[Sparky760]

This is a wonderful ending for this family and I can't imagine how relieved and happy they must be. At the risk of being flamed here, something needs to be focused on in this story after the exuberance settles down. This girls mother hired a "Bum" yes I said bum, not the PC term homeless, off the street to help her husband with some work in their home. Now I ask you, would you bring a bum off the street that you knew nothing about into your family's home?

[Illbay]

You need to understand the attitude that most in the "Mormon" community have. They tend to be very trusting, and they want to "help others."

This guy wasn't "brought into their home," he was hired to do about five hours' worth of work around the house. I don't even know that it was "inside work."

And plenty of things like this have happened without any such "trust," such as the abduction of Polly Klaas.

Just because this guy was hired for a few hours' work doesn't mean he had some special powers or knowledge to enable him access. It was STILL an outside job.

I've noticed a lot of "blaming the victim" going on about this case. It has been so from the outset. I have my suspicions why this is so, but I'll just say that I think it is poor, poor behavior.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

No flames from me, and I'm as PC as they come around here. Momma was not using her brains, and I'm sure she's been beating herself up over it.

This was a good opportunity for me to reinforce to my children the value of fighting back if someone tried to snatch them, and to reiterate that the doors of home are always open, regardless of what someone convinces or coerces them to do. I suspect that this girl was overly naive, and her family had harsh things to say about "fallen" women. The first thing that went through my head was that at some point, the girl thought she wouldn't be welcomed back, because after many sexual assaults,a naive 14 year old girl will feel worthless and devoid of hope.

[Quilla]

That's all I've been able to think about this morning Sparky. Just imagine how horrible the mother has to feel knowing that a person she hired off the street is responsible for her daughter's kidnapping. I'm sure the mother is sufficiently 'beating herself up' over this grave mistake and as a mother, I will not judge her. And considering the kidnapper's exwife claims he's a pedophile only exasperates the guilt the mother must be feeling.

[anniegetyourgun]

No. Neither would I hire someone to get on my roof who wasn't licensed, bonded, and having references. There are plenty of other ways to get help to the homeless - and giving them cash (as this woman apparently did too) isn't one of them.

Now, be clear that I am answering your direct question with my direct answer. I am not implying anything about this mother and her choices.

[alnick]

Now I ask you, would you bring a bum off the street that you knew nothing about into your family's home?

These were apparently very trusting people. Some people are just so inherently good that they cannot imagine other people not also being inherently good. I'm sure that they've learned their lesson about hiring certain types. I hope that the media does not focus on this aspect of the case because the parents do not need to have to carry around the kind of guilt that that would bring on, or exascerbate. I hope that the media just allows this family to heal in private.

[Katya]

Now I ask you, would you bring a bum off the street that you knew nothing about into your family's home?

But they're obviously devout Mormons....not that all Mormons are this naive. Look at how young Elizabeth looked at 14, and even at 15, none of the obvious teenage manifestations that are hard to avoid, unless you aren't influenced by so-called "prurient" media etc. The whole family has a simple and old fashioned look about them a throw back to the 1930s when people did feed bums and help their neighbor.

I guess we're all too jaded to understand how some folks still live this way.

[Sloth]

Now I ask you, would you bring a bum off the street that you knew nothing about into your family's home?

They need to change their last name.