Comments about ‘Reaction, coverage of the first week of the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping trial’

It would be an unspeakable travesty and shame to let this guy off due to insanity after what he did to that precious young innocent woman.

Leave this kid alone, we DON'T need a blow-by-blow transcript of her ordeal in the DesNews or anywhere else(WE aren't on the Jury)...of course that would not provide fodder for the Yewtaw gasbag gossips would it? The media and gossips need to back off this kid and let her have some kind of "normality" from here on out.

Egbert, what do you suggest, that the rest of her life everyone stare at her and wonder what she went through? She tells it now and then it is finally behind her, and this girl went through hell, so are we a bunch of wimps that we cant have empathy and concern and have our hearts wrench and week for her?

Was Charles Manson insane? Was every other mass murderer insane? Yes and Yes. There is a big difference between being mentally ill and being mentally ill and unable to know right from wrong. Very very few fit the second category. Mitchell knew what he was doing was against the law and that is all that matters. This cave man belongs in prison of life.

what makes me sick is that this cave man hippie is allowed to have his beard and long hair which simply gloifies his phony image. Shave his head and his beard and throw him in orange prison garb. He threw his rights away when he kidnapped and raped a minor.

For someone to be "not guilty by reason of insanity" they must not be able to comprehend that what they are doing is wrong.

Mr. Mitchell consistently acted in ways that show he fully knew what he was doing was wrong, starting with the deliberate hiding from the police car one the night he kidnapped Elizabeth. That alone should be enough evidence to convict him.

The fact that Mr. Mitchell was able to throw an officer of the law off the trail shows that whatever his mental problems he was able to function in a logical way under stress.

Mr. Mitchell is a criminal, and deserves prison time.

Dear Judge,
Require Mitchell to shave and wear a suit. If Elizabeth has to fly home for this, its the least Mitchell can do. He's been hiding behind that stinky beard for too long.

What is most scary is how many appearent Christians in responding to the CNN article attack sharing the faith. Jesus, at the end of each of the gospels gives the admonistion of sharing the gospel with every person in all nations.

If you really believe that the Church you are part of is true and the doctrines it teaches are correct than you will share it.

It scares me how little respect many Americans have for freedom of religion that they think their right to be "left alone" which does not exist, trumpts the right to share the gospel or anything else.

If you really do not want to talk to someone about religion, do not open your door.

I have to agree with some of the comments, that if this had happened to me, or my child, I think I would rather have the public know what happened, even in graphic detail, than to have people making guesses or conjecturing and gossiping. This way, the truth is known, no one can just make up their own version of it. Also, I believe Elizabeth's willingness, and also her family's willingness, to make the facts known will be helpful to others who have been through tragedies such as this. They will know that bad things can happen, and yet good results can come of it. These terrible events may yet have an effect in her life that she's unaware of at this time, such as when she gets married. But the pattern of open conversation that exists in her family will help her, and a future husband, to deal with any lingering problems. I admire their courage, and their obvious love for one another.