Shawn Hornbeck's family looks to step out of spotlight

belleville.com ^ | 1/24/07

[Halls]

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Shawn Hornbeck's parents hope "to step out of the spotlight" to focus on their abducted son's healing now that he has returned home.

That plan to take a lower profile was announced Tuesday during a news conference, as a suburban St. Louis homebuilder detailed plans to build a new house for Shawn and his parents, Craig and Pam Akers. The home will include office space for the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation, which Shawn's parents began as a means to aid in the search for missing kids soon after Shawn disappeared in 2002.

[DvdMom]

MeGoody says I need meds , If you post to her she might suggest Meds for you Too ! LOL !

Another freeper posted this to me about meds !

meds? LOL! When someone starts going there it is because they have nothing else up their sleeves.

[soccermom]

lol! MeGoody is the psychological expert --- maybe she prescribes meds, too. Goodnight!

[DvdMom]

Shawn has suffered more then inmates who are sent to jail for life !


Shawn Dad Craig Akers , I Won't Judge Him He Lost his Leg while searching for a missing child in Canada

The Hornbecks had to shut down there website today because of all the hateful postings towards Shawn

Craig Akers..
Craig suffered from PAD
Peripheral Artery Disease
PAD can make simply walking very very painful, an craig went out on searches for missing kids, his belief in the importance of finding these kids was more important than his own discomfort and health.
He lost a leg because of this selflessness..
He gave of himself in every sense of the word to help families of missing kids with nothing in it for himself.

That is a HERO.

[DvdMom]

GoodNight Too & Hopefully Their will be better news tomorrow !

[DvdMom]

Hornbeck as kidnapper? Sheriff decries TV report
stltoday.com ^ | 1/25/07
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772945/posts

[soccermom]

What if Shawn were forced to participate in the kidnapping? So what? Is that his fault? Do you enjoy heaping guilt on a CHILD who had his innocence stolen at the age of 11? My dad went through survival training as a fighter pilot and told me some of the horrendous things they were prepared for. Even with that training, grown men break down. Yet you expect a CHILD to have the strength to stand up to a manipulative monster after YEARS of psychological torture? Gee, org, why don't you tell us how a child should handle it?

Realllllly signing off now, DVD! Have a good night.

[Halls]

don't let the idiots stress you out. I let it the first couple of nights than I started to just ignore most of them. They truly are retards!

[twigs]

Why did they step into the spotlight in the first place?

Because their son was kidnapped. They went public to get him back. They did. Then they thanked people and spoke out to encourage other parents to maintain hope. Now, they are going to enjoy having their son home.

[Long Island Pete]

I meant why did they go on Oprah? not such a smart move in my eyes. That kid didnt need that kind of exposure.

[org.whodat]

why don't you tell us how a child should handle it? That is really funny., since my response was to an earlier person who said the kid could make adult decisions? So which is, is the kid old enough to make adult decisions are not? Your response should have been to the writer who said he was. Not me! I said he wasn't old enough to decide if he wanted to be on oprah are not. That his parents should make the adult decisions. WHY don't you read the who think before going off half cocked.

[soccermom]

I'm not talking about the decision to go on Oprah. If you want to question the parents' decision in that case, go ahead. I'm referring to this: "But what are you going to say if it turns out the kid helped kidnap the younger one??" Are you saying you think, because he was able to express whether or not he wanted to go on Oprah, he should be equally responsible for his "choice" to help abduct Ownby? Talk about absurd! Maybe if Oprah packed on the pounds again, threatened the kid's family and brandished a gun to help him "choose" to appear on his show, you might have a valid comparison.

[soccermom]

Actually, if the subject matter weren't so serious, I would actually be getting a laugh out of some of the arguments being made by these people.

[org.whodat]

Talk about absurd!

Absurd is your continual hyperbole trying to put words in my mouth. I said the kid was a minor and should be treated as such. And as a minor he cannot make adult decisions. Period, Is that to hard for you to understand.

[soccermom]

No, that isn't hard to understand. I am replying to the words you posted. This isn't as simple as whether or not he can make "adult" decisions. I presume that any minor who appears on a show has to have parental consent. This is about whether or not he was comfortable to appear on a show, and only he can say whether or not he is. Ultimately, it was up to his parents to decide whether or not he would be allowed on the show -- and they made that choice based on his feelings. To put that on the same level as his potential involvement with abducting Ben Ownby is apples and oranges. I understand you don't think he should be held accountable, if that turns out to be that case -- but that isn't because he is a minor, it is because he was presumably threatened and/or psychologically destroyed. There are plenty of minor kids charged with adult crimes. We don't excuse them because they can't make "adult" decisions. To suggest that, if we excuse Hornbeck from culpability in the abduction of Ownby, we must then preclude him from making decisions about whether or not he wants to appear for an interview is ridiculous. I get that he is a child. I get that he isn't in a position to make mature decisions. But this was about his feelings. The parents needed to know that he was comfortable with it and, apparently, he was. Now, if you think the parents should have decided against it, regardless of how comfortable he was, that is fine. But don't pretend this was about the parents throwing up their hands and letting their child do whatever he wants.

[soccermom]

OK --- Sorry I didn't follow up sooner.

Let me summarize my standpoint. It is certainly legitimate to question the parents' judgment to have their son appear on Oprah. What I take issue with, primarily, is those who question their motives. Craig and Pam Akers have demonstrated over the past 4+ years that they are devoted, not only to their own son, but to the cause of all lost children. They've also demonstrated, over those years, that they are not motivated by money or superficial appearances. They have been selfless. So those who want to suggest that the Akers put money and superficial things ahead of the well-being of their son I find repugnant.

I don't feel that is what you are saying. You question the wisdom of their decision to be on Oprah. I think there are several reasons which led to that decision. I've addressed them before, but I'll repeat them. First, there is the basic euphoria. They found a son that most had thought gone forever. The sheer euphoria, alone, and a desire to share that joy with the people who suffered and prayed with them over the years is enough to cloud any other judgment. They may have felt they "owed" us a happy image of their son, after all that was done for them over the years. Second, as they have expressly said, Oprah reaches the widest audience and since their mission is to help other families and to prevent further tragedies, Oprah seemed like the logical choice. Third, Oprah can empathize with Shawn, due to her own experience and they may have felt she would treat him with that empathy. They set boundaries and she respected them. Fourth, they may have felt it was important to show that being a victim is not something of which to be ashamed. These kids, presumably, had mental health care workers with them before their parents even saw them. If there were a strong objection from those working with Shawn's mental/emotional health, I'm sure they would have said so. Finally, there was the desire to quell the curiosity and the demands from the press and the public.

Now, you have suggested that their appearance fueled the speculation and curiosity. As I illustrated by pointing to another thread, the speculation started BEFORE they even had their first press conference. Had they hidden away, people would be saying that was a confirmation of the speculation. If you don't believe that, look at the comments from ishabibble or whatever the heck his handle is in this thread. Despite the fact that the Akers announced a week ago that the appearances would end last Thursday, he is pointing to their withdrawal from the media as a retreat from the story about Hornbeck being involved in the abduction of Ben!

The reality is, these parents can't win. They're damned if the do give interviews and they're damned if they don't. You may question their choice to appear on Oprah. And you may be right. But I think, in light of everything they have endured over the past 4+ years, this is a minor issue. And I think picking on them over it, in light of all the struggles they still face, is a petty thing to do. I choose to give them a pass.

[MEGoody]

What I take issue with, primarily, is those who question their motives.

You're right, we can only guess the motives behind someone's actions. Only God knows the heart.

I don't feel that is what you are saying. You question the wisdom of their decision to be on Oprah.

Thank you for picking up on that. I do believe they are trying to do the right thing, and I don't think they would ever intentionally hurt Shawn. In this case, I just don't believe they made the right decision. I can see your point of view though, in your civil and well-thought out post.

[MEGoody]

MeGoody says I need meds , If you post to her she might suggest Meds for you Too !

soccrmom hasn't been a raving lunatic in her posts. You have.

[MEGoody]

MeGoody is the psychological expert --- maybe she prescribes meds, too.

Well, so much for you being civil and well-reasoned.

[MEGoody]

Not sure what this post has to do with my previous one, but I wouldn't expect your posts to be logical and well-reasoned. Have a nice day!

[MEGoody]

I'm glad you took your meds & admitted that you did judge Shawn's parents!

I judged a particular decision, yes.

I guess your forgot Judge NOT Lest ye yourself be Judge :)

Based on your behavior and posts to me, you must think that is okay to do. :)