It was one of those “How could she?” moments.
Early Saturday morning after it was reported Jennifer Wilbanks had “escaped” from her captors, I was relieved for her family. If she were up to it, she could still get married today, I thought. Finally, a story with a happy ending.
But she’d been missing for days, so most assumed she was dead. The longer she was gone, the less likely she’d be found alive. Those who cared enough to follow the story braced themselves for another woman-killed-by-man-she-trusted outcome. Then a miracle happened. Against the odds, she turned up alive.
Later that morning I heard she’d faked the whole thing. She was a liar. We’d been manipulated.
Wilbanks’s incredibly inane stunt cost time and money and wasted manpower. It cost her family needless worry and sleepless nights. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (reg. req.):
The number of local, state and federal agencies participating in the four-day effort to find the 32-year-old woman may make an exact accounting difficult, but police in Duluth said Sunday they have begun calculating the hours of overtime and expenses. Most of the Gwinnett city’s 47 uniformed officers and all four of the city’s detectives worked overtime to find Wilbanks, Maj. Don Woodruff said….After Wilbanks’ fiancé, John Mason, reported that Wilbanks went missing while on an evening jog, police set up a mobile command center, mapped areas to be searched and brought in tracking dogs. Officers fanned out from the jogging route that Mason gave them. They checked the banks of the nearby Chattahoochee River and state Department of Natural Resources searched the river.
GBI agents ran down hundreds of telephone tips inside Georgia while FBI agents tackled those from outside the state.
Gwinnett police sent several officers to aid in the search and scanned the area with a helicopter, said Gwinnett police spokesman Officer Darren Moloney.
Many suspected the worst, that John Mason, the man she was going to marry, murdered her and dumped the body. And when she said a Hispanic man (and white woman) kidnapped her, it stirred up resentment about the present illegal alien problem. Why did she go there? Echoes of Susan Smith reverberated when I found out the Hispanic man who “abducted” her came from her own mind.
If nineteen-year-old Alicia Hardin is facing charges stemming from her fake hate mail campaign, Jennifer Wilbanks had better be charged for faking her own kidnapping. If not, I’m afraid my conservative readers will be disappointed with subsequent posts. They will be rants about the apparent racial bias between the two cases. I will figuratively stand side by side with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton on this one.
I thought I was going to be sick when the excuse-making for Wilbanks’s childish and criminal behavior began almost immediately. Talking-head shrinks popped up to give us insight about this “overachiever” and the stress a looming big wedding had caused. That poor thing! And the cops. After what Wilbanks had put them through, they were “friendly” toward her. Read this, and try not to gag:
Wilbanks boarded her plane wearing a new FBI hat, blazer, polo shirt and pants and carrying a new tote bag and teddy bear, a gift from the aviation police chief. She flew first-class and said she planned to name the bear “Al,” for Albuquerque.
Sickening. This woman should have had handcuffs around her wrists instead of a teddy bear in her arms. A teddy bear for a grown woman? That’s another subject for another post.
Wilbanks is currently in “seclusion,” where she should remain for a long time. She ought to hang her head in shame. If Mason marries her after all this, he should seek help himself. At the very least, Wilbanks needs counseling. Life has a way of becoming stressful to the breaking point, and mature adults learn to deal with it. Wilbanks is lacking in this area. Will Mason take the risk and marry a woman who might walk out on him and her own children one day?
Do me a favor? Dump the “runaway bride” designation. Such fairy tale notions have no place in this scenario. Jennifer Wilbanks is an immature, manipulative, maladjusted woman who should be preparing a legal defense instead of a wedding.
Update: A citizen goes off! Trey Jackson has the video.
Sean at The American Mind asks: “Suppose I left a brief note saying I want to be left alone so don’t try looking for me. Yet a manhunt is organized. Am I still responsible? Why?”
Update II: I need to clarify a few things. I have never denied that racial prejudice and bigotry exists. We all have such feelings toward each other at various times. That’s called life. What I argue on this blog is that racism as historically practiced is not a significant factor in most black people’s lives, and I still believe that.
When I made the “racial bias” remark in reference to Alicia Hardin and Jennifer Wilbanks, I did so in anger. I don’t naturally assume that whatever happens or doesn’t happen to someone is because of his/her race. There’s a whole post-civil rights era industry for that. My point is that Wilbanks filed a false criminal report and should be charged with a crime.
Comparing the two cases is useless and irrelevant. What matters is the law, and filing a false report is a crime. Leaving town without telling your family, knowing they’ll worry about you, is not a criminal act. Even if I wished for it real hard, she can’t be charged with “criminal thoughtlessness.”
Maybe it was the gentle treatment this “runaway bride” received that set me off; perhaps it’s because the Hardin and Wilbanks crimes occurred closely in time. I don’t know. But if Wilbanks is not charged with a crime, I’ll suspect that her race is part of the reason why, even if it’s only a small part. If it upsets conservative readers and bloggers that I could say such a thing, I suspect you’ll get over it.
Read the transcript of the 911 call for “help.”
La Shawn,
You summed it up perfectly in your final paragraph.
Barring any medical-insanity diagnosis (which I’m sure she’ll attempt), this woman should definitely be prepared to pay some HUGE remuneration or be forced to see the inside of a jail so for a year or two.
Ugh…you’re right about this whole “Runaway Bride” thing. This is no Julia Roberts movie. And this is no good woman.
Comment by Mike M. — 05.02.05 @ 6:53 am
Great Minds Think Alike
You and I are almost mirrored in agreement on this. However, jailing them is useless, I think they are better suited in doing major community service with REAL crisis victims and restitution.
Sepia
Comment by Sepialove — 05.02.05 @ 7:18 am
La Shawn:
Ditto on Wilbanks.
Cold reception by family indicates that they got the message.
Unfortunately, I would bet that there is no law that says anyone has to tell anyone else where they are. I belive Wilbanks will walk. She will also make money off of TV appearances.
The real enemy is not Wilbanks - she is a poor lost soul that is wrapped up in herself -
the real enemy are the O’Reillys and the NY Times and the book publishers who glorify her pathological, self-indulgent behavior.
Comment by Frank Zavisca — 05.02.05 @ 7:29 am
On the contrary, Frank. There is a law against filing false police reports. There may be evidence she planned this thing to look like a kidnapping. If she’d decided to skip town for a while without telling people where she was going, that would’ve been different. It’s stupid and insensitive to worry your family like that, but stupidity and insensitivity are not crimes.
Comment by La Shawn — 05.02.05 @ 7:38 am
La Shawn:
You are correct. I live in Atlanta not too far from were this all took place it has been reported that she purchased the bus ticket about a week in advance and had taken cash knowing that her credit cards would be monitored. When she ran out of money that’s when she decided to phone home.
Comment by James Newman — 05.02.05 @ 7:47 am
I am guessing this is all a part of how we are teaching people to not deal with problems. In our zeal to be so “unoffensive” to anyone about anything, when a serious issue arises (for example having second thoughts about getting married) the only mechanism these idiots have is to RUN. And then (as you stated), the idiot shrinks will come out of the woodwork to find something to blame so that the spineless wimp can be labeled a victim and held unaccountable for their stupidity and immmaturity.
Comment by Renee — 05.02.05 @ 8:18 am
LaShawn, eye to eye. But I will go one point further.
She should get max for the false claim. But….
It’s not HER fault the national news picked up on it!
The real shame of it is, people who truly know their loved ones are missing, are told by the police to wait 24 -48 hours before filing a report because so many people just “walk away” without letting people know what’s going on. This gives the police further cause to just wait, when something may be able to be done to find the missing person alive within the first 24-48 hours.
Comment by DarkStar — 05.02.05 @ 8:45 am
She is a thug…
Comment by Dell Gines — 05.02.05 @ 8:48 am
Couldn’t have said it better myself, La Shawn. She ought to be prosecuted for her selfish and immature behavior. She ought to have to pay restitution for sending law enforcement on a costly wild goose chase. Hopefully, her fiance will see this as a gigantic red flag and make his own get-away.
Comment by Chris W — 05.02.05 @ 8:50 am
Couldn’t agree more La Shawn. I’m sick of immature behaviour being rewarded. Also website is terrific. Greetings from Australia.
Comment by Jacky — 05.02.05 @ 9:01 am
Do me a favor? Dump the “runaway bride†designation.
In my opinion, it works. I found the movie to be nearly as stupid and repugnant as Wilbanks herself.
Considering that some people actually liked that movie (I don’t understand how that’s possible, myself), though, you’re right that it should be dropped. There’s no sense in romanticizing what that utter fool of a woman has done. I sincerely hope she is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Comment by AWG — 05.02.05 @ 9:09 am
I’m sure I’ll be shouted down for my opinion but I guess I see things quite a bit differently.
I see a woman who was so overwhelmed by circumstances that she did something totally irrational. Whether it was a planned thing or not is not the issue. Yes, she dealt with the situation in a totally unaceptable way but none of us know the stress she was under. I thank God that things have never got that way for me. I don’t know quite how I would react.
I see a woman who, for whatever reason, lacked the ability to reach out to those who love her and ask for help. That’s pretty tough. A lot of people faced with that dilema simply take their own lives. Thank God she didn’t take that option.
I see a woman who dug herself into a hole and then kept digging herself deeper because she didn’t know what else she could do.
I see Jesus reaching out to her with compassion, knowing that she is confused and hurt.
I see a parallel with Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. He knew that she was a sinner. He knew that she had been sleeping around. He knew that she was despised by the pharisees and religious leaders of the time and yet he dared to engage her in conversation. More than that he dared to suggest that she had something to offer him; a cup of water.
He didn’t condemn her, he spoke gently to her.
Did he overlook or excuse sin? No. He confronted her about what she had been doing and addressed the areas of sin in her life.
I also see parallels to the woman caught in adultery. She had sinned and the authorities could have thrown the book at her, or in this case a bag of rocks. Jesus had other ideas and told her accusers to leave her alone. Again, he addressed the sin and told her to sin no more.
I see a great need for compassion.
If there is a case to answer for her false statement about being abducted, then let her face the law, but as far as we Christians are concerned, we should be reaching out in love and forgiveness. The Bible commands us to do so and Jesus’ example impels us to do so.
Yes she is a sinner. Yes she has done something stupid. Yes she has hurt a lot of people, but that’s the same situation as the two examples I’ve referred to from scripture where Jesus shows compassion, not rage. Jesus wanted those women to know forgiveness and love, not punishment.
Even if the whole thing was a premeditated stunt, which many are claiming, Jesus was prepared to die to forgive her of that. Do we know better than he does? Do we dare condemn while he forgives? Aren’t we glad that he forgives us of our wilful sin or do we consider her sin to be more repugnant in the eyes of our Lord than anything we could ever do?
Let the law deal with her if it considers she needs to be prosecuted. Let her fiance reconsider their future together, but let’s pray for this woman, not throw her to the wolves.
I hope that if I ever mess up bigtime, and God knows we’re all capable of it, I will find Christian friends that will help me face up to my responsibilities in a gentle and loving way, just as Jesus would.
Comment by Rodney Olsen — 05.02.05 @ 9:15 am
The only connection I can find between Jennifer Wilbanks and Alicia Hardin is that they both caused a lot of grief for others through their immaturity and incredible selfishness.
I can give a small amount of slack to Hardin due to her age, and by doing so I am making the case for a voting age of 21. Sorry to all the late teenagers out there, but maturity is too often lacking in their ranks.
But no such slack can, or should, be given to a 32-year-old such as Wilbanks. In terms of punishment, Wilbanks has a much bigger debt to pay in real dollars. Her fine should be substantial, in addition to any other punishment she may have earned.
Comment by RedBeard — 05.02.05 @ 9:33 am
Runaway Bride may face charges
From FoxNews: On what was to be her wedding day, Jennifer Wilbanks wore not a white veil but an orange…
Trackback by JackLewis.net — 05.02.05 @ 9:43 am
I heard they couldn’t bust her on anything up to the point that she called 911 and lied about her abduction. Until then, everyone was operating under the worst case assumption.
All the same, I hesitate to support simplistic legal action against people who lie by omission. Reason being, I don’t know how many people go out for a pack of cigarettes and never come back. But I’m sure it happens everyday.
Maybe something to the effect that if it can be proven that the “runaway” knew there was a massive search underway, they would be obligated to contact the nearest authority, authenticate their identity and call off the search, or be fined to repay the cost of the search.
Comment by Andy — 05.02.05 @ 9:51 am
How come nobody ever says “I was grabbed by two White people”? ‘Course, when they do, it’s usually true!
Comment by Mark La Roi — 05.02.05 @ 10:06 am
First, her leaving without calling anyone is not a punishable offense. So that is not the issue, we are not prisoners to the community we live in and we have the right to leave whenever we want. Stupid, yes, illegal, no.
However, her false reporting was her greatest bit of stupidity. This is what is a punishable offense,but we have to distinguish between the two.
Comment by Dell Gines — 05.02.05 @ 10:09 am
From The Apples And Oranges Department
Without getting into the issue of whether Jennifer Wilbanks’ actions were criminal, can someone please explain how LaShawn Barber can come to this conclusion? If…
Trackback by dougpetch.com — 05.02.05 @ 10:13 am
Rodney: I’m prepared to be forgiving and accepting toward her, if she ever demonstrates remorse. Up to this point, she seems to be shedding crocodile tears and reaping the benefit of people’s willingness to excuse her pathology, and therefore I have no sympathy for her.
Whether or not she repents of putting her family and (hopefully former) fiancee through that, she deserves to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for filing fraudulent police reports.
Comment by AWG — 05.02.05 @ 10:16 am
See, I’m torn. On one hand a person is allowed to up and skip town whenever they want (obvious exceptions apply, and a wedding isn’t one of them).
On the other, as a brown person, I really don’t like the whole, “blame my abduction on INSERT MINORITY HERE” mentality, a la Susan Smith (Thanks Lashawn!)
However, she was only gone 4 days. I don’t know if we can, in good faith, charge her for all this hoopla when her family and friends caused too much commotion too soon. I mean really, was everybody SO oblivious that no one noticed she wasn’t happy?
Much of this is the result of the media’s thirst for good copy. And in this day and age young, pretty, non-minority abductions are good copy.
*shakes head*
Hopefully, this will calm the mad rush for abduction stories.
PS. I’m a blogger now as well. Lashawn, I am working on learning how to do trackbacks, and when I figure it out, WATCHOUT!
Comment by stephen johnson — 05.02.05 @ 10:17 am
Wilbanks did a dasterdly thing and should pay. She could have saved alot of people heartache if she’d just told the truth. She watched too many Julia Roberts movies.
Comment by RepJ — 05.02.05 @ 11:09 am
While this isssue has been blown up in the media 10 fold it is not all that unusual when you consider the amount of divorces in this country. Many of them for no better reason than one of the two parties decided they simply didn’t want to be married anymore.
Why this case is so big is because of the culture of death that looms and that of media hype of the most tragic of scenarios of society, especially since she is a young, white, female. It is far easier and palatable to romanticize such a case, but I wonder what would be the case if this was a black couple? Would anyone even care?
Comment by Jerry McClellan — 05.02.05 @ 11:14 am
AWG, I’m interested that you say, “I’m prepared to be forgiving and accepting toward her, if she ever demonstrates remorse.”
I understand exactly what you mean but as a Christian I have to think differently. In following Jesus I’m compelled to follow the example of someone who didn’t wait for remorse to be shown. It was while we were still at emnity with him that he let his life be taken to extend forgiveness. Jesus didn’t wait for the woman at the well to stop sleeping around before he sought her out, he went to her while she was still breaking the moral laws. He didn’t wait for me to stop my wrong behaviour before he died a painful death for me. I can’t wait for others to show remorse before I show them forgiveness. It’s not the example I’ve been given.
Comment by Rodney Olsen — 05.02.05 @ 11:17 am
Rodney
The same arguments for mercy can be applied to Alicia Hardin.
I see a girl feeling great pressure.
I see a girl unable to reach out for support.
I see a girl wanting to run away, but needing an excuse.
Here’s the thing: If Alicia Hardin is prosecuted for the phony hate letters, then Jennifer Wilbanks should be prosecuted for a phony police report. There is no difference - except that one is black and the other white. I stand with La Shawn on this.
BTW La Shawn, I am also blogging at http://patsrick.blogspot.com/. If you can spare a moment to visit, that would be nice.
Comment by Pat'sRick© — 05.02.05 @ 11:50 am
Thank You!
You said it perfectly. What Wilbanks did was WRONG. She should face punishment for her ill-advised “escapade”
Comment by Dan Sherman — 05.02.05 @ 11:50 am
Indeed, Rodney. Christ was willing to extend forgiveness to people when they didn’t deserve it (such as the Samaritan woman). However, the woman at the well had to accept and act on that forgiveness in order for it to become realized. The same thing holds true writ large: Christ extends the grace and mercy of his forgiveness to everyone who will repent and accept that forgiveness. Until a person does that, they are not forgiven and will not be saved!
To be willing to forgive and extend that forgiveness does not mean that we should be doormats for the unrepentant; after all, Christ told his followers (and by proxy, us) to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. Furthermore, forgiveness for transgression does not equal a “get out of the consequences of my actions free” card. The death and resurrection of Christ means that those who repent and believe in Him will be spared the eternal consequences of their sin. It doesn’t mean that they’ll be spared the worldly consequences of that sin.
Comment by AWG — 05.02.05 @ 12:04 pm
“Indeed, Rodney. Christ was willing to extend forgiveness to people when they didn’t deserve it (such as the Samaritan woman). However, the woman at the well had to accept and act on that forgiveness in order for it to become realized. The same thing holds true writ large: Christ extends the grace and mercy of his forgiveness to everyone who will repent and accept that forgiveness. Until a person does that, they are not forgiven and will not be saved!”
DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!
Nail on the head!
Comment by Mark La Roi — 05.02.05 @ 12:09 pm
Amen, LaShawn! This woman’s acts…how appalling! Yes, maybe she was ’stressed out,’ but…be an adult. Instead, she lied, and her family freaked out the country, who was wondering if the poor girl had been kidnapped, murdered, or worse. Then we learn it’s all a hoax?
She should indeed be charged, but I doubt it will happen. I predict made-for-TV romantic comedies, book and magazine deals, and a spot on “Oprah.”
When what she really needs is a spot on Dr. Laura…
Comment by Miss O'Hara — 05.02.05 @ 12:18 pm
Well said, La Shawn! I was outraged and appalled when I found out that Ms. Wilbanks had faked the whole thing and that she put her family through misery and hell for four days! I imagined what I would have felt like if my sister had done that to her fiance last summer right before her big wedding, and I would have been beyond upset and disgusted. Anyone who can so callously put their own family and loved ones through that kind of utter heartbreak and misery ought to spend a great deal of time in a mental institution… or a prison cell. That is cruel and selfish beyond words!!!
Comment by Janna — 05.02.05 @ 12:35 pm
What I found disturbing from the coverage was that the groom and bride were living together before this huge wedding. And that the groom is a Sunday School teacher and boys basketball coach at his Baptist church. Yikes. What a horrible testimony and role models.
Comment by Joyce — 05.02.05 @ 1:19 pm
I thought I’d heard the same thing, Joyce, but I assumed I’d heard wrong because everyone kept referring to the couple’s “pastor.”
Horrible, indeed.
Comment by La Shawn — 05.02.05 @ 1:34 pm
LaShawn,
I agree she should be tried and punished for her ‘abduction’. So I won’t be disappointed in your posts if she’s not. I’ll agree with you…
Dan
Comment by Dan — 05.02.05 @ 2:02 pm
I don’t think this is exactly the same as Hardin, although both gals are nutcases, apparently.
The filing of a false police report is what pushes this case way over the line.
With Alicia Hardin, it’s more about how liberal college administrators invite students to look for racism around every corner. The leftist-Affirmative Action Brigade, that runs today’s colleges, encourages and pampers students like Hardin.
Comment by Glamchild — 05.02.05 @ 2:30 pm
Thanks for the Comments Rodney O. I agree with you. She did something very dumb but I don’t think it was totally her fault. To have a wedding with 600 people invited could only mean that others were pushing her in a direction that she was not ready to go. She didn’t have the capacity to say no but instead chose to do something irrational, for that she needs to apologize, jail would serve no purpose. Her family should take a hard look at themselves, I’m sure there are many ways in which they pushed and prodded the couple in ways they were not ready to go.
As far as the couple living together and the groom to be teaching a Sunday School Class at the church…SHAME on the Church if it’s ture! I was listening to Neal Boortz this morning and had to turn his loud mouth off. He claimed that to say that prematial sex is no longer a sin and is an old view (paraphrased) and not a valid arguement for the church today. For a “know it all” he hasn’t a clue.
Let’s have some compasion for this woman at this point - since we really don’t know all the answers yet.
Comment by sharon — 05.02.05 @ 2:40 pm
Sharon, maybe Boortz meant that as far as today’s culture is concerned, it isn’t a sin. I would hope their church would consider it such…but…well, if it is true that they were living together… *eeeep* In his big sex sermon a few weeks ago, my pastor talked about his requirements before he will officiate at a wedding - and if the couple is living together, he will refuse. Boortz may just have been referring to ‘cultural norms’ and so forth.
And honestly, as I’ve been ranting about on my blog for three weeks now, the church isn’t saying much about this subject either, for the most part. My pastor seems to be an exception when it comes to extramarital sex and ’shackin’ up’! Most churches turn a blind eye, too, don’t they? Boortz may have a point - not from God’s POV, but man’s.
Comment by Miss O'Hara — 05.02.05 @ 3:40 pm
She did something very dumb but I don’t think it was totally her fault. To have a wedding with 600 people invited could only mean that others were pushing her in a direction that she was not ready to go. She didn’t have the capacity to say no but instead chose to do something irrational, for that she needs to apologize, jail would serve no purpose.
I beg to differ with you on this one. The typical American wedding is exactly what the bride wants it to be. Yes, parents and other family members will exert some influence (especially if they’re helping to pay for the wedding), but generally the bride has the final say-so these days.
Furthermore, jail would indeed serve a purpose, since she broke the law by filing false police reports.
I won’t deny that Wilbanks was probably under a lot of pressure (weddings can be very stressful events!), but she should have handled that stress in a more appropriate way. At the very least, she could have avoided breaking the law while on her little runaway jaunt.
Comment by AWG — 05.02.05 @ 4:08 pm
To have a wedding with 600 people invited could only mean that others were pushing her in a direction that she was not ready to go.
How could it only mean what you assert? That’s a logical leap if ever I saw one.
Comment by LawWife — 05.02.05 @ 4:24 pm
One this issue at least, it seems we are in complete agreement for once. Why this callous, narcissistic woman is receiving such gentle, forgiving treatment is beyond me. Her actions were pre-meditated (she bought the bus tickets a week in advance), she put her family and friends through the agony of believing that she had been kidnapped or possibly killed, subjected her fiancé to being unjustly cast as a potential murder suspect, cost her family untold thousands of dollars, stood up hundreds of people (who had thrown her no less than SIX wedding showers!), and set in motion a nationwide search that included an intensive three-day search that involved over 250 law enforcement officers and volunteers. The real harm of course is that thoughtless, self-indulgent stunts like this will make people a little more hesitant to respond in the case of actual abductions.
Comment by Red Tory — 05.02.05 @ 4:41 pm
La Shawn Barber admits her readers are racists
So let me see if I understand: this is a case of legitimate racial bias, but if you point that out, you expect your conservative readers to be upset? Why on earth would they be upset about your calling attention to a genuine instance of racism? Unles…
Trackback by dadahead — 05.02.05 @ 5:14 pm
LaShawn Barber is one of those calling for Wilbanks to be prosecuted
I think La Shawn has it wrong. Wilbanks did not ‘fake’ her own kidnapping, at least not in any way that led to the search or disruption. As I understand things, she did refer to having been kidnapped, first in a phone call and then in discussions wit…
Trackback by ThoughtsOnline — 05.02.05 @ 5:15 pm
Sean at The American Mind asks: “Suppose I left a brief note saying I want to be left alone so don’t try looking for me. Yet a manhunt is organized. Am I still responsible? Why?â€
The sheer silliness inherent in that question is amazing. The answer to this hypothetical, of course is “No” — BECAUSE YOU LEFT A NOTE!!!
Of course, everyone has the “right to disappear” but anyone with an ounce of compassion for their loved ones would have the decency to inform them of their intentions beforehand and/or subsequently advise them of their well-being. In the case of the so-called “Runaway Bride,” she did neither. In that case, you have three choices: 1) complete thoughtlessness/negligence; 2) passive/aggressive hostility; or, 3) provocative malfeasance (motivated by who knows what attention-getting pathology…)
Comment by Red Tory — 05.02.05 @ 5:20 pm
No wonder she got cold feet her and the guy was shacking up together, I don’t know if either of them have repented but it sounds to me that the pastor didn’t do his job right.It is one thing to have compassion on people but given the tragedies we seen recently the outrage among Americans is undrstandable she not get off the hook on this.
Comment by Lisa Gilliam — 05.02.05 @ 5:31 pm
I’m sure Sean would like to know your opinion. The reason I linked to his post was so readers could start a discussion on his blog.
Comment by La Shawn — 05.02.05 @ 5:31 pm
LaShawn writes:
>>>Maybe it was the gentle treatment this “runaway bride†received that set me off; perhaps it’s because the Hardin and Wilbanks crimes occurred closely in time. I don’t know. But if Wilbanks is not charged with a crime, I’ll suspect that her race is part of the reason why, even if it’s only a small part. If that upsets conservative readers and bloggers, I suspect you’ll get over it.”
I stand with you on Jennifer Wilbanks. You have made a fine post here, and although I don’t agree with alot of what you say, you’ve impressed me here with your intellectual honesty.
–Cobra
Comment by Cobra — 05.02.05 @ 6:20 pm
Perhaps I have a very hard heart. I do not feel sympathy for this women. She PLANNED it. There are other ways to back out of a wedding. It’s better than a divorce. Begin by moving into your own residence, woman. Do they offer classes on how to grow up–some equivalent of a GED in adulthood?
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 05.02.05 @ 6:46 pm
Good to have you back, Evon!
Cobra - Shocked!
Comment by La Shawn — 05.02.05 @ 6:48 pm
Runaway Bride Pt. II
I said earlier that I thought they should just leave this “runaway bride” (Jennifer Wilbanks) alone, and just let her and her family deal with her problems.
When I first commented on that, I hadn’t heard yet that she had also claimed to have been…
Trackback by Iowa Voice — 05.02.05 @ 7:42 pm
La Shawn,
I agree wholeheaartedly with you that Wilbanks should be prosecuted for the filing of the false police report with the New Mexico authorities. From the police perspective it is wasteful of manpower, pulls officers from other areas where they may be critically needed, etc.
I’m not so sure that she should necessarily be prosecuted in Georgia, because she didn’t really do any thing wrong. Her actions while certainly distressing to her family and her fiancee’ (to put it mildly) don’t border on criminal. I’m not sure that she ever considered that she would be come the object of national media exposure, and a nationwide manhunt involving local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies.
I was somewhat taken aback at your comparison of Wilbanks’ actions to Hardin’s, along with your inference that the different handling of the two situations might intimate some sort of racist intent on the part of those dealing with Ms. Hardin.
While Ms. Wilbanks did indeed commit a crime (which I’m not sure whether it would constitute a felony or a misdemeanor under New Mexico’s State Laws), her actions were not directed at anyone else. She simply pulled a disappearance, that blew up into much more. The only thing she directed at anyone else was her claim to have been abducted by anonymous individuals. She didn’t point a finger at anyone and falsly claim “that person kidnapped me”. Of course this doesn’t take into account what she put her family through emotionally, but unfortunately that’s not something which came be prosecuted.
Ms. Hardin on the other hand directed her actions toward others. She wrote threats and racial slurs to OTHER people making them fear for their safety and possibly their lives. Of course, what she did might also constitute a “hate crime” (a catagory of crime that I know you disagree with and so do I), which is definitely a felony. I’m sure that Ms. Hardin never expected that the stir she created on campus would gather national exposure either, but she surely knew she was making an actual threat to another person, even though it had no basis in reality.
One also must take into account that each situation is being dealt with primarily at the local level as far as any prosecution, and each situation is thus considered in isolation of the other, regardless of the fact that both are part of the national dialogue.
You can’t compare apples to oranges and come to a conclusion of motive or intent on the part of the authorities in each individual situation, even though it is tempting to do so. Each case has absolutely NOTHING to do with the other, except that both involve a young woman who sought the wrong approach to solving her immediate situation.
Oh no! Our first disagreement, (sigh) looks like the honeymoon is over. Of course, I still respect your opinion, and agree with it 99.999% of the time
Comment by Montie — 05.02.05 @ 8:13 pm
“While Ms. Wilbanks did indeed commit a crime (which I’m not sure whether it would constitute a felony or a misdemeanor under New Mexico’s State Laws), her actions were not directed at anyone else”
True, her actions were not directed at a specific person, but by giving a description, however vague it was, of a Hispanic male and Caucasian female as the kidnapping offenders, she potentially subjected a lot of people to police harassment, possibly false arrest and who knows what else. Just ask the brothers in Boston what happened to them when that Charles Stuart (?) guy claimed that black men had robbed him and shot his wife. Same thing with Susan Smith.
In the meantime, has anyone else heard that bones belonging to a young girl have been found in Chicago, and there is speculation that they may belong to one of the Bradley sisters-2 little black girls who have been missing for a few years. If you have heard, I’d be surprised with this oh so important Wilbanks story dominating the news as it has been.
Comment by seal-lover — 05.02.05 @ 9:20 pm
Not to mention the black men who fell under suspicion in Union, South Carolina, thanks to lying child murderer Susan Smith.
My brother saw an actual copy of the police sketch of Smith’s phony description of the “carjacker.” He said it looked like a parody of a poster from one of those old Negro minstrel shows.
Comment by La Shawn — 05.02.05 @ 9:29 pm
La Shawn and seal-lover,
You both make valid points that persons resembling descriptions given by false reporters like Wilbanks might be subject to greater police scrutiny and/or unnecessary investigative detentions.
I can say from personal experience, that people who make false reports often give a description of a racial minority as a suspect. It is so common, that if we suspect the report might be false when we start investigating, we consider it as one of the indicators that the victim may be lying.
Whether this indicates some innate level of prejudice in the victim is impossible for me to say. But, it can create “community relations” problems for the police who, in good faith, start looking for a nonexistent suspect among the minority population.
Comment by Montie — 05.03.05 @ 12:09 am
La Shawn,
I wonder if Ms. Wilbanks had been a minority female if the story would have been covered at all. Foolishness like this dominating the news causes me to turn off the TV.
I was surprised that you assumed because you wanted to see her prosecuted, conservatives would be upset with you. I’m not a hard line feminist but I still know that there are some cases where women are discriminated against because they are women.
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 05.03.05 @ 10:22 am
Why should she be prosecuted. Yes the 911 call was faked, but that was AFTER the search and everything else. Then she quickly recanted. She is an adult woman and she left home. She is very stupid and inconsiderate but not criminal. And so what if she said the guy was hispanic. SHE WAS IN NEW MEXICO. They have alot of hispanics there you know. Everyone is not an evil racist.
Comment by dan hop — 05.03.05 @ 10:37 am
John still wants Jennifer
From FoxNews: When runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks (search) made her way home after running away last week, John Mason was…
Trackback by JackLewis.net — 05.03.05 @ 11:27 am
Evon,
If Ms. Wilbanks, was a minority female, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. Trust me, we WOULDN’T.
Comment by Tiffany In Mpls — 05.03.05 @ 11:43 am
Tiffany, That was more of a rhetorical “wonder” on my part.
Does anyone know? Is there a web site where bloggers can suggest topics/events that we would like to see covered? So many people in the MSM seem to lack imagination on slow news days.
Comment by Evon Bachaus — 05.03.05 @ 3:20 pm
Evon,
I know it was a wonder..but if you lived inside my skin, it wouldn’t even be rhetorical…
That website you wish for, I’m afraid, doesn’t exist and probably won’t ever…LOL!!!
Comment by Tiffany In Mpls — 05.03.05 @ 3:40 pm
How ironic that the thirty-something woman received a teddy bear, amongst other gifts, for her behavior and the 5 year old girl received forceful handcuffing, shackling, and hours of confinement in a police automobile.
Comment by C.A. — 05.03.05 @ 8:51 pm
she will probably get charged with disturbing the peace
Comment by elijah — 05.03.05 @ 9:24 pm
LaShawn, you owe no apologies for your take on where the media points it cameras, pads, and pens when it comes to the populace. You were right on it with your last paragraph and anyone who doesn’t see it that way is from another planet or in awful denial.
As for the story in Duluth, Georgia: It wouldn’t come as a surprise to me if it is later revealed the would-be groom (Mr. Mason) was also involved in the ploy. Perhaps all of this was concocted by the both him and Miss Wilbanks as part of a ‘get-richer-quicker’ scheme. After all, shortly after word was received that Wilbanks had been “found” in New Mexico, Mason was already boasting before cameras that he hoped to be interviewed by Fox’s Sean Hannity. Mason could already hear the cash registers ringing. Of course, the story had a few different twists after that Kodak moment (The registers were ringing even louder after each twist).
It all seems a little fishy and if the groom-to-be is as willing to go ahead with the wedding so soon as the headlines indicate (I’ve purposely haven’t read beyond the headlines lately), that is even more suspicious. I believe he may have orchestrated this on our easily duped and celeb-crazed, gullible, and anything-or-anyone-can-be-famous for practically doing squat society. So if it comes out later these two crazy kids from Georgia tried to pull a fast one on all of us – remember where you read it first.
DeWayne
Comment by DeWayne — 05.04.05 @ 6:16 am
UGH….
First of all i would like to say… i had beautifully written out what i wanted to say on this post… and then i stupidly clicked on the wrong thing, and got sent somewhere else, so i lost everything i wanted to post… so i’ll make it short and simple.
I agree with you Leshawn, 100%!!! Wilbanks is an idiot, and being an idiot should not let you off the hook that easily. She should be jailed for her actions. She commited a felony by staging her own kidnapping. They even caught her on tape saying that she was kidnapped. (911 usually tape calls) If she gets away with this, what kind of example is she setting for everyone? You can stage your own kidnapping and get away with it?
Yeah, she was only gone for four days, but you know what? She was supposed to be getting married then, and if i were her parents, i would call the cops on her as well. My sister is getting married sometime in june, and i would kill her if she did something similiar to this Wilbanks moron.
People normally assume that when you’re getting married to someone, that you’re in love, or that you have a commitment to that person. You normally don’t assume that person is going to stage her own kidnapping four days before she is to be wed.
If she had such strong feelings against this marraige why not call it off? Is it really that hard to call off your wedding?!?
Please, stop with the excuses people, she is 30 years old and she knew what she was doing. She should’ve left a note or something to indicate that she was alive and kicking. I hate it when people try to make excuses for idiots. Some of these posts i don’t agree with. (Most of the people who wrote them are christians not a surprise, sorry if i offended anyone)
I definately don’t agree with Dan Hops post. Ofcourse Leshawn didn’t say that the girl was racist (although it wouldn’t surprise me if she were) She said that the reason why Wilbanks would get away with it is because she is white, and i do agree with that as well.
Look where she’s from? The South, not to mention, Georgia, the biggest Southern heap of hypocracy. Everyone knows the South is racist as heck.
I agree with Montie with his/her statement above. Everytime a white woman screams bloody murder, they usually paint a portrait of a colored man. (black/hispanic) The next time a white woman claims that a colored man raped her or hurt her, be sure to stare at her like a crazy person. Most likely she is lying.
Not to mention, Black/hispanic men are not stupid enough to do anything like that to a white girl. They know that if they do, police will be all over their @$$ like white on rice, before they can touch her. (susan smith had seen to that!)
I also agree with Seal, how far have we fallen, when a story about a fake @$$ julia roberts wannabe outwieghs that of a story about two murdered little girls?!?!
Oh and another thing, she wasted all that time/money/etc on this stupid ploy. People may say that she was stressed and wanted to get away from it all, but you know what? She saw what was going on on the news, everyone in the USA saw this.
She saw that she was a missing person, yet she chose to go through with this charade. The point being, she knew what was happening and did nothing to stop it. At any point or time, she could have stopped this and called someone to tell them that she was ok, but she didn’t. She is very much at fault.
I happen to be a taxpayer, and i would definately send her some hatemail if she was in my state. (We pay for police to search for her!!!)
So, Why did she do this?! She’s a selfish spoiled southern belle, that’s why. She probably thought that she could get away with this because she is white, and is well off.
A wiseman once said, “God must love stupid people, cuz there sure is a lot of them…” I hope that her finacee leaves her or that something so horrible happens to her that she can’t have kids. We need the stupid gene to disappear with her, and others like her.
Comment by pthaeloblue — 05.05.05 @ 3:09 am