Jaycee Dugard was kidnapped 18 years ago and is now a 29 year old mother with two daughters: Angel, 15 and Starlit, 11. She was taken on her way to school by Phillip Garrido, and has shocked the world when police finally recovered her and her daughters. Currently, Jaycee is living in seclusion with her daughters and mother, Terry Probyn.
This story is certainly one of a kind for it is the first time in history that a person has been missing for that long of period and finally found. Jaycee and her daughters lives are certainly going to be turned around, and the road ahead for them will most certainly be difficult. They face many challenges along the way to include the fact that Angel and Starlit have grown up to believe that Jaycee was their older sister.
Since the story was uncovered the media has certainley jumped all over it, and they most certainly won't be laying off it anytime soon considering the magnitude of this story. Jaycee has recently released photos of herself in the October issue of People magazine and a recent update of what she has been doing since reconnecting with family was also published. A family spokesperson stated, " These photos are Jaycee's way of letting everyone know that she and her family are doing well and that there is hope for the future" (People, 2009).
After reviewing the article in People magazine, it seems as though Jaycee is making a very good recovery considering her circumstance. I can't even imagine how that moment had to feel to be reconnected with her mother after 18 years apart from because of the sickness others. Even her daughters seem to well educated considering they have never entered a classroom. According to Curry, a recent battery of tests showed 15-year odl Angel functioning at close to the level of a high school senior. "The girls are very bright," says Curry. "they're really pretty much at grade level on everything (People, 2009).
Their are two specific things about Jaycee's story that I find have been largely influenced by popular culture and they are: 1. The pressure from the media to release a story 2. The focus on blaming primarily Phillip Garrido and little attention shed on his wife Nancy, who helped with the kidnapping. Focusing on the media's pressure I believe it soley comes from the wants by people to get detailed information about Jaycee and her daughters. As a nation we love to follow celebrities whether they are actors, sports players, or politicians. Anyone that gets national media attention draws focus to the "everyday American. It is understandable for people to have an interest in this amazing story, but I think it would be best to have a humane approach and give these girls their privacy as they not only embrace the good news, but also get to an understanding of what has just happened in their lives.
The second specific item I have focused on discussing is the fact that Phillip Garrido has taken the hit for the actions caused by his wife and himself. The media has a primary focus on him and barely talks about his wife who plays just as much of a roll in this story. I think society has come to focus on men when issues of sexual harrassment or rape are involved. Even though Nancy Garrido is also charged with rape. Another key issue to look upon is that in 1993 a violation of Phillip Garrido's parole conditions sent him back to federal prison from April to August.
The role that Nancy Girrado played in keeping Dugard in captivity while her husband was in prison for four months is not yet fully clear. But what is clear, is that when Phillip Garrido returned, Dugard was still imprisoned. I am most certainly not trying to downplay any action that Phillip Garrido acted upon, I only am pointing out that he didn't act alone.
No one should have to go through the horror that Jaycee Dugard faced, and the uncertainty must have ate her mother alive for 18 years. I do hope she will release her story at her own rate, so we can all learn and grow from her experience. I also believe all of us just sit in pure shock of what has happened to this family, and it helps us embrace ours a little closer. If there is one thing that Jaycee has shown its for all of those parents and siblings waiting on their love one who has been missing that hope lives, and miracles can happen.
Hewitt, B., Breuer, H., Aradillas, E., & Bane, V. (2009, October 26). Jaycee's new life. People, 58-66.
Christian, this story has captivated me since it was announced. The feelings Jaycee must be feeling are so unimaginable. i too hope the media backs off of her and her family so they can heal and come to terms with what has happened at their own rate. Just like when Shawn Hornbeck was found, the media was all over it. Oprah had to have the first interview, of course. the media and those that rely on it need to understand that these are real people, not actors. Give them time to adjust before expecting them to sheare their story. Nice blog!
ReplyDeleteI don't really pay attention to domestic news honestly, because, being in the army, with the war going on, I pay attention to news about what is going on in the middle east, so i'll know if i have to get myself ready to deploy. I understand what you are saying, but at the same time, you need to understand that men are physically strong and usually that type of man will use physical in order to get what he wants. Maybe he beats his wife so she could do what he wants. it is hard for a beaten woman to snap out of everything, I'm not saying that she is not to blame since, i am now paying attention to the news because i just found that through you, but i like to look at every angle
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