Smart deserves praise, not backlash

Seven years ago, the nation anxiously awaited the Smart family press conferences to provide updates on the kidnapping of their teenage daughter Elizabeth. Nine agonizing months followed and many had all but given up hope in ever finding Elizabeth. The outcome is usually less encouraging in similar kidnapping cases after so much time has passed. Thousands of people cried in relief and joy as initial reports came that Elizabeth had been found, alive and relatively healthy.

Emerging details identified Smart’s captor as Brian David Mitchell, a homeless religious zealot, who took her at knifepoint in the middle of the night. Since his capture, he has demonstrated bizarre behavior that has, for now, allowed his attorneys to argue that he is incompetent to stand accountable for his crimes. That is a crock and clearly demonstrates a major problem in the legal system.

Laws exist to protect and create harmony within a society. When an individual violates a law, a consequence or punishment will follow so that society can be preserved. Mitchell has presented himself as incompetent to defer accountability, but evidence shows he committed the crime of kidnapping and raping a minor. It’s sick, and he should be put away for a long time where he can’t hurt anyone else.

Smart took the stand last week to testify at Mitchell’s competency hearing before the U.S. District Court. It is expected that her testimony will help convict Mitchell at his Nov. 30 trial, as she was able to better paint the portrait of who he really is. She said Mitchell’s singing is a tactic to manipulate and gain control of others and the situation—it doesn’t mean he is incompetent.

Sadly, backlash against the Smart family has come from people who don’t like that the Smarts have money, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or held daily press conferences to find their daughter. A common gripe is that if this had happened to someone without money, that person would have been just another silent victim.

These small-minded individuals couldn’t be more wrong. People who can overcome abuse deserve recognition because they exhibit the traits that can only benefit society and raise awareness about the issue. Deeply examining your past, particularly moments of abuse that keep you in a dark place, is courageous and will only help you to move on to create a better future for yourself.

People who take cheap shots at someone who has been abused and is trying to move past the pain need to take a hard look at themselves. Elizabeth Smart’s composure and maturity to use the experience to help others is admirable and praiseworthy. Her efforts since the kidnapping have facilitated national programs that help other kidnapping victims so these cases don’t go unnoticed and result in more happy endings than sad ones.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/smart-deserves-praise-not-backlash-1.1946562