[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Alf

I don't to read up on how the extreme left is addicted to racism. I've already learnt that. my sugar-plum

Well you'll be forgiven for thinking that I'll be engaging in any kind of petty hyperbolic discussion about the 'extreme left' when it isn't at all relevant and is just a convenient excuse to justify accepting things at face value and allowing the media to tell you what you need to care about. My position comes from one of reading, yours does not. If you choose to remain wilfully ignorant of a very real, statistically sound issue, that's your prerogative, but you are part of the problem. Just know that, babe.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Livia

If the police had the evidence that I've seen people on this forum quote as being actualy evidence, then they'd save themselves a lot of time.

For some reason or other, casual opinion isn't usually under the same constraints as official police investigations or criminal trials. I for one am quite thankful for that, because I'd find it horrendously boring to have to constantly hold the default position of "I don't know or have any opinion of any kind because thats for th'law to decide and once those people officially decide what the truth is then I can read about it and then I will know "

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

For some reason or other, casual opinion isn't usually under the same constraints as official police investigations or criminal trials. I for one am quite thankful for that, because I'd find it horrendously boring to have to constantly hold the default position of "I don't know or have any opinion of any kind because thats for th'law to decide and once those people officially decide what the truth is then I can read about it and then I will know "

My take on it is this: if there is evidence, present it. if their is not... maybe you've got the wrong end of the stick.

:-)

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

One would assume, as with the regular police, Interpol have to follow up on any alleged sighting as a matter of course. Could it be Maddie? Is it within the realms of physical possibility? Sure. If it actually is, though, I will buy a hat, and post a video of myself literally eating it.

Youtube video

[LeatherTrumpet]

It would be amazing of they find her, think of the happiness for Kate and Gerry

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

It would be amazing of they find her, think of the happiness for Kate and Gerry

I really hope so.

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Well you'll be forgiven for thinking that I'll be engaging in any kind of petty hyperbolic discussion about the 'extreme left' when it isn't at all relevant and is just a convenient excuse to justify accepting things at face value and allowing the media to tell you what you need to care about. My position comes from one of reading, yours does not. If you choose to remain wilfully ignorant of a very real, statistically sound issue, that's your prerogative, but you are part of the problem. Just know that, babe.

Just get to the point. You'll like me dead.

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Alf

Just get to the point. You'll like me dead.

The point was in my initial post and the links I provided, but in summary 'missing white girl/woman syndrome' refers to a tendency for the media to disproportionately report on cases in which white, middle class, often stereotypically 'attractive' women go missing, and devote hours of airtime and thousands of pages to these stories, meanwhile similar cases of men, working class and black (women) people or a combination of them go unreported.

There is much statistical evidence to back this up, and just as an example from the PDF article I linked, 'news treatments of child abductions in the USA show a particularly glaring bias in favour of cases featuring young white females: between 2000 and 2005, 76 per cent of child abductions featured on CNN News between 2000 and 2005 were white children, although only 53 per cent of abductees are white'.

Even without such evidence, just reading and watching the news will highlight this phenomenon. Tell me, in the last ten years, how many high profile stories do you remember of black women, men or working class people going missing that made national or international news? And if they did, I guarantee you there were open dialogues about those people's lifestyles, backgrounds, and how much of a role they or their family and friends played in their disappearance. That's because ~things like this don't happen to people like us~, case in point: the McCann's VS Shannon Matthews. Not too far away in time from each other, the former's parents overwhelmingly showered in sympathy by the press (yes the tide may have turned of late but the media still adores them), meanwhile Matthews' parents, town, home life were immediately brought into question - and why? Because she was unfortunate enough not to have been brought up by two middle class doctors. It is irrelevant how her case ended up, the immediate reporting by certain sections of the press was a stark difference from how Maddie's case was presented.

I don't know why I bothered to create this response because I'm sure someone will respond with 'bleeding heart loony liberal lefty scummy communist nonsense' but I'm afraid it's a real problem. Hopefully, if nothing else, it will make someone think.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Jack_

The point was in my initial post and the links I provided, but in summary 'missing white girl/woman syndrome' refers to a tendency for the media to disproportionately report on cases in which white, middle class, often stereotypically 'attractive' women go missing, and devote hours of airtime and thousands of pages to these stories, meanwhile similar cases of men, working class and black (women) people or a combination of them go unreported.

There is much statistical evidence to back this up, and just as an example from the PDF article I linked, 'news treatments of child abductions in the USA show a particularly glaring bias in favour of cases featuring young white females: between 2000 and 2005, 76 per cent of child abductions featured on CNN News between 2000 and 2005 were white children, although only 53 per cent of abductees are white'.

Even without such evidence, just reading and watching the news will highlight this phenomenon. Tell me, in the last ten years, how many high profile stories do you remember of black women, men or working class people going missing that made national or international news? And if they did, I guarantee you there were open dialogues about those people's lifestyles, backgrounds, and how much of a role they or their family and friends played in their disappearance. That's because ~things like this don't happen to people like us~, case in point: the McCann's VS Shannon Matthews. Not too far away in time from each other, the former's parents overwhelmingly showered in sympathy by the press (yes the tide may have turned of late but the media still adores them), meanwhile Matthews' parents, town, home life were immediately brought into question - and why? Because she was unfortunate enough not to have been brought up by two middle class doctors. It is irrelevant how her case ended up, the immediate reporting by certain sections of the press was a stark difference from how Maddie's case was presented.

I don't know why I bothered to create this response because I'm sure someone will respond with 'bleeding heart loony liberal lefty scummy communist nonsense' but I'm afraid it's a real problem. Hopefully, if nothing else, it will make someone think.

The media just reflect the appetite of joe public, jack

[Livia]

Who'd have thought this could be turned into a race thread?

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

The media just reflect the appetite of joe public, jack

The media shape the appetite of the public, and it's a cyclical system.

Or else are you telling me that the public only care for missing white working class women? That's quite a profound implication.

Originally Posted by Livia

Who'd have thought this could be turned into a race thread?

I am not the one who opened a dialogue about primarily race, the term encompasses the world 'girl' which is deliberate as it also highlights issues of male underreporting (where's thetruth when you need him?) and although it's not explicitly stated, its definition also includes issues regarding social class.

It goes without saying that yet another thread about the largest case of missing white girl syndrome ever observed should bring such issues to the fore.

[bitontheslide]

Is this some surreal alternative reality thread

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Is this some surreal alternative reality thread

Nah, I'd say what I've highlighted is very much a present reality. Perhaps it could be argued that other members are living in an alternative reality though

[chuff me dizzy]

Refuted and dismissed yesterday

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by chuff me dizzy

Refuted and dismissed yesterday

Well, I for one, am shocked

[chuff me dizzy]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

It would be amazing of they find her, think of the happiness for Kate and Gerry

Kate would have to go back to work !

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Boring that this case of missing white girl syndrome continues to drone on, boring that they get so much media attention while so many others don't, boring that people care so much about this and not so much about others (as a result of the last point), boring that you've just created this thread to seek a reaction that'll inevitably end up in the ten plus pages the last one did, boring that it isn't going to be Maddie just like all the other sightings weren't and won't be

So yeah, boring

.

[chuff me dizzy]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well, I for one, am shocked

I would love to know who's pushed this load of bolloxs (Mitchell by any chance ?), anyone would think McCanns were scratching about for any last penny they can con out of the public before Amaral appeal result comes out any time now and they are stuck with massive court costs and as he's countersuing them , mega money needed

[Jason.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

The point was in my initial post and the links I provided, but in summary 'missing white girl/woman syndrome' refers to a tendency for the media to disproportionately report on cases in which white, middle class, often stereotypically 'attractive' women go missing, and devote hours of airtime and thousands of pages to these stories, meanwhile similar cases of men, working class and black (women) people or a combination of them go unreported.

There is much statistical evidence to back this up, and just as an example from the PDF article I linked, 'news treatments of child abductions in the USA show a particularly glaring bias in favour of cases featuring young white females: between 2000 and 2005, 76 per cent of child abductions featured on CNN News between 2000 and 2005 were white children, although only 53 per cent of abductees are white'.

Even without such evidence, just reading and watching the news will highlight this phenomenon. Tell me, in the last ten years, how many high profile stories do you remember of black women, men or working class people going missing that made national or international news? And if they did, I guarantee you there were open dialogues about those people's lifestyles, backgrounds, and how much of a role they or their family and friends played in their disappearance. That's because ~things like this don't happen to people like us~, case in point: the McCann's VS Shannon Matthews. Not too far away in time from each other, the former's parents overwhelmingly showered in sympathy by the press (yes the tide may have turned of late but the media still adores them), meanwhile Matthews' parents, town, home life were immediately brought into question - and why? Because she was unfortunate enough not to have been brought up by two middle class doctors. It is irrelevant how her case ended up, the immediate reporting by certain sections of the press was a stark difference from how Maddie's case was presented.

I don't know why I bothered to create this response because I'm sure someone will respond with 'bleeding heart loony liberal lefty scummy communist nonsense' but I'm afraid it's a real problem. Hopefully, if nothing else, it will make someone think.

.

[2]

[Cal.]

I doubt it's her but praying anyway

[Niamh.]

http://www.news.com.au/world/europe/...43cb1e939bea92

UPDATE: Investigators have dismissed reports that Madeleine McCann has been spotted in Paraguay.
It was earlier reported that a huge search operation was underway after claims the missing child was living “in the custody of a woman” in the city of Areguá.
British man Miraz Ullah Ali, a researcher, had said he spotted Maddie, who would now be 12 years old, in Aregua, about 27km from the capital of Asunción, The Sun UK reports.
His claims are believed to have triggered a major search involving four police stations, the anti-kidnapping division, intelligence personnel and Interpol, according to a local news outlet.
Ali told Color ABC: “My team and I received the information that Madeleine arrived in Paraguay a month or two ago and is living in Areguá in the custody of a woman.”
Maddie’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, had been informed of the reports and appealed for anyone with information about their beloved daughter to come forward.
But investigators have now debunked the alleged sighting and questioned the credibility of researcher Miraz Ullah Ali, who refused to reveal who he worked for and wasn’t able to offer documentation to support his claims.

Madeleine disappeared from a holiday apartment in Praia de Luz, Algarve in 2007 when she was just three years old. While her family have never given up hope of finding her alive, countless sightings around the world have come to nothing.
Since her apparent abduction, she has been ‘spotted’ in countries including Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Morocco and The Netherlands.
Despite the latest ‘sighting’ being discredited, it is still understood to have sparked an investigation.
Commissioner Sanny Amarilla, Deputy Chief of one of the police stations hunting for Maddie, confirmed four stations in Areguá, intelligence personnel from the Interior Ministry and local Interpol divisions are looking for the young girl.
He said: “We are investigating neighbourhoods where there are foreign citizens, villas, condos, to see if there is someone with a similar description that corresponds to the newspaper clipping.
“This news stretches across the globe, it is very important. So if they are in the area we need to find this girl and return her to her family.”
Upon hearing the news of the apparent sighting, Kate and Gerry McCann appealed for anyone with information to come forward but admitted they had never heard of the investigator in question.
A spokesman for the family said: “Kate and Gerry have been made aware of this sighting.
“They would encourage anyone who has any information about Madeleine to get in contact with officers from Operation Grange.”

[LeatherTrumpet]

There is still hope, every bit of publicity is vital

[Jason.]

She's probably dead and has been since May 2007 when she was kidnapped. Honestly, they (the media and the McCann's) just need to get over it and move on. Cynical and harsh as it may sound, it's true.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

There is still hope, every bit of publicity is vital

you are so full of s**t LT, every other missing person case you're the first one in there to say "she's probably dead"

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

you are so full of s**t LT, every other missing person case you're the first one in there to say "she's probably dead"