Elizabeth Smart

[Xero279]

The thing is, if she was brainwashed, when she came home, she showed no signs of it. they said she came home and acted totally normal again.. doesnt seem like she was brainwashed to me... i dunno. we cant be sure as of now, but we will eventully.

[Earthdog]

Just my opinion here, I dont know the "facts" or if there even are any.

I find it odd that she never tried to escape. On the other hand, HE knew where she lived. If it was a genuine kidnapping (which I doubt) He would have certainly told her something like "I know where you live and next time Ill kill you"
Or "I got you once. Ill get you again."
Or he could have said something like "If you even try to escape Ill have your family killed."

Still, something doesnt add up. It will be interesting to see how genuine her joy to be home is.

It very well could have been a staged event because she simply didnt have the nards to tell the family she was leaving.

"Go back and get my shoes!!!"

Time always tells.

[Dreamer128]

Well. Maybe she saw it as an adventure of some kind. Or was eager to get away from her parents (age; 15). I guess its no use speculating.

[Attalus]

Oh, I have no doubt she was able to explain it to herself as some kind of adventure. But, being that pervy guy's "wife?" I doubt she enjoyed that part, and was genuinely glad to be delivered. P.S., there is no evidence that she assisted in the attempted abduction of her cousin, though she might have provided some information. There was only one set of footprints. "Emanuel" was perfectly able to find the room in which Elizaabeth and her young sister slept without inside help.

Oh, and, Azred,., it is a good thing that you are back. Welcome! [img]graemlins/thewave.gif[/img]

[RevRuby]

one thing no one is discussing is that she is l.d.s., mormon for those acronym impaired, latter day saint. so some points arise from that.

1. she saw him as an oppurtunity to spread the word of god, at 14 (when she was abducted) she probably couldn't tell he is warped, and sick

2. the law of chastity. someone would have had to provided some form of marrigae ceremony fo her to go to bed without fighting, let's hope (i haven't read any reports of her bing sexually abused) he was respecting that.

3. lds teach extreme obedience. i know it's not all across the board but i know alot of utah missionaries out here in pa who follow it to the letter, and they don't do things against their family.

4. as said he may have threatened her family. being who she is, in a family oriented religion, she would do anything to keep them safe. or worse threatened to take her little sister next.

5. if she could convince him she was brainwashed he may have allowed her to talk to her sis 9 months into it and give a description or hint

just some valid points i wanted to make.

[Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV]

Yeah they are all valid points. However, I want to make sure that no one reads your post and misconstrues it to think that this whole fiasco is a result (direct or indirect) from the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Now this Emanuael was probably brought up as a Mormon since 70% (roughly) of the people in Utah are Morman, however, as an adult he was known as someone who passionatly HATES Mormans. He is also a self-proclaimed prophet and a convicted pedaphile,that's apparently why his ex-wife/girlfriend left him. So I'm almost positive that he had his way with this poor girl.
This is all very sad, however I want reasure those out there that this story has more to do with a man's twisted mind than the teachings of the "Morman" Church. I would compare this story to Jim Jones, or Waco's David Caresh, or Charles Manson, or that cult leader in Tokyo (I think it was Tokyo) who killed all those people in the subway.
Anyhue, I'm not accusing you RevRuby, I just wanted to bring this up and clear any confusion.

[LordKathen]

Well, let me see if I can wade through all this speculation... [img]graemlins/1disgust.gif[/img]
I am furious with the attention this is getting, especially when its 90% speculation. Leave it alone. She is home and safe. Nobody knows what happened, and frankly its nobody's business. To guess and come up with wrong issues that start rumurs, is by far the most tasteless thing anyone can do. Our media in this country, and others, thrive on this. The only reason we all know details about the Smart family, at all, is becouse they have money. I dont blame them for that, but that is why. If you guys remember, a little girl in my town was abducted a month ago, and is still missing. Do you know details about her?
Would you like to speculate on the issues there? We know about 5% of the true Smart story, I would say. About as much as you all know about Sofia, the girl in my town, I would compare. Dont listen to everything you here on TV and radio, please. Its only part of the story, and to speculate on part of the story, well...I have said enough.
Please, no offence to anyone specific here, just annoyed, sorry...

[Attalus]

Don't blame you, Lord K. I, for one, am just glad she is home and safe and not dead in a shallow grave somewhere. I don't really care about what kind of mind games she had to play to survive, I am just glad that she did and is home with her family. Lord knows, I wish that the little girl from your town were home, too.

[harleyquinn]

Originally posted by LordKathen: Well, let me see if I can wade through all this speculation... [img]graemlins/1disgust.gif[/img] I am furious with the attention this is getting, especially when its 90% speculation. Leave it alone. She is home and safe. Nobody knows what happened, and frankly its nobody's business. To guess and come up with wrong issues that start rumurs, is by far the most tasteless thing anyone can do. Our media in this country, and others, thrive on this. The only reason we all know details about the Smart family, at all, is becouse they have money. I dont blame them for that, but that is why. If you guys remember, a little girl in my town was abducted a month ago, and is still missing. Do you know details about her? Would you like to speculate on the issues there? We know about 5% of the true Smart story, I would say. About as much as you all know about Sofia, the girl in my town, I would compare. Dont listen to everything you here on TV and radio, please. Its only part of the story, and to speculate on part of the story, well...I have said enough. Please, no offence to anyone specific here, just annoyed, sorry...

Thank you, LK!! You put into words exactly what I was thinking. Unless you're a member of the Smart family, you have NO IDEA what her homecoming's been like. How cruel for people to speculate what she's been through or is currently going through. How dare anyone criticize her given that they don't know what she was threatened with or had done to her during the last 9 months. Let us all just be grateful that she was found alive and let us hope that she gets the support and counceliing that she will surely need.
Try to live by the old adage: Don't judge someone unless you've walked a mile in their shoes.
We only know what the Smart's let the media know and then see it after the media puts their spin on it. Both provides a skewed version of the truth.

[RevRuby]

Originally posted by Sir Heinrich Godfrie IV: Yeah they are all valid points. However, I want to make sure that no one reads your post and misconstrues it to think that this whole fiasco is a result (direct or indirect) from the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Now this Emanuael was probably brought up as a Mormon since 70% (roughly) of the people in Utah are Morman, however, as an adult he was known as someone who passionatly HATES Mormans. He is also a self-proclaimed prophet and a convicted pedaphile,that's apparently why his ex-wife/girlfriend left him. So I'm almost positive that he had his way with this poor girl. This is all very sad, however I want reasure those out there that this story has more to do with a man's twisted mind than the teachings of the "Morman" Church. I would compare this story to Jim Jones, or Waco's David Caresh, or Charles Manson, or that cult leader in Tokyo (I think it was Tokyo) who killed all those people in the subway. Anyhue, I'm not accusing you RevRuby, I just wanted to bring this up and clear any confusion.

i am not at all trying to blame lds. my bhusband being one and myself a potential convert id on;t believe the church is warped at all. i just wanted tos ay that she may have seen oppurtunity t bring ppl to god, as a proper missionary does. and that she liekly would not leave in rebelling her parents. either way, i am glad she is home, alive and physically in one peice.