Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Comments, need for moderation and assumptions.

Rach,

It is my love for you that I ask you to stop reading here.

Love,

Amy

I got a text message from my friend Rachael last evening. She said that an 18 year old had gone missing in the exact place where her daughter did on July 19, 2007. I pulled up the news feed and knew things weren't good. Thankfully, Rachael's neighbor gave her a heads up before she turned on the evening news. While I'm familiar with Hannah's death, I pulled up the news bits on her. I noticed that there were several pages of comments.

There were 127 comments.

I have to tell you, in light of someone having lost their child, you would have thought that the community would have lifted the family in prayer. Sadly, most comments were horrible, judgmental and dreadful. There were people talking God, but last I checked, they aren't Him. There were people saying that Rach should be charged with neglect, yet they weren't there or they would have known that she was right there and didn't just farm her out on her own. There were a lot of statements said about my friend and her family- by people who had never even met them. Why would people feel the need to be so judgmental and debating? I texted Rachael and asked her to turn comment moderation on, as in attempt to show the people who were being so judgmental about Hannah's tragic drowning, someone who knew her actually published the name of her blog in the comments. I know that there was at least one person who came directly to her blog to flog her about Hannah's death. I just don't want that to happen.

For those searching for information regarding the drowning death of Hannah Davis at College Creek, please know that it was an accident. My friend was right there with her and her other daughter. This was an area that they had frequented over the years. Sadly, there is an 18 year old young man who is missing right now. Instead of being judgmental of the families about accidental drownings, why don't we wrap them in our loving arms, as God would have wanted us to? Our prayers go out to the family of Hannah Davis and Trevor Times. Please be gentle with these families. They need your support, not your judgment.

ETA:  Sadly, Trevor's body was recovered yesterday morning.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a long time reader of Rachael's blog. Is this why it went private?? Also the 127 comments, aren't they from years ago?? I'm confused about what is going on! ~mandy~

Bailey's Leaf said...

Mandy,

E-mail me if you need to hook up with Rachael for an invite to her blog. Yes, those comments are from years ago, but you know how stories dredge up previous stories. I have an e-mail button on my sidebar.

Thanks,

Amy

Jean said...

I have been a long time reader of Rachael's blog (and yours too) but sadly not a commenter. I'm so sorry that Rachael had to take her blog private. People can be so mean and judgmental. Just reading one entry of Rachael's shows what kind of mom she is....a caring, wonderful mom.

ChupieandJ'smama (Janeen) said...

This makes me sad. I found Rachael around the time Hannah passed. My heart was literally broken for her. People hide behind the internet and spew their garbage. It's such a shame. They feel that no one knows them so they can say whatever they want without regards for someones feelings. This is one part of the internet that I HATE. There are also those people who have mental illness or some with nothing better to do that just go on articles and message boards and say things to cause controversy. It's like they get a high from it. I've seen it too too many times.
Please send Rachael my love and hugs. And let her know that I send up prayers for her and her family.

Bailey's Leaf said...

If any of you were regular readers of Rachael's blog and have been accidentally shut out by her private status, feel free to e-mail me (on the sidebar) and I will pass the info on to her. She didn't mean to leave anyone out, but she had to do what she had to do.

Thanks,

Amy