01-13-2014, 04:26 AM
hereandthere… I, like so many, have been following this forum topic from May 30—day one. No one has hijacked the topic. brits dad, Ted Royal didn’t even start to comment until early July and I just read his first post which encouraged everyone to talk about what might have happened and he seemed grateful to the locals for their support and continued interest. Britts MOM, Julie Royal has certainly not hijacked the forum, and I don’t believe any other members of the Royal family even post here. It sure doesn’t seem like it anyway. So, hereandthere, how have the Royals “hijacked” the forum? And Ruth Johnson, why would you agree with hereandthere on that? By agreeing, you seem hostile to the Royals for some reason. Aside from Ted Royal’s unpopular comment from several days ago defending the police department, which I know must upset you since the police do not talk to your family, I don’t see that this lively forum has been hijacked by anyone. Mr. Royal doesn’t dictate how this discussion is supposed to go, nor does he state the rules of the forum, the forum moderator does. So, rather than accuse him and his ex-wife Julie as forum hijackers (ridiculous), if you don’t like what Mr. Royal said (or what anyone says, for that matter), just ignore it and read on. And how have Brittany’s mom’s comments hijacked this topic as early as 30 days into it? Unless seeking justice for her slain daughter and grandchild, thanking the people who live in Puna for their interest and support, asking for answers, etc., is considered hijacking… Sarah Johnson starting commenting less than two weeks after the murder with concerns about the police work. She used the forum to broach this subject and many have offered insight and opinion on that subject. NO ONE is hijacking. And copying Ted Royal’s rant from LAST July (a little over a month after his daughter was found dead in the ocean) on Facebook to this forum, c’mon…really? What did that prove? Only that the man was in a very bad place emotionally at that time and exploded? For the most part, the people on this forum who post often seem to have a consistent point-of-view and opinion and some are quick to attempt to shut down opinions they don’t like or agree with. That happens and is natural. When we see it, we note it, and read on. This forum has been viewed 119,321 times at this point. It continues to be about open discussion, free-flowing ideas, opinions, and theories. Some people are here to defend, others to plead, others to tell stories that have happened to them, others to opine and theorize, others just to read… One thing it seems to be missing is comments from ANYONE who actually knew Brittany and Bo while they were in Kalapana and Pahoa. Or was with them in the last days before this happened? No insight on any of that. Weird. It's starting to get hostile though and little attacks are being lobed here and there (hereandthere). But, let’s face it, one of the reasons we all read this topic is because it’s compelling and interesting and some of us are truly looking for answers to what happened. We want to read what everyone else thinks and says. We are hoping for a clue or something…anything that might explain what happened and where Bo is. While I agree Brittany’s dad Ted has changed his opinion a few times regarding the police work (as was meticulously presented by “seekingforanswers”), please, put yourself in his shoes. We all know the police can’t disclose information. Even to the parents of a murdered child. We all also know there are some problems and issues and questions surrounding theh local law enforcement in general and this case in particular. All this adds up to unthinkable frustration in the face of grief, sadness, feelings of helplessness, and doesn’t even begin to explain why Ted Royal might be changing his mind on things or ranting on Facebook. We are talking about a father who lost his daughter and unborn grandchild to murder. Sounds like he was frustrated with not getting any information and bumped up the pressure. Then the story came out in People magazine and Brittany’s mom was on TV about the story saying the police tell them nothing…well then, maybe the police decided they better give the Royals a breadcrumb of info. I don’t know. But we are all entitled to change our minds about things…and most of us do change our minds about things over time. Normal things…normal time. Nothing normal for the Royals or Johnsons right now, so don’t expect people to act normal or rational all the time. Everyone handles this kind of stuff differently. Some people keep it all inside and don’t say a word or ever post online. We haven’t heard too much from Bo’s parents (if anything at all), but that doesn’t mean they aren’t equally as grief stricken and frustrated as Brittany’s parents. Everyone is coping in their own way. STOP JUDGING each other...stop attacking. I think, given the brutal mystery and the sparked emotions of this case on so many, both families have been class acts and deserve support from the community where Brittany was murdered and Bo vanished. The Royal and Johnson families have accessed and used this forum for pretty much the same reason—to express themselves in their own ways according to their own opinions and needs and to seek information…any information. Also, to communicate with locals from a far since they can’t be in Puna. No one has hijacked the dang discussion, hereandthere. Everyone on this topic is here for a reason. Emotions, for some, are very fragile. But we all care about this story…about Brittany and Bo. We all want the truth…the REAL truth, whether or not that truth happens to be what each of us thinks it is or wants it to be.