I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the Gengel's on CNN...

[LeftyFingerPop]

imploring President Obama to go and find their daughter.

I feel for them...but it is a matter of resources and time.

There are 300,000 orphans in Haiti.

There may be 200,000 dead people over there, predominantly Haitians.

[Electric Monk]

1. and in all likelyhood, anyone still trapped in the rubble is probably dead already

Sad but true.

[TornadoTN]

2. That was a painful interview for a variety of reasons

I don't think the Ambassador was informed that he was going to be confronted with them and I'm unsure how I feel about that in such a public setting.

The parents were in pain and in shock, and I honestly feel like I would be much the same were I to be in their situation. However, if Search & Rescue believe that there are no more living in the building, they need to be retasked to areas where they can be used to save someone who can be saved.

I really feel like Wolf was eating it up from a ratings standpoint and that really pisses me off. They even went so far as to show the parents before and after photos of the hotel to get a reaction.

[LeftyFingerPop]

3. Yes....I agree with you.

It is hard for me to express myself here...

The magnitude of this disaster far outweighs an individual American's plea.

[TornadoTN]

4. I'm really having a hard time trying to reason through this

I don't think anything was gained by having them on, but I can't be harsh on them because they really are suffering and are trying to do what they can do to get some news about their daughter.

CNN gave them the platform to speak but it seems they really did it just for a fresh, new story. Their daughter is most likely among the dead and when they do find her, this family may blame it on the government response, which they already seem to be doing. Wolf Blitzer is a sorry sack of shit - he's eating this shit up.

Just a horrible situation. I can't put it into words.

[Garbo 2004]

7. CNN's been giving the family airtime for days. CNN also knows there have been S&R teams at the hotel

for days, pulling out survivors when they can find them.

[FarCenter]

5. It would be immoral to allocate search and rescue resources on a basis other than saving most lives

[Garbo 2004]

6. Search and rescue teams have been working at Montana hotel for days &

pulling survivors out, when they can find them.

In previous interviews I've seen they made it sound as if there were no rescue efforts there, which simply isn't so. Not just US S&R but also international teams have been working there.

[Loge23]

8. The pain of the loss of a daughter

This man is in denial. His daughter was last seen inside the hotel along with the two faculty members and three other students. The families were mistakenly told that everyone was safe in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe.
Still, at this point, the media is feeding off this man's anguish for sensationalism. In So. FL, where I live, the local news media seen to have gotten the message and we are not seeing Mr. Gengel nearly as much as before.
Someone has to gently explain to this man that there are several search teams at the hotel site. A week after and they are still unable to reach any signs of victims or survivors there. President Obama and/or the government cannot do any more than they already are to save this man's daughter.
Perhaps the only thing keeping this man from totally falling apart at this point is this spectacle. The media has to end it.
Mr. Gengel will someday realize that his daughter was there on her choice to help Haiti and that her life - however precious - is one of the hundreds of thousands who left brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers.
May they rest in peace.

[TornadoTN]

9. Well said. Mr. Gengel seems to think that no S&R teams are there anymore

And he's screaming for the President to send in the military since he thinks all of the S&R has left. The Ambassador said he would see if he could send anyone else to the Hotel, but noted that he actually lived near the hotel so he knows the situation on the ground. You could almost hear it come through his voice that he knew that everything that could be done, has been or is being done.

As you said, the media is continually playing this, knowing full well that S&R teams are there and have been there all along. I think that's the biggest travesty of this ordeal - willfully playing on this mans emotions for his daughter just to grab some ratings.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Well the Montana search was I think called off

for solid reasons... no more hits from the dogs.

I hate to be the man on the ground making the decision. But somebody has.

And I feel for him as a father, but this is pure and sheer exploitation from CNN. I am sure glad I changed to KO... which has scaled the coverage way down and has covered another recovery, truly against all odds

They had a bank being cleared, the woman was still alive, LAFD came by and did the rescue. She went home. Well whatever passes for home. I was going WOOT... I know the hard work that goes into each save.

[TornadoTN]

11. I saw last night where they were drilling holes into the rubble

They were drilling holes into the rubble and letting the dogs sniff the holes to see if they could find a scent. They really were trying anything that they could to find any sign of life. The fact that CNN continues to feed off of this family and giving them false hopes is just ridiculous and the worst kind of exploitation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I know, I respect Sanjay more

especially after that "stunt" he pulled when he staid behind with patients.

but airing Honore essentially lying and exploiting this family...

Let me clarify that stunt was heroic

[flamingdem]

18. ouch! Is this true that they called it off w 100 inside? nt

[TornadoTN]

19. I haven't seen anything definitive, but the last reports I heard this was coming

They have been drilling in the debris for several days trying to get a scent for the dogs to alert on. The last report I heard was that hope was fading fast due to the destruction and the likelihood of survivors and they were going to be forced to re-task the search teams to other areas.

A sad situation to be sure, but if other lives can be saved, then they made the right call.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[flamingdem]

14. On one hand it is cyncial CNN angling for ratings, on the other hand it is US a human interest

story, and we are going to be helping Haiti so to tie in the tragedy to the USA directly, through this family, is to help tie the nations together.

And let's be realistic, if you were in a foreign country wouldn't you expect to be prioritized by your own government?

[TornadoTN]

16. Indeed. But the issue seems to be CNN continually presenting only half the story

They bring this family on, clearly in anguish and completely overwhelmed, and present the story as if no one is at the hotel looking for survivors. They did this again tonight with the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti on the line and the parents on satellite link.

[flamingdem]

17. I see what you're saying, of course there are teams there

but the Ambassador did not get a heads up so he could double check the info.

Still, he did seem a bit misinformed seeing as he lives nearby.

[malaise]

15. Rec

because I shared the same view this morning. I feel their pain but there's an awful lot of pain here.

[karynnj]

20. While I think CNN is exploiting his pain,

I can see it as completely natural for a parent to do that. It is intensely painful to hear. For me, one thing that makes it very easy to identify with him is that my middle daughter, who attended a Jesuit college, went to Jamaica on an immersion program that helped a poor community one school break and in spring 2008 she studied abroad in Sri Lanka. Had anything happened while she was in Sri Lanka, I could easily see my husband and I calling our Senators and those from the state she went to school in or speaking to the media.

I have seen comments elsewhere that there are other people criticizing this, but I seriously doubt that any parent would not want priority given to the US rescuing their child. To the parents, I would bet that she is their world at this point in time. Now, the US State Department and the military will do what they think is best for the US and the Haiti, but at this time when this family has likely lost very suddenly their intelligent, beautiful daughter, who cared enough about others to sign up for that program, it is heartless to find fault in what they are doing. It may be very important to them long term to know they did everything they could to aid her.

[TeeYiYi]

21. They were on the Today Show this morning too...

The thing is, Florida's Lynn University hired two separate private security firms to search for these students. One or both firms have been in Haiti, actively searching since at least Wednesday. I'm pretty sure the search has not ended yet and at least one if not both of the two private rescue groups is still there searching. I don't know what more Obama could do than is already being done to find these kids.

I think it is horribly sad for anyone missing a loved one in this tragedy, but I do feel that the media is exploiting this family for ratings and it needs to stop. The father absolutely lost it this morning on the Today Show. He completely fell apart. I thought it was disturbing to watch and Meredith Viera looked extremely uncomfortable...

I hope the media will leave them alone so that they can begin to come to terms with their situation privately and with dignity.

TYY

Link to private security firms: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/751783--private-security-firms-sent-to-haiti-to-hunt-for-missing-clients

[fishnfla]

22. CNN just reported "rumours" of survivors in their hotel

Montana Hotel

[Swede]

23. There are also 200 French nationals missing from that hotel

I think we all know where they are.

[Stinky The Clown]

24. I think they're people with a second agenda

The father has been yelling at Obama like a teabagger might. I get the impression he is genuinely hurting at the loss of his daughter, but that he's also acting out so as to use well his 15 minutes.

[TeeYiYi]

25. Ayeyiiii... They're at it again this morning...

...Demanding 1000 troops. Yelling at Obama. Hard to watch.

There are rescuers working at that hotel... Firefighters from California in addition to other rescuers.

Not to mention the private security firms hired by the University.

I feel sorry for these people, but 1000 troops?... I dunno. :shrug:

TYY

[TornadoTN]

26. The media has been horrible in this

They continually let them vent - which is fine - but no one ever bothers to tell them about the efforts at the hotel.

Again, I know I'd be screaming for help if I were in the same situation, but their situation is only exacerbated by the media and the circus they are trying to create which simply doesn't exist.

[TeeYiYi]

27. I'm glad I don't have cable...

... I've only seen them on the Today Show. I thought yesterday was bad. Today was worse.

Yesterday, Meredith Viera looked so uncomfortable. Today, they had Ann Curry do the interview. She kept telling them over and over that there are rescuers still there, but they don't want to HEAR anything.

I agree with you,... the media is to blame for this ratings disaster porn circus.

TYY

[TornadoTN]

28. At least Curry actually told them something

That's the first time I've heard a news anchor actually tell them that rescue teams were there.

Someone needs to intervene with the parents and explain what's going on and why just sending 1000 troops isn't going to help anything - in fact, it would most likely hurt things since the ruins are so delicate and you can't just go in and start pulling stuff around at random.

I feel really bad for them, but someone or something is keeping them going this way and it just doesn't seem right or healthy.