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Posted on 02/09/2007 5:44:04 PM PST by MC Miker G
In response to the numerous e-mails and inquiries we have received, we are providing the following update regarding the Collier County, Florida branch fundraising dinner scheduled for March 9, 2007 in Naples, Florida. Bill O’Reilly, host of The O’Reilly Factor, will not be a speaker at the dinner. The dinner will be held as scheduled. John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, will be the keynote speaker.
We would like to thank everyone for their comments and e-mails.
- Radar online
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2007/02/lowes-lets-boycott-oreilly-together.php
O'R is unfit to comment upon missing children, or any other children for that matter.
You people are very foolish if you think this is outside the possibilities for this case.
O'Reilly may be right, he may be wrong.
It's disturbing that there's a "conservative" Political Correctness being enforced here. Apparently, the only Correct point of view is that abuse victims experience nothing but unrelieved terror and misery. Well, they don't. They are often seduced, and they often experience pleasure and affirmation. That doesn't mean they aren't victims and that their abusers are not monsters.
Nothing O'Reilly said implies that the boy was not a victim of criminal acts. O'Reilly was speculating about a single, isolated question: Why didn't the victim escape?
There's a "conservative" P.C. operating here.
Nothing O'Reilly said constitutes "blaming the victim." But evidently his speculation on the matter was Incorrect, and he must be punished.
There is evidence to suggest this kid seems to have stayed willingly with his "captor".
"On Jan. 15, during a segment with fellow FNC anchor Greta Van Susteren, O'Reilly insisted that Hornbeck failed to seize opportunities to escape his captor because "there was an element here that this kid liked about his circumstances." Over Van Susteren's protests, O'Reilly elaborated: "The situation here, for this kid, looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his 'old' parents. He didn't have to go to school, he could run around and do whatever he wanted."
For all we know Bill O'R could be right about this.
What, that the kid was having more fun being sodomized and threatened than being home and having to go to school? Sure, I believe that .
Oops, the /sarc tag didn't come through.
He could contact the police because his bicycle was stolen, post messages on his own "missing" website and create a MySpace but couldn't tell anyone he was kidnapped and molested every day? O'Reilly is right...there is something very weird with this case.
You don't know what threats the kid was hearing. Do you?
Or what kind of sexual abuse he was enduring for that matter.
The fact that this kid was openly known by the neighbors and living there for YEARS and NEVER tried to get away raises alot of questions.
I agree with O'Reilly on this. It looks like the kid willingly stayed there.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.
On the Radio Factor, he has been very outspoken for legislation against child molesters. I agree -- it is a point worth investigating.
For pity's sake people, stop blaming the victim. Like Elizabeth Smart, these kids are scared. Children are much more easily manipulated than adults. They may be told their family will be killed, or that their family doesn't want them any more. The kids are frequently so ashamed they fear their families indeed won't want them back. Many experts and representatives of missing children organizations have spoken out on this.
Thanks for the ping!
Fair enough, but get a grip -- O'Reilly made his comments on January 15, which I think was well before those charges were filed. All he did was speculate, on the limited evidence available at the time, as to why Hornbeck may have chosen not to "escape" from his "captor." Meanwhile, as he has been a tireless, long-time proponent of Jessica's Law and other measures, he can't simply be dismissed as an enemy to the cause.
For pity's sake people, stop blaming the victim. Like Elizabeth Smart, these kids are scared. Children are much more easily manipulated than adults. They may be told their family will be killed, or that their family doesn't want them any more. The kids are frequently so ashamed they fear their families indeed won't want them back.
As others have already pointed out, it's way too early to be talking with any degree of moral or criminal certainty about a "victim" in this case, let alone what psychological influences may have been in play within Hornbeck's psyche. (Nevertheless, if you want to convict Devlin at this point solely on the basis of the charges and the "experts" to which you referred, I hear there are open judgeships in Cuba and Red China.) Indeed, as pointed out by abercrombie_guy_38, despite evidence that Hornbeck was perfectly capable of contacting the police about his stolen bicycle, posting messages on his own 'missing' website, and creating a MySpace account, you are arguing that for many months, he was utterly incapable of telling anyone he was kidnapped and molested every day. Weighing those competing claims is up to a jury, not a star chamber enforcing "conservative PC" principles.
You put "captor" in quotes, as if there is a question as to whether Shawn Hornbeck was kidnapped. Do you also think the same of Ben Owenby, the second boy? Perhaps reading up on law enforcement statements may help.
And if you feel I'm rushing to judgement of O'Reilly, what about his rushing to judgement of the kid? If you read back, you'll see I haven't labeled O'Reilly an "enemy of the cause," I simply take issue with his irresponsible comments, which any expert in the field could have told him were off the wall. As for my arguing to why Shawn didn't tell anyone, read the comments and work by people in the field, representatives of the group that O'Reilly was to speak before, and see what they have to say about it.
In regard to your comment about juries and star chambers, did you think my word has an effect on the criminal prosecution? May it go forward with the fairest trial possible - and if Devlin did it (the evidence seems clear and massive) may he get everything coming to him.
O'R is unfit to comment upon missing children, or any other children for that matter.
What? OldFriend you are not correct on this. He is an American and say what he wants.
Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility. He can say whatever he wants, but others are also free to comment on whether he is sufficiently informed and sensible to publicly comment.
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