What exactly are they supposed to achieve? Do people just want to feel that they are ‘doing something’? Sometimes in life, circumstances arise in which there is very little we can do to help. Perhaps we would be better off acknowledging that. The yellow ribbons seem more than anything else to be ministering to the emotional needs of the wearer, that is, the need to feel useful in such a desperate case.
A different case if payment were actually being made for the ribbons, with the sums collected being added to a fund to find Madeleine. Now that would be a useful contribution.
May 18th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
The purpose of yellow ribbons is primarily to help keep awareness high in the public conciousness. If this also helps the wearer feel useful then that’s fine, because they *are* being useful.
May 18th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Yes, Dan. But what practical help is the ribbon?
The abductor is hardly likely to see a yellow ribbon tied to a tree and think ‘that’s it, I must return her!’
Stranger things have happened, though.
If anyone wants to be useful, print and download the poster or give money, or keep an eye out when you are out and about, in case you see her. Those are useful things one can do.
May 18th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I remember being inside when Dawn sang the song Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree, as I recall it was about a prisoner getting released.
Its just like the flowers sellers who profit from people’s expression of grief.
This whole case leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It’s turned into a circus.
I know that this is not a popular view, but I have not accepted the McCanns version of events. No sign of break in. Only a half hour window of opportunity. The so-called suspect I believe is a red herring.
I believe that the police investigation should centre around Gerry and Kate McCann.
May 18th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Hi JHL, as I understand it, they were dining with friends when she went missing. That kinda rules them out of any involvement.
May 18th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I actually agree with you, Bel.
I can’t stand these morbid media frenzies around these sorts of events. I dislike reading about them and I really do not want to know the details.
What also annoys me is that these investigations increasingly seem to include a few people getting randomly arrested along the way just for being wierd and living nearby. This I suppose gets the media off the back of the Old Bill whilst they flounder aimlessly through investifations leading nowhere, but it’s symptomatic of a ghoulish media and a public which ties itself in knots about tragedies that shouldn’t be exploited this way.
It is the Reality TV culture
May 18th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Hi Bel: Yes, they were dining out. And this is my point, it was establishing an alibi. We only have Gerry McCann’s word that Madeliene was there at 9.30, but common knowledge that she wasn’t at 10pm. I have yet to see any corroborating evidence when Madeliene was actually last seen by anyone other than the McCanns. There was no evidence of any break in, only the McCanns word which the hotel states is not the case.
If the whole thing appeared to be genuine I would be as horrified as the next person. The business side of things appears to be highly organised, by that I mean the “fighting fund” which people are requested to donate money to.
May 19th, 2007 at 7:54 am
The whole thing is distasteful. Those who have neither information to offer nor a practical contribution to make should just shut up.
All this public emoting is as fake as Blair’s Diana lip-tremor. Rational police work was always the only hope of catching the abductor(s). Press demands for constant briefings have been a pointless distraction. As has the wicked opportunism of British politicians despatching officers of the State to strike sympathetic poses.
I imagine the Portuguese are now heartily sick of British chavdom’s media attack dogs. I certainly am.
May 20th, 2007 at 11:09 am
If the McCann had been your average Mr and Mrs Blog, the media would have made mince meat of them for leaving the children alone. Also if this had happened in the UK they would have been charged………well, maybe,… cause of their profession the charges would not have been made…….probably!
My thoughts are with Maddie.
May 20th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I think everyone should stop judging them until this little girl is found safe and alive! I dont think they did anything wrong but people are judging them so this is making them feel worser than they already do, everyone just leave them alone until little maddie is found alive x
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:19 pm
where exactly do you get these yellow ribbons??
May 22nd, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Jennie, I think you just buy them wherever you can find them. I don’t think there are any special ribbons. Any yellow ribbon will do, it seems.
May 25th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
A little girl has gone missing! Sceptical views will always be made, however they do not change the fact that a little girl is not with her mummy and daddy; she is out there some where goodness knows how she is feeling. What ever peoples personal thoughts are on the circumstances of this little girls disappearance you should all be helping to find her by doing whatever you can to help in the finding of Maddie;
1) Wearing a yellow ribbon to remind people to look out for Maddie.
2) Printing a Find Maddie poster, again to maintain the awareness of this missing child.
3) Donating to the fund set up to help aid the search for Maddie.
A little girl near to where I live sold some of her toys and cakes in order to raise money for Maddie’s Fund. If she do something to help so can we!!
May 25th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Michelle i totally agree with you. i have worn a yellow ribbon since the day they sent the yellow ribbons off. its my way of helping find lil maddie. god bless her xx
May 26th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Its all very wierd, poor Maddy posing in all those photo’s like a model. Why isnt the father showing emotion? He always looks so smug.
A lot of people are feeling very edgy about it all, especially him. If some of us are feeling edgy, then the police must be also.
My biggest *wierd* feeling is, would you leave your remaining 2 children in a nursery while you went to talk to police, reporters and such like, or would you pay a freind/relative to look after them out of some of that money? i know for certain if it had been my son disappeared, I wouldnt want to leave my younger son for a second.
I hope this little girl is found really really soon, then this whole circus will be over, for Maddy at least. (Dont forget all the other missing children)
May 30th, 2007 at 1:03 am
i think something isn’t quite right with this case, but at the end of the day a child is missing and we have to concentrate on that. i hope she is returned soon, but as well as maddiw how many other children are missing in this world and nothing is done, with all the technowlede now adays, why can’t thy put it to good use, and find madeline and other missing children, the parents where wrong to leave madeline but they will have to live with that.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:05 am
madeline is missing and we all feel for the child, its the not knowing that hurts us, but lets not forget how many other children are missing, where is there voice. Madeline parents will be going through hell, they know they did wrong, but all our attention should be on finding her.
May 31st, 2007 at 11:17 am
a agree with katie and Michelle, ihave worn a yeloew ribbon since they had came out.and all i can ssay now is plz plz we need to find her
June 2nd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I think in the long run we can all say that we know how Maddie’s parents and relatives are feeling, but how can we until we have been through it ourselves. We have all helped so much already but lets not stop there. Maddie is still out there somewhere and we need to find the horrid person(s) that could take such a sweet, helpless little child. I have not seen any Yellow ribbons so unfortunately i can not wear one.
I think that everyone should quite rightly have their own opinion on the disappearance of Maddie but there is a time and place to voice that opinion and sometimes it just isn’t good to voice it at all looking at some of the above comments. Just hope we can all keep our fingers crossed and our thoughts with Maddie until she is safe and sound with her family.
God Bless!!!
June 5th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I just want to say that i think the person that took Madeleine was a terrible person, but (sorry if this has been said before or causes any upset) i no its hard to deal with children and parents do want to get away for a bit, but the realy the parents shouldnt have left 2 small twins and a 3 year old girl alone, yer they were close by but it was a family holliday so realy they should have taken them with them because this world isnt a good world, anything could happen and in this case the worst did.
June 7th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
please if u no wer mad is tell the police!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
i have kept my fingers crossed for the safe return of the little 4yr old. i have 2 young neices and i dont know what i would do if they went missing.. i dont think anybody can understand what the parents are going through..
please let the little girl have a safe return home to her younger brother and sister who are missing her like crazy.. also her parents…
ill keep my fingers crossed and support the campain by wearing a yellow ribbon..
good luck in finding maddie xxxxx
June 28th, 2007 at 9:55 am
hello again FIND MADDIE FIND HER ALL THE PIDIFLE NEED SHOTT LOVE BETH XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
September 13th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
i dont get why theyre using ‘yellow’ ribbons….whats the purpose of that color??