Injustice

Kelsey Smith

First and foremost, I'd like to express my condolences to the family and friends of Kelsey Smith. Though I never knew Kelsey, I know many dozens of people who did know her and from what I can tell from the outpouring of help, she was a great person. I even volunteered some of my time on Wednesday, originally to help search Shawnee Mission Park, but ended up handing out fliers until the announcement came that her body had been found. Edwin Hall, who was charged today for kidnapping and murder, deserves everything he is receiving, provided he is proven guilty.

I am sickened by the media coverage of this tragedy. Granted it is a good thing that it got the coverage it did, as it resulted in the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of her body in a matter of 4 days following her disappearance. Why did it get national and global coverage? Perhaps it was her smile, or her popularity amongst those who knew her. She was a good person. So are all of those who have been kidnapped and killed before her.

Take for instance Kara Kopetsky of Belton, MO. She has been said to share physical characteristics with Kelsey, and though she originally ran away from home, nothing has been heard from her in weeks. The close proximity to where Kara lives and where Kelsey's body was discovered has raised questions of connections that might exist between the two.

Why didn't Kara, or anyone else who has been abducted recently, receive the attention that Kelsey received? I think the answer, though somewhat cynical, is simple: the media tackles stories that seem more outrageous than the norm (like a girl in a sheltered county getting worldwide attention opposed to girl of similar age and build in the same region getting limited local attention.) The unfortunate reality is that not enough attention is given to these cases, and when it is given, it is almost always given to the 'sheltered, intelligent, and beautiful' young women. It's a cruel reality of the world. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who knew Kelsey and Kara and all those out there who have lost loved ones.

Paris Hilton

Why the heck did they release Paris from jail after 3 days?! It's beyond my comprehension, but I'll attempt to actually pay attention to the affairs of a rich heiress/celebrity that I could care less about. The Drudge Report started reporting Thursday evening that she had been released over fears she had become suicidal. Now, 99.9% of the time, this would concern me, but it honestly sounds like a ploy that Paris used to get what she wants, and that is to go spend the remainder of her sentence under house arrest. Boo-hoo. ~Tear~.

Thankfully, just as I was typing this, a new development has come up and she has been ordered back in court. If she in fact is kept on house arrest, it will expose a weakness in the court system, which already is evidently biased towards celebrities. There's the saying that "Celebrities are people too." If this is true, Paris needs to serve all her time. NO EXCEPTIONS!