Official "I'm sorry for what I said about Elizabeth Smart" thread

[Grig]

OK all you freepers who where claiming ES was somehow a willing participant, easily dupped, or a runnaway.

Here is your chance to show us how mature and adult you can be. read this http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/867965/posts?q=1&&page=51#14 then post here to admit your error and apologize. I will freely forgive anyone who does so.

[onedoug]

Something's not right about the whole thing.

[Alberta's Child]

No facts? Are you kidding me?

[Grig]

"Just like that?? That's mighty accomodating of you, Your Holiness. "

You would rather I held a grudge?

"I missed the part where it says she was not easily duped or a willing participant"

From the article:

---

Self-proclaimed prophet Brian Mitchell and his wife were charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary Tuesday in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart.

---

The Official State of Utah Sex Offender Registry

76-5-405. Aggravated sexual assault.


(1) A person commits aggravated sexual assault if in the course of a rape or attempted rape, object rape or attempted object rape, forcible sodomy or attempted forcible sodomy, or forcible sexual abuse or attempted forcible sexual abuse the actor:
(a) causes bodily injury to the victim;
(b) uses or threatens the victim with use of a dangerous weapon as defined in Section 76-1-601;
(c) compels, or attempts to compel, the victim to submit to rape, object rape, forcible sodomy, or forcible sexual abuse, by threat of kidnaping, death, or serious bodily injury to be inflicted imminently on any person; or
(d) is aided or abetted by one or more persons.

(2) Aggravated sexual assault is a first degree felony punishable by imprisonment for an indeterminate term of not less than 6, 10, or 15 years and which may be for life. Imprisonment is mandatory in accordance with Section 76-3-406.

Amended by Chapter 289, 1997 General Session

[Grig]

"Just like that?? That's mighty accomodating of you, Your Holiness. "

You would rather I held a grudge?

"I missed the part where it says she was not easily duped or a willing participant"

From the article:

---

Self-proclaimed prophet Brian Mitchell and his wife were charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated burglary Tuesday in the abduction of Elizabeth Smart.

---

The Official State of Utah Sex Offender Registry

76-5-405. Aggravated sexual assault.


(1) A person commits aggravated sexual assault if in the course of a rape or attempted rape, object rape or attempted object rape, forcible sodomy or attempted forcible sodomy, or forcible sexual abuse or attempted forcible sexual abuse the actor:
(a) causes bodily injury to the victim;
(b) uses or threatens the victim with use of a dangerous weapon as defined in Section 76-1-601;
(c) compels, or attempts to compel, the victim to submit to rape, object rape, forcible sodomy, or forcible sexual abuse, by threat of kidnaping, death, or serious bodily injury to be inflicted imminently on any person; or
(d) is aided or abetted by one or more persons.

(2) Aggravated sexual assault is a first degree felony punishable by imprisonment for an indeterminate term of not less than 6, 10, or 15 years and which may be for life. Imprisonment is mandatory in accordance with Section 76-3-406.

Amended by Chapter 289, 1997 General Session

[Sloth]

And I still say that Smart guy is a flaming @sshole for using the occasion of his daughter's safe recovery to launch an idiotic rant against a decent U.S. Congressman.

Unquestionably. But a Clymer for a father does not justify calling a teenage kidnap victim a liar without good reason.

[ewing]

I probably shouldn't have give them the idea..

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Until you know the facts AC, you should learn to keep your mouth shut about questions regarding the honor and morality of a young lady.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm not sure how many people actually called Elizabeth Smart a "liar" -- especially since I have yet to read or hear a single comment from her.

It was (and still is) the behavior of the parents and other family members that made a lot of us very skeptical of this story.

[alnick]

P.S. I missed the part where it says she was not easily duped or a willing participant.

You did, huh? Well, here's a small part of that:

From this article
The charging documents claim Mitchell entered the Smart home using a knife to cut a window screen. The teen, dressed in pajamas, was forced at knifepoint to walk four miles up a mountain trail behind the home to a concealed campsite. During the hike and inside the Smart home, Mitchell threatened to harm or kill the Smart family if she resisted, prosecutors said.

"She was under the threat of death," Yocom said. At some point after the abduction, Barzee told Elizabeth that she knew her husband was going to kidnap her, Yocom said.

Prosecutors say that when they reached the campsite, Barzee tried to remove Elizabeth's pajamas. When the girl resisted, Barzee threatened to have Mitchell forcibly do it.

Mitchell then "raped or attempted to rape her, or commit forcible sexual abuse against her," with Barzee's help, Yocom said. At some point, Elizabeth was restrained with a cable around her foot that was tethered to a tree, he said.

From that night until Oct. 8, the couple held Elizabeth against her will at the mountain campsite with little or no shelter, plumbing, water or food, prosecutors said.

[Alberta's Child]

See #28.

[headsonpikes]

bump. ;^)

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

The fact is AC, you and others actually impugned the character of a young woman, either directly or indirectly. That is a dishonorable and irresponsible thing to do, especially when it bears on a young lady. I would hope that others would protect and shield your young daughters from harmful speculation if you were faced with a similar situation.

[Focault's Pendulum]

I probably shouldn't have give them the idea..

Ideas are dangerous...don't ya know.

But here's one...in respect to the abductors....

Give them to me.

[TheDon]

Soon we'll be needing another thread:

Official "I'm sorry for what I said about President Bush regarding the war in Iraq" thread

filled with articles from France, Germany, Russia, China, Ex-President Carter, Ex-Perp Clintoon, Sen. Dashole, various entertainers, and on and on....

[moyden]

Those who blame Elizabeth Smart have the same mindset as a pedophile.

[Alberta's Child]

I would hope that others would protect and shield your young daughters from harmful speculation if you were faced with a similar situation.

I agree. Which was one of the things that made people question the father's sanity (and by extension the validity of his story). Step #1 in shielding your young daughters from harmful speculation is keeping strange drifters away from them -- especially ones like that Mitchell freak whose personal appearance is an absolutely clear warning sign to anyone with an IQ over 70.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Several sneeringly said, "ES is no Angel." "ES couldn't wait to get out from under the thumb of her parents." Even if the parents' behavior was odd, that is no reason to impugn the character of their daughter. That is indecent.

[alnick]

No I'm not kidding you. There was not a fact, not a single fact, to substantiate the idea that the little girl was enamored of that filthy pedophile and ran away from home to live out an adventure and to get away from the repression of living in the Smart household, nor were there any facts to substantiate the idea that the little girl was pregnant so her father arranged for the pedophile to take her away for nine months in order to hide her pregnancy from the community, nor were there any facts to substantiate the idea that the Smart family wanted their 15 minutes of fame so they arranged with the pedophile to take their daughter so that they could get a big fat book or movie deal.

There was however evidence that ES was kidnapped at knifepoint.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

I am sure the parents were living and will continue to live with the reality of the consequences of their indiscreet choices. However, you and others were spreading rumors about a young woman. The parent's lack of discretion is no excuse for your negligence. Until you knew what was going on, you should have kept your trap shut.

[ewing]

There is no prison alive (ouside of Colorado and Illinois Supmermax Federal-23 hours of solitary) that Wanda and Mitchell can proably survive in.