I would trust my little 9 yr. old to even go to the school bathroom alone? What if the KILLER is a custodian? How can I allow my kids to go back to school? If I were hoping and praying our daughter is alive....inside my heart, I would also be thinking she is dead. If she is dead, then there is a killer out there. Someone who hated us so much they took our daughter right from our home while we slept !!! There is no way, I would send any of the kids out that door until the perp is arrested with good cause, and behind bars awaiting trial. I would get curriculum to teach at home, until it was safe, and even then, with all our resources, I would be working to transplant our family in another area far from where this happened.
I would be thinking of THEM, and how difficult this will be for them. I would not trust the press for one second !!! Even if I deliver them to school, and pick them up...there are 6-8 hrs. they will not be supervised by me. I believe that children need independence and cannot be put in a box to be protected...but this is ME...and those are MY KIDS...and until the KILLER or ABDUCTOR are found, my kids would not casually go back into "normal" lifestyle of school. NOTHING IS NORMAL NOW...and if someone came into my house, MY HOUSE!!!.and took my baby...and IS STILL OUT THERE. SOMEWHERE...they would not get out of my sight.
I am not the Smarts...I am speaking for myself, and not blaming the Smarts....I am saying I would not send them back to school, ..feeling horrible I couldn't..but not horrible enough to take the chance.
I agree 100%, I thought the same thing, I would either put them in private schools and not publish the locations or home school. Since money doesn't seem to be an issue I have wondered why they were in public schools anyway. Do Mormons have church owned schools? I haven't heard that mentioned before.
I have to agree with this statement. Even though my children are home with me know, I still have trouble even letting them play in the yard without me being there.
My daughter is in school. I asked her principle how tough were the screening procedures for ALL employees. He got onto me about not letting my childrens abduction control my life.
Anybody who has lived through the hell of having your children go missing, knows that kind of comment will just get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end!!
I fear I may be going to extremes, but I am afraid all the time about them being missing again.
I saw a lady holding a sleeping baby today. The child looked like my son. I had to walk up to her and make sure it wasn't him. My son was at day care and I was at work. Thank God I didnt just walk up and snag the child. Me and the children are in counseling now, but I cant seem to get past the fear.