Amanda Berry, Gina deJesus & Michelle Knight - General discussion #4

[geegeesmom]

Her family did her a massive disservice by saying she was mentally challenged etc. She seems to be a very intelligent young woman, and her message was so uplifting. She looks wonderful too, and came across very confident and positive.

I'm so glad they posted this - she was the one I worried about the most, yet seems to be the strongest out of them all. She is amazing.

Glad to see they are all looking so well and healthy, and have had the privacy and support they needed.

Lets just hope for some more happy endings.

I was just about to say that Michelle looks and sounds wonderful! Thanks for the message ladies! May you continue to heal outside of the public eye. I'm at work crying.

 

[danzn16]

They are all 3 so beautiful. There are going to do well in life.

 

[LietKynes]

Normally I'm not prone to 'tearing up' ; but watching the video of these three young women definitely brought tears to my eyes..... so brave to endure what they went through !!!
I wish them all well and the BEST OF EVERYTHING !!!!

 

[KaaBoom]

I noticed that Michelle didn't have family with her when she read her speech. Her words were the most inspiring and I am happy that she has great support and love now.

I think from what I read, it is a good bet that she will not be having any join appearances with her family members anytime soon.

 

[mysteriew]

So good to see them, and so good to see them smile.

Amanda seems good, healthy and confident. Very well spoken. Michelle was surprising after hearing from her family. She was outspoken, well spoken, upbeat and confident. Exactly the opposite of what her family have said. Gina I am more concerned about. The rumors are that Gina was having the worst time, and this seems to back it up. She relies heavily on her parents. I hope with more time this will get better.

Looks like all three girls were able to have makeovers before the filming.

I am glad they did this like this. No news media got an exclusive, no one made money off of this. And they had total control over the questions and couldn't be put on the spot.

Hopefully this will satisfy those who were sneaking video of the the girls and assist them in get more privacy.

 

[ClaireNC]

I just finally got to view the video, and I have tears in my eyes. What an amazing inspiration these girls are. How strong and courageous, but also grateful and gracious after all they have suffered. I believe they will on to do great things.

 

[oh_gal]

While they all touched my heart and brought me to tears, Michelle did, the most. I don't know why...I guess she just seemed (to me) to be the most vulnerable. I just wanted to hug her.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

Some things just bring me to tears and seeing these girls today was one of them....I am so happy for them! I really have no words just tears of joy.

 

[ckia2013]

So good to see them, and so good to see them smile.

Amanda seems good, healthy and confident. Very well spoken. Michelle was surprising after hearing from her family. She was outspoken, well spoken, upbeat and confident. Exactly the opposite of what her family have said. Gina I am more concerned about. The rumors are that Gina was having the worst time, and this seems to back it up. She relies heavily on her parents. I hope with more time this will get better.

Looks like all three girls were able to have makeovers before the filming.

I am glad they did this like this. No news media got an exclusive, no one made money off of this. And they had total control over the questions and couldn't be put on the spot.

Hopefully this will satisfy those who were sneaking video of the the girls and assist them in get more privacy.

Yes, yes... 100% agreement with you regarding the fact that no one made $ off this, and they had total control over the questions.

Amanda looked like a news reporter Glad she changed out that eyebrow ring.

I agree re: Gina, but given her age when taken, I don't necessarily think it's unhealthy for her to rely heavily on her parents (*right now*). Also, Nancy and Felix have a knack for public speaking, and quite a lot of experience at this point, so I'd let them take the reigns if I were in her shoes, too. Finally, I think anyone talking to a camera, knowing thousands of people are going to be watching, is going to be nervous. I'm hoping the fact that she was 14 years old when taken and spent the last nine years-- in which she should have been going to high school and college-- totally isolated from society contributes to why she wasn't more talkative. Whatever she said after her sole sentence was edited out

On a related note: As many others have said, I think that having each other (and JB) was imperative to their survival. I read somewhere that the girls are not allowed to be in contact with one another before the trial. Does anyone know whether that's true? Or can any lawyers weigh in?

 

[Wondergirl]

Totally bawling. Those girls are so strong. Bless them.

 

[CazzBa]

I loved everything about this video, especially Michelle's message of strength, defiance and hope in the face of such adversity.

They all looked so good too, it's almost difficult to believe that a little more than two months ago, they were all captives being held in deplorable conditions.

In fact the whole thing was just inspiring, I had a great day today in no small part thanks to having seen this.
I won't deny that seeing them all as they are today and looking so good was great, but I also hope that this satisfies the public curiosity about how they're doing for a good long while. At least let's hope that there are no more sneaky paparazzi shots at gas stations turning up in the National Enquirer.

I'm also hoping this case never goes to trial, and definitely not as a death penalty case that could be in the courts for years. I fear that forcing the women to testify about their ordeal will just set back the healing process so much...

 

[CazzBa]

Scott Taylor, a reporter with CBS in Cleveland (WOIO) (whose Twitter account has been a great source of information on this case), gave an interesting interview with a New Zealand radio station earlier today about why the women decided to make the video.

http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Kidnappe...n-cell/tabid/506/articleID/36632/Default.aspx

It's obviously a NZ website, so folks in other parts of the world might find the streaming of this to be slowwww...Well, at least it was for me, but then my connection to the interwebs is not the best.

 

[katydid23]

I am so inspired by all three of them. What a testament to Human Spirit. I know it must be tough and they have a long road ahead, but it is nice to see that they have a handle on this nightmare, considering how torturous and horrid their pare decade has been. :star:

 

[jjenny]

Gina was only 14 when kidnapped. So it's not surprising she depend on her parents. She never got to take the steps to independence other young people are able to take.

 

[CazzBa]

I remember reading somewhere that Gina had great difficulty with reading, and was in a middle-school spec. education class at the time time she was abducted.
Of course that problem wouldn't have improved any during her captivity.

I wonder if maybe Gina didn't say much during the video just because she wasn't able to or wasn't comfortable with reading a prepared speech like Amanda and Michelle were.

 

[JerseyGirl]

I remember reading somewhere that Gina had great difficulty with reading, and was in a middle-school spec. education class at the time time she was abducted.
Of course that problem wouldn't have improved any during her captivity.

I wonder if maybe Gina didn't say much during the video just because she wasn't able to or wasn't comfortable with reading a prepared speech like Amanda and Michelle were.

Gina was a special education student at Wilbur Wright Middle School. She was 14 at the time of her abduction.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/4...t-who-were-the-3-women-kidnapped-for-10-years

 

[JerseyGirl]

Amanda Berry in the video:
"I want to thank everyone who has helped my family through this entire ordeal," said Amanda Berry. "It has been a blessing to have such an outpouring of love and kindness." Berry said she wanted "everyone to know how happy I am" in a video statement from the three women posted online on Tuesday. "I'm getting stronger today, and having my privacy has helped immensely," she said. "I ask that everyone continues to respect our privacy and give us time to have a normal life."

Michele Knight in the video:
said, "I will not let this situation define who I am. I will define the situation", that despite her ordeal she did not want to be "consumed by hatred" and would instead devote herself to helping "others who have been in the same situations I have been in". "I am in control of my own destiny, with the guidance of God," she said. "I have no problem expressing how I feel inside. Be positive. Learn that it's more important to give than to receive. "Thank you for all your prayers. I'm looking forward to my brand new life."

Gina DeJesus in the video:
DeJesus said: "Thank you for the support." Her father, Felix, thanked his family for their "passion and faith and strength" and expressed his gratitude to the public for donating more than $1 million to a "courage fund" for the women. Her mother, Nancy Ruiz, offered advice for other people with a missing relative. "Count on your neighbours," she said. "Don't be afraid to ask for their help."

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/1859161/report-ohio-kidnap-victims-tell-of-their-ordeal

 

[danzn16]

Michelle is a little fire ball and I love it. Maybe that's why we've heard so much about how cruel the monster was to her in particular. Maybe she wouldn't do what he wanted and he tried to beat the defiance out of her. Looks like it didn't work! :gogirl:

(Not saying the other girls did anything wrong in the way they acted. They all survived, they are all truly remarkable and did exactly what was right. I'm jus remarking on Michelle right now.)


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[mysteriew]

Yes, yes... 100% agreement with you regarding the fact that no one made $ off this, and they had total control over the questions.

Amanda looked like a news reporter Glad she changed out that eyebrow ring.

I agree re: Gina, but given her age when taken, I don't necessarily think it's unhealthy for her to rely heavily on her parents (*right now*). Also, Nancy and Felix have a knack for public speaking, and quite a lot of experience at this point, so I'd let them take the reigns if I were in her shoes, too. Finally, I think anyone talking to a camera, knowing thousands of people are going to be watching, is going to be nervous. I'm hoping the fact that she was 14 years old when taken and spent the last nine years-- in which she should have been going to high school and college-- totally isolated from society contributes to why she wasn't more talkative. Whatever she said after her sole sentence was edited out

On a related note: As many others have said, I think that having each other (and JB) was imperative to their survival. I read somewhere that the girls are not allowed to be in contact with one another before the trial. Does anyone know whether that's true? Or can any lawyers weigh in?

BBM

I've read that too. And while I can't say I know it to be true, I would guess it was true. It has to do with them being witnesses. When they go to court, they will be the only witnesses to a lot of it. Being together at this time would give the defense more of an opening to say that they conspired together to get him in trouble. That they made it all up and continued to coach each other after they got out.

I hate that it has to be this way. These girls have been each others support for almost 10 years. They went through a lot together. And for them, they are still going through a lot in readjusting. I hate that they cannot continue to use each other for support if they wish to. But it might be healthier for them to not be real close to each other too. While one may falter, currently she will have to learn other ways to cope and other people to depend on. And she won't be able to drag the others down when they are doing good.

 

[nikb]

This week's People (out today I believe, but dated July 22) has a feature story on Gina, Amanda, and Michelle. They're on the cover. In case anyone's interested. I literally just picked it up so I haven't read the story yet, but it was cool to see their new pictures again. I'm really struck by how huge all of their smiles are. So beautiful to see.