[cyborg]

I am probably going to get flamed for this BUT why is the blonde any more important than anyone else? Every day in the Sudan and elsewhere in Africa, girls that American media don't find 'cute' are raped and tortured. Rape isn't about sex. It's about power, especially in war times.

[reflecting]

I have three daughters and one son. All of my girls are strong athletic, smart young women. They should never, except as a matter of last resort (last resort being enemy on your door step), be in combat. Never. It is all very simple, boys are big, girls are small, boys are strong, girls are not, girls have babies, boys do not.

[Rockpile]

Until today the I did not know about the girl from West Virginia and only heard yesterday evening of the Hopi girl from Arizona. However I have seen the Johnson girl a dozen times. Why was the News Cartel so predjudiced towards her plight but not the others?

[EternalVigilance]

The blonde is not 'more important' than these other two young women.

She was the only one I knew about until last night that was with the group taken, but had not been acknowledged as being taken. That made her a special concern to me. Then I found out about the girl from Arizona.

Usually, you would think that the POW they had revealed to the cameras would be safer, because the enemy would not want to kill them after the world knew they had them. But it would seem that this particular regime cares little about world opinion or any human decency whatsoever.

So, at this point, I would have to say that all three of these women, and all the male POWs, are equally at risk, if they are even still alive.

[mel]

Well, I guess it is the Elizabeth Smart syndrome again. How many other girls were missing during the same time as Elizabeth?

[mel]

But, I think there has also been much angst over the other two (that I know of) female soldiers.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"...why is the blonde any more important than anyone else?"

Good point.

Obviously, for the manifold reasons that myself and others have made, the visceral reaction that a woman in these situations is powerful and would be exceedingly dangerous to introduce into combat dynamics.

As to why the 19 year old blonde girl is the focus, I have wondered myself. The other woman, Sgt. Johnson, is 30, black and a mother of, I believe, two children.

The first item of interest is that the media is the first party to obsess on the young lady. That suggests some level of inexplicable intent on their behalf because, after all, they are the epitome of unbiased reporting and objective fact reporting.

Secondly, my thinking is that FR is a fair cross section of America. For that reason, most posters will be white and most easily relate to an image of a woman that could be a daughter, neice or other relation. The innocence of the age is a very powerful inducement for pity and concern just as it would be for a still younger child. At my age, she really is a child.

Third, I doubt the very easy racist explanation of ignoring the plight of Sgt. Johnson, but I'm sure that there are those that would fly to that explanation first. If I know anything about FR people, I'm sure there are prayers being made on behalf of this lady and her children even as I type these words.

Fourth, if the racial identities, age and family status of these two women had been reversed, I would bet that the largest outpouring of concern would be for Sgt. Johnson. As it is now, I do grieve for her and, especially her kids. At 30, they are probably pretty young. I can't imagine the pain that this is causing them at this time.

God speed all of these people.