Wha, wha, wha, WHAT?
A cranky opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY
The following is the opinion of a
cranky old man with little knowledge on the subject opined. Opposing opinions are welcome, but they are wrong. As always, please, no name
calling, and that means you, you big stupid-head!
Have you
ever read a news story and suddenly said to yourself “What the hell!” Something
just doesn’t make sense, and yet the news article glosses over it like it is
not the least bit unusual. I just saw
this article:
Joshua
Boyle, held captive by Taliban-linked group for years, arrested in Canada
This person
has been arrested for sexual assault. A
serious charge, but what got my attention was the story of his captivity by the
Taliban. I did not remember hearing of
this case before.
It seems
that the Canadian Mr. Boyle, his American wife and their three children were abducted
in 2012 and held captive by the Taliban for five years.
Interesting
and horrifying to think about.
What were
they doing to be abducted by the Taliban?
Well the news article rather simply says,
“Boyle, his wife and three children* were held
for five years after being abducted during a backpacking trip in Afghanistan in
October 2012."
I’ll pause
for a moment for that to settle in.
Hmmm hmmm, la de da, la
de da. Dum de dum de dum…
Bother
anyone yet?
A man, his
wife and THREE CHILDREN decided to
take a backpacking trip in AFGANISTAN!! THREE CHILDREN…AFGANISTAN…BACKPACK? And,
did I mention his wife was SEVEN MONTHS
PREGNANT?
A picture of
the man shows him sporting a strap on beard and the “crazy eyes” that are so
familiar in your everyday mass murderer…I’m just sayin.
That is all
the article said about this, as if this abduction could happen to anyone.
I asked Mrs.
C,
“What would you like to do for vacation
this year? I was thinking about camping.”
“Sure, I love camping…where?
“I was thinking that Afghanistan
would be lovely this time of year, we could take all the kids and backpack
through the mountains.”
“Sure, that sounds nice, but maybe we
should wait UNTIL
I’M SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT!!!”
You probably
think that conversation never happened.
You’re right.
That
conversation has never happened ever to anyone in any context whatsoever, and
yet the news article glosses over this part of the story like this family was
going on a picnic.
I wonder
what the real story is. Was he taking
his family to join the Taliban? Was he a spy, was he just the craziest mother
flocker in the world?
The media
does not seem to care, they are satisfied that this nice Canadian man, his pregnant
wife and three children were on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan.
Sometimes the
curiosity of news reporters is simply underwhelming.
The preceding was the opinion of a
cranky old man, and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.
*Research finds I may have read this wrong, the wife was pregnant, but the children
were born during captivity. (Also, somewhat curious.)
We could just speculate and sell it as news.
ReplyDeleteI heard about this family and I thought it was a shady story as well. Too many missing pieces to this crazy puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThey came back not that long ago, so I remember the story, and yes, it made no sense whatsoever. When I heard he'd been arrested, I was not surprised at all. Completely shady!
ReplyDeleteThere was another case a few years ago where three college kids were backbacking in Iraq and acccidentally went over the border into Iran... or Syria, I don't remember.
ReplyDeleteThat's rough.
I might be a boring guy, but I've avoided ever ending up in a Middle Eastern prison by not going wandering around the Middle East.
Works for North Korea, too.
Weird, and even weirder that the media, which cannot let a potato chip fall to the ground without launching an investigation as to what brand, who was eating it, why, and where it fell, would pass over such a thing. For some reason, i smell several rats, and the nuts hiking in Afghanistan are only two of them.
ReplyDeleteIf the media is talking about something I'm not listening. They quit doing news a long, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day, Joe. ☺
There has been some indication that they were religious zealots out to convert the natives. And don't worry, a lot of Canadians said "HUH?" as well.
ReplyDeleteI never trust anyone where the bottom whites of their eyes show. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteLisa
I read about this a while ago and had the same reaction as you express here. There is that book, Three Cups of Tea, about a guy who built schools in Afghanistan. Somehow I did not get the sense that this guy who was dragging his family on a hiking trip really had rational humanitarian intent, but we don't know. WHAT?? Exactly.
ReplyDeleteI had seen this story a couple years back, then again a bit ago when they were 'released'. The children were actually all born while they were captive, but beyond that. Hiking in Afghanistan? 2012? Really? There is no mention in any of the stories of what mental issues they both must have had to cause them to 1) Be there at that time 2) Go off hiking. I mean, just those 2 things should have been enough to institutionalize both of them on their return until it could be determined whether they were competent to live 'in the wild'. Ya know?
ReplyDeleteYes, as I mention in my * I misread the kids part, they were born in captivity. That also seems strange to me, what captives have children as prisoners? The Taliban allowed them to cohabit, she carried three children to term and delivered while captive? They must have been treated pretty well. I have read that the ability to reproduce often shuts down for women under stress. TO conceive and deliver three healthy children while captive to the Taliban is clearly possible, but is a bit of a head scratchier...something is strange here.
Delete"I have read that the ability to reproduce often shuts down for women under stress." - Banish that thought from your mind, it's a misnomer that is mis-used and proven false with the exception of very extreme physical deprivation (i.e. starvation, constant torture, and the like) and it is not a 'happens every time' or even 'most times' sorta thing. However, it is obvious by their condition when recovered that they were at least minimally taken care of near the end, if not the whole time.
DeleteI heard about this and thought him taking a pregnant wife into hostile territory in the first place was stupid. They were kept together in captivity. I heard her say she had been raped by her captors in front of her children. I believe they killed one of her babies. It is a dreadful story all round.
ReplyDeleteToo weird for my taste!!
ReplyDeleteI remember the story and couldn't believe the weird details. I have no desire to travel overseas. I break into a sweat going through Indiana.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are many conspiracy theories that could suggest many different answers as to the reason these folks were there. One thing's for certain, though. He's committing a crime against facial hair fashion with that beard!
ReplyDeleteJoe we read here lot about the efforts of some main countries who strongly wanted to get hold of this world .
ReplyDeletethey are trying to mold everything in their own benefits at any cost.
to do this they have made some policies and increasing hate for certain nations or religions is part of it ,the more such shit will be display the hatters the certain people get from the other nations ,and this is not recent this is a constant organized process going on even before 9/11
no body heard about taliban before this .
they are have no religion they have just lnks and purposes to achieve the goals about some master minds that's all
I remember the story (last fall?) when they were released and returned to Pennsylvania, I think, where the wife is from. Agree, it made me scratch my head, too.
ReplyDeleteMy brother went on vacation in Iran last year and had a great time. He said the people there are mostly modern, forward-thinking people - at least the ones he encountered. But even my brother would not go hiking in Afghanistan...