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Madeleine McCann


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Just a thought but could we have some ideas? We as a community must be able to help in some small way... I was thinking of getting as many people as we can that own travel bugs to rename them to something like "Looking for Madeleine McCann". This would raise awareness at least.... :)

Edited by RoswellJam
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I share your sentiments and feel equally powerless to help in a pretty desperate situation. With the rules on caches being as strict as they are, it really is only TBs which could be applied the way you suggest. I just hope the situation is resolved too quickly for any TB to have travelled very far or come to many people's attention.

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Er... I reckon you're wrong drsolly, I for one have no idea who you're talking about.

 

Seeing as how this situation (sorry, can't think of a more appropriate word at the moment) has been on nearly every news bulletin for the past ten days, is receiving massive publicity in the press, has been emblazoned on T shirts at sporting events up and down the country, you must be in a very small minority.

I don't know what we can do to further publicise the case but anything, just anything that may help in any small way has got to be a good thing.

As a father myself I cannot imagine the horror her family are going through at the moment, here's hoping that Maddie is soon reunited with her family.

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As a father or two (thankfully now grown up) children my heart goes out to Maddie's parents and I can only guess at what they're going through at the moment. I fully understand the sentiments of the OP and I agree that raised awareness of the website mentioned above is a good thing.

 

However at the risk of being branded heartless and unfeeling (honestly I'm not), could I request that any discussion carried out in this thread remain focussed on how Geocaching could possibly play a part in the search efforts rather than broadening it out into a more general discussion.

 

Many thanks in advance.

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Like how it would've been better if the family were out geocaching rather than abandoning their kids while they went for a meal?

 

(I've looked it up now... I'd heard about it from folk in the pub, but didn't know her name)

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Er... I reckon you're wrong drsolly, I for one have no idea who you're talking about.

 

Seeing as how this situation (sorry, can't think of a more appropriate word at the moment) has been on nearly every news bulletin for the past ten days, is receiving massive publicity in the press, has been emblazoned on T shirts at sporting events up and down the country, you must be in a very small minority..........

 

Sorry, but I have some sympathy with rutson. I agree about all the publicity, etc. but as a therad on the UK forum it was so out of context that I didn't make the link either until I got to your response. I was presuming it was a caher injured or worse such as the Billy Twigger story.

 

The serious point here is that we all, and I'm sutre I'm as guilty as the rest, fire off threads without putting them into context or explaining acronyms, etc. Please don't make those who ask the simple 'what's this all about' question feel insignificant or we'll frighten people off the forums.

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Wouldn't it be better to widen the idea and raise awareness of the web site at http://missingkids.co.uk/, which I suspect isn't so well known already? Madelaine isn't the only missing child.

I agree. Some cases get much more publicity than others, but I am sure all their parents worry & suffer as much. But talking about Maddie's case, maybe geocachers could put small Looking 4 Maddie stickers on the logbooks or leave calling cards? The card/stickers could also have missingkids website address. This way Maddie's case could draw attention to other cases too.

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While out cacheing over the last week Ive called in various establishments for meals etc primarily in the Tonbridge area and they nearly all have Maddie posters in them.

 

The rights and wrongs of this case is not the point, concentrate on the main thing, finding Maddie, the rights and wrongs can be sorted later.

 

Well said and very true.

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While out cacheing over the last week Ive called in various establishments for meals etc primarily in the Tonbridge area and they nearly all have Maddie posters in them.

 

The rights and wrongs of this case is not the point, concentrate on the main thing, finding Maddie, the rights and wrongs can be sorted later.

 

No one should sit in judgement over the poor girl's parents - I don't think there is one parent in the land who hasn't made a bad decision at some point regarding their children, myself included. How many of us have left a child in the car whilst paying for fuel, or nipped in "just for two minutes" to the local shop to pick up a paper or a pint of milk. I don't like seeing parents leave their little ones in the car and nip into the playground to pick up or drop off an older sibling. Cars can and have been stolen with kiddies inside! But its not something that happens every day.

 

Finding Maddie IS the most important thing here!

 

As a geocaching community, we are so small. I've been trying to think of ways in which we could collectively help, and like the idea of promoting the missing kiddies website. Anything that can be done to raise awareness surely has to be a good thing, and worth the effort. SKY website has a poster which can be downloaded, how about printing them off and displaying them in our cars? They might not do much in the UK right now, because there has been a huge amount of publicity and I would imagine that pretty much everyone knows about it now. But if we are taking our vehicles across the channel in the coming months ... maybe it might be worthwhile. We've had the Unite for Diabetes travel bugs. Maybe Reunite Missing Children with Their Parents TB's would be just as worthwhile.

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No one should sit in judgement over the poor girl's parents - I don't think there is one parent in the land who hasn't made a bad decision at some point regarding their children, myself included. How many of us have left a child in the car whilst paying for fuel, or nipped in "just for two minutes" to the local shop to pick up a paper or a pint of milk. I don't like seeing parents leave their little ones in the car and nip into the playground to pick up or drop off an older sibling. Cars can and have been stolen with kiddies inside! But its not something that happens every day.

 

Finding Maddie IS the most important thing here!

 

<snip>

 

Well said Liane, I am sure you are absolutely right, there but for the grace of God go many.

 

Let's just hope and pray for a positive outcome.

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What's the point in "raising awareness" of this individual case? It's not going to achieve anything; it won't make the police look any harder; it won’t make them talk about it as they aren’t allowed to over there (unlike in the UK where the police are compelled to feed the media machine) and it won’t make any difference to the person(s) who have taken her. No-one from here is going to go over there and have a look either I’d bet. Raising awareness generally is great but to send out Maddie TBs is rather fatuous. We can’t do anything here but the one thing that this thread has given so far is this: http://missingkids.co.uk/.

 

I may be a bit cynical but I’ll wager that nothing comes of this thread apart from the usual arguments. On that note, and at the risk of offending anyone, I must add that I have never as a father done anything like leave my child unattended or exposed her to any situation where there may be the remotest possibility of such an avoidable risk.

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Like how it would've been better if the family were out geocaching rather than abandoning their kids while they went for a meal?

 

(I've looked it up now... I'd heard about it from folk in the pub, but didn't know her name)

 

Just a comment in reply to the point raised about abandoning the kids. I have to agree. i totally feel for this family(having 3 young girls myself) but if it had been me who left my 3 young children in bed sleeping while the wife and myself went out for the evening, there would be more tabloid space being given to the fact i was a bad parent than to getting my kids back.

 

2 well educated doctors refuse to either use the complex creche facility or monitor system now they are paying the ultimate price for that which is something you would not wish upon even your wrost enemy.

 

I hope and pray the girl is returned safe.

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What's the point in "raising awareness" of this individual case? It's not going to achieve anything; it won't make the police look any harder; it won’t make them talk about it as they aren’t allowed to over there (unlike in the UK where the police are compelled to feed the media machine) and it won’t make any difference to the person(s) who have taken her. No-one from here is going to go over there and have a look either I’d bet. Raising awareness generally is great but to send out Maddie TBs is rather fatuous. We can’t do anything here but the one thing that this thread has given so far is this: http://missingkids.co.uk/.

 

 

I'm sorry but I think you are wrong by saying it won't acheive anything.. I think getting news of Maddie out into the open WILL help! If she is being held against her will somewhere (she could be anywhere by now - maybe not even still in Portugal), all it could take is someone who has seen her picture on a poster somewhere to spot her and alert the police and she could be found safe and well.

 

I think the idea of printing out posters and stickers to put in caches and our cars (suggested above) is an excellent one!

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The news is well in the open already. Perhaps posters in the UK would help if it were happening in the UK but she’s in Portugal and it’s not one of those romantic kidnappings with a happy ending where the child is found after being taken by someone who wanted a child of their own. This is sinister, probably very nasty and local. The poster idea is only slightly more useful than praying. I merely hope fervently that she’s ok.

 

If all geocachers in Portugal were to search an area of half a mile around their caches for any evidence would that not be useful? A bit more proactive too.

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Wouldn't it be better to do a "raise awareness" campaign for Amy Orsmond? I haven't seen any publicity at all about her, and she's been missing since May 2nd. Whereas Madeleine McCann's picture has been in all the newspapers for a couple of weeks now. Surely the geocaching UK community could probably do a lot more good for a kid missing in Hertfordshire UK, than in Portugal? Because surely she's more likely to be in the UK than Madeleine? And I'd guess her parents are totally frantic by now.

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If all geocachers in Portugal were to search an area of half a mile around their caches for any evidence would that not be useful? A bit more proactive too.

 

All the areas were widely searched by HUNDREDS of volunteers, local and also members of the foreign community living in Algarve, Portugal. Since day 1, a wide number of persons started searching the area. And today, (day 12 since went missing) there are people looking at same or different places. There were also searches made by are, using ultra-light planes, etc. Everyone is really into it and making an extra effort to find her

 

It would be great if the Geocaching community could make a difference in situations like this.

There are some sensible ideas here.

 

If anyone speaks Portugese perhaps they could post here -

 

http://www.geocaching-pt.net/

 

The report I read said the parents were seated only 100 metres away from their room....

 

The portuguese community is well aware of this case. As a matter of fact, everyone knows the case. The media is all over it. Every news program has 3, 4 stories about it. If we can't find her, it won't be because of lack of spreading the news and a picture of the child.

 

On a personal note, we have 4 children. We would never let them asleep, specially with those ages, and go to a restaurant having a blast 100 meters away from them. But that's just us.

 

I've seen cases like that, when some children left alone at home start a fire and the parents are crucified on the media. Maybe getting a degree means something, after all.

 

On a final note, we sincerely hope that this child returns safely home. This one and also every single one still missing.

Edited by SUp3rFM & Cruella
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I have to agree with all those who have gone before saying 'what's the point?'.

Returning to the original question - using Travel Bugs seems like a crazy idea to me. Travel Bugs last for years and years and therefore have the potential to become out-of-date or tasteless rather quickly. Imagine if she is not found alive (we are all imagining that after all) - loads of travel bugs reminding the cachers around the world acheives nothing.

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Travel Bugs last for years and years and therefore have the potential to become out-of-date or tasteless rather quickly. Imagine if she is not found alive (we are all imagining that after all) - loads of travel bugs reminding the cachers around the world acheives nothing.

 

Well I would imagine that people would change the names after a while if they were specifically Madeleine TB's! Would be a bit daft to leave them as is. And I for one am NOT imagining she mightn't be found alive. There is ALWAYS hope. :huh:

 

Here's one to get the ball rolling. Not specifically a Madeleine TB, but a Missing Kids one. :rolleyes:

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I am a parent, as many of us are .... BUT

 

I have conisderable difficulties with this whole thread.

 

Firstly it really is off-topic - but then we always have welcomed a certain latitude from our reviewers

 

Secondly it is an extension of the mass UK hysteria and jumping to 'pedo'-conclusions which is singularly unhelpful in any investigation. Portuguese Plod needs to be thorough and consider all options, what Portuguese plod does NOT need is a host of UK-Geocachers and UK-TBs descending in any form on the investigation - however well intentioned. ( Please note that this affair has not been headline news in the Portuguese press for several days - that it seems is the prerogative of the UK press ).

 

Thirdly this collective hysteria is deeply insulting to every other parent who has lost a child in any circumstances in recent times and adds considerably to their own personal hurt and injury.

 

I am not being hard-hearted, but focused, realistic and caring. I want the criminal caught in this case whatever crime was committed - and in all such cases which have received not a jot of media hysteria.

 

May I recommend that this thread is closed.

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May I recommend that this thread is closed.

I think on balance it would probably be best. In the time this has been running a number of suggestions have been put forward so let's see how they develop. Without forgetting what else is going on in the world, let's keep this thread Geocaching related.

 

Thanks for (yet another!) level headed discussion on what could easily have been an overly emotive subject.

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