Are the McCanns too sensitive to alternative points of view?

[G-Unit]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

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[stephen25000]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

Excellent post. 

[jassi]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

 

[ferryman]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

I'm quite certain Kerry Needham would be outraged if anyone were to suggest that she or anyone with her the night Ben was abducted had anything to do with her son's disappearance.

[stephen25000]

I'm quite certain Kerry Needham would be outraged if anyone were to suggest that she or anyone with her the night Ben was abducted had anything to do with her son's disappearance.

The cases are not comparable.

and you know it.

[Alfred R Jones]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

Give me one good reason why the McCanns should put up with people going out of their way to damage their reputation and accuse them repeatedly of hiding their daughter's body?   In fact, they DO put up with it, day in, day out - consider how many hundreds do this to them every day, and how many have ever actually been punished for doing so.

[Mr Gray]

its just another pathetic attack on the McCanns. They have every right to protect their reputation..its quite a normal thing to do. If they didn't they would be accused of being guilty  if they didn't sue.

[Benice]

The cases are not comparable.

and you know it.

Ben disappeared in a foreign country,
He is British.
He was unsupervised when he disappeared.
His family believe he was abducted by strangers, but we only have their word for it.
British police are satisfied that his family were not implicated in any criminal activity
Needham family members are not suspects.
Ben's family believe he may still be alive.

Ben's family also believe that Madeleine was abducted.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Madeleine disappeared in a foreign country.
She is British.
She was unsupervised when she disappeared.
Her family believe she was abducted by strangers but we only have their word for it.
British police are satisfied that her family were not implicated in any criminal activity.
McCann family members are not suspects.
Madeleine's family believe she may still be alive.

Madeleine's family also believe that Ben was abducted.

[stephen25000]

Ben disappeared in a foreign country,
He is British.
He was unsupervised when he disappeared.
His family believe he was abducted by strangers, but we only have their word for it.
British police are satisfied that his family were not implicated in any criminal activity
Needham family members are not suspects.
Ben's family believe he may still be alive.

Ben's family also believe that Madeleine was abducted.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Madeleine disappeared in a foreign country.
She is British.
She was unsupervised when she disappeared.
Her family believe she was abducted by strangers but we only have their word for it.
British police are satisfied that her family were not implicated in any criminal activity.
McCann family members are not suspects.
Madeleine's family believe she may still be alive.

Madeleine's family also believe that Ben was abducted.

Not good enough.

I will respond to your post in more detail later.

[G-Unit]

Give me one good reason why the McCanns should put up with people going out of their way to damage their reputation and accuse them repeatedly of hiding their daughter's body?   In fact, they DO put up with it, day in, day out - consider how many hundreds do this to them every day, and how many have ever actually been punished for doing so.

I can only answer for myself. I don't accuse the McCanns of anything except less than adequate care of their kids.  I question their abduction story because there's no evidence for it, and other scenarios are just as possible. I see no reason why I should accept their word for what happened.

[Mr Gray]

I can only answer for myself. I don't accuse the McCanns of anything except less than adequate care of their kids.  I question their abduction story because there's no evidence for it, and other scenarios are just as possible. I see no reason why I should accept their word for what happened.

so what other scenarios are possible...that's where your whole argument falls apart

[carlymichelle]

As far as the McCanns are concerned there is only one possibility as to what happened to their daughter. They spent all their time on 3rd/4th May on the telephone telling everyone they could think of that Madeleine had been abducted. They told the Portuguese police the same thing. They have steadfastly repeated the story over and over and over again since. They have never explained why they're so sure; they just knew. They've never explained why woke and wandered was impossible; it just was. Not only are they sure she was abducted, they're sure she's still alive and able to be found. Why? because there's no evidence that she's dead. Well, who knows, perhaps other parents would be able to believe for years that all the above is true. Kerry Needham is in a very similar situation.

People who aren't involved are likely to be pessimistic. Statistically children are unlikely to survive but that's hard for parents to accept, and who can blame them for hanging onto hope? Not me. Let them carry on hoping, even if I can't share it. I don't have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the insistence that they are right and that only their opinion should be spread by the media and by social networks. Kerry Needham accepts that some people disagree with her and she accepts that they have the freedom to express their opinions. I have seen alternative possibilities being explored in relation to her son, and I expect she has too.

The problem with the McCanns is their absolute refusal to allow other opinions to be expressed. They want anyone online who doesn't agree with them to be punished. They sue anyone who says things which damage their reputation. When they do interviews all questions are screened. Their whole aim seems to be to protect their reputations. Why else employ PR companies? Their idea of searching seems to be to get others to do it.

 

[ferryman]

I can only answer for myself. I don't accuse the McCanns of anything except less than adequate care of their kids.  I question their abduction story because there's no evidence for it, and other scenarios are just as possible. I see no reason why I should accept their word for what happened.

Probably the principal reason is that Amaral's version is buttressed by discredited dog alerts and virtually nothing else.

[Alfred R Jones]

I can only answer for myself. I don't accuse the McCanns of anything except less than adequate care of their kids.  I question their abduction story because there's no evidence for it, and other scenarios are just as possible. I see no reason why I should accept their word for what happened.

so you can think of no good reason why the McCanns should graciously accept people accusing them of hiding their child's body or worse, but nevertheless think they're being oversensitive about such accusations?  I see.

[carlymichelle]

so you can think of no good reason why the McCanns should graciously accept people accusing them of hiding their child's body or worse, but nevertheless think they're being oversensitive about such accusations?  I see.

dont you understand  alfie the more fuss the mcanns make over stupid things the more people  get sick of tyhem?/ they  and the mcann supporters have the choice not to read others opinions so why make such a  huge fuss?