Pfc. Lynch

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2003 4:22 am

More than one regular here has e-mailed me privately, wondering whether the Jessica Lynch story is being overplayed.
I know it's a "touchy" subject, but, yes, it's being wildly overplayed.
And, call me crass, but there are a lot of questions about the story of her capture.
Of course, the publicity is not her doing. I hope that when she recovers she has the smarts to stay out of the public eye and simply resume her duties.
Another question is whether all the publicity might endanger other U.S. prisoners. I wonder why the Army didn't just rescue her and keep quiet about it.[ April 04, 2003: Message edited by: blanp ]

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2003 4:52 am

Former prisoner of war William Manda volunteers at the Tucson VA hospital. He knows how former POW Jessica Lynch must have felt when the Iraqis captured her. (KGUN9.com)***No, he doesn't.***

dasher · **Joined:** Tue Jan 14, 2003 1:01 am **Posts:** 26

Blanp, What do you mean by 'wildly overplayed'? Clearly it's a page one story.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2003 10:03 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by dasher:
Blanp, What do you mean by 'wildly overplayed'? Clearly it's a page one story.<hr></blockquote>Maybe, but not three days in a row.

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2003 10:08 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Maybe, but not three days in a row.<hr></blockquote>The New York Times notes in its roundup today that this was the first successful rescue of an American POW since WW II. If that's accurate I'm surprised that fact hasn't been played up more.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Apr 03, 2003 10:44 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Todd J. Behme:
The New York Times notes in its roundup today that this was the first successful rescue of an American POW since WW II. If that's accurate I'm surprised that fact hasn't been played up more.<hr></blockquote>Scripps Howard and Knight Ridder, among others, moved stories about it.[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: blanp ]

JonScribe · **Posted:** Fri Apr 04, 2003 6:59 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I hope than when she recovers she has the smarts to stay out of the public eye and simply resume her duties.
[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: blanp ]<hr></blockquote>Are you kidding? Look for her name on the GOP ticket in 2004: "Bush/Lynch!"

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 1:16 am

I've been off the Pfc. Lynch beat for several days now, but this caught my eye:The family has received dozens of offers for book deals and movie contracts since the rescue of Private Lynch, who joined the Army to help pay for college. She hopes to become a kindergarten teacher. (New York Times) ***Why would Pfc. Lynch's family receive such offers? It seems to me that bidders ought to wait and deal with Pfc. Lynch herself. I still hold out hope that she will reject all such overtures.***

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 7:20 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I've been off the Pfc. Lynch beat for several days now, but this caught my eye:The family has received dozens of offers for book deals and movie contracts since the rescue of Private Lynch, who joined the Army to help pay for college. She hopes to become a kindergarten teacher. (New York Times) ***Why would Pfc. Lynch's family receive such offers? It seems to me that bidders ought to wait and deal with Pfc. Lynch herself. I still hold out hope that she will reject all such overtures.***<hr></blockquote>Does the Army have the right to require that she not disclose the details of what happened?

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 12:30 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Todd J. Behme:
Does the Army have the right to require that she not disclose the details of what happened?<hr></blockquote>If there is any such restriction, I haven't heard of it.

gullyj · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 1:39 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
I still hold out hope that she will reject all such overtures.***<hr></blockquote>No she shouldn't. Others participating in this skirmish will no doubt write books and produce movies. There's no reason why she should not profit from her 15 minutes. It would be un-American to do otherwise. It may not be a book or movie that you or I would read or watch but it might be her only chance to get out of Dogpatch.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 3:21 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by canuck:
No she shouldn't. Others participating in this skirmish will no doubt write books and produce movies. There's no reason why she should not profit from her 15 minutes. It would be un-American to do otherwise. It may not be a book or movie that you or I would read or watch but it might be her only chance to get out of Dogpatch.<hr></blockquote>Call me a dreamer. I dream that people have it in them to refuse to exchange their dignity for money.

bobvim · **Posted:** Sun Apr 13, 2003 11:59 pm

***Why would Pfc. Lynch's family receive such offers? It seems to me that bidders ought to wait and deal with Pfc. Lynch herself. I still hold out hope that she will reject all such overtures.***As I understand it, individuals have the right to sell their version of a story through their own eyes. So even if Private Lynch never sold her story, her sorry brother could sell HIS story about her.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2003 4:58 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Bob Helbig:
[b]***Why would Pfc. Lynch's family receive such offers? It seems to me that bidders ought to wait and deal with Pfc. Lynch herself. I still hold out hope that she will reject all such overtures.***As I understand it, individuals have the right to sell their version of a story through their own eyes. So even if Private Lynch never sold her story, her sorry brother could sell HIS story about her.[/b]<hr></blockquote>As Warren Brown, America's best auto writer, says: "America! What a country!"

ToddJBehme · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2003 5:05 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
As Warren Brown, America's best auto writer, says: "America! What a country!"<hr></blockquote>Another question: Does anyone know why Pfc. Lynch wasn't in the same place as the rest of the rescued POWs? Was it because she needed to be hospitalized?

dmfugitive · **Posted:** Tue Apr 15, 2003 9:57 pm

.

I am looking at an AP photo of what appears to be an official-type highway sign placed on the outskirts of Palestine, W.Va. It declares: HOME OF
JESSICA LYNCH
EX-P.O.W. So, when the people of Palestine complain about Lynch's privacy being invaded -- and they will -- I hope they know exactly where to shove it.[ April 16, 2003: Message edited by: blanp ]

gullyj · **Posted:** Wed Apr 16, 2003 12:11 am

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by blanp:
Call me a dreamer. I dream that people have it in them to refuse to exchange their dignity for money.<hr></blockquote>Dear BlanP:
There's a guy who sits on your floor by name of Bob Woodward who wrote a book about George Bush going to war. Now there's someone who threw away his dignity for a couple of dollar bills. And he didn't even have to get his legs broken in the process.
Go Private Jessica Lynch! Get it while you can.

Phillip Blanchard · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2003 4:31 am

Much has been said since we last visited Pfc. Lynch. In a rare moment of musing, I have to wonder why she is being held basically in solitary at the hospital, even taking physical therapy entirely alone. They say she has amnesia, but who knows what "they" know?
The questions raised here and in a few other places when this began remain.
Amid such things as big-money offers from TV networks and book deals, we still have no indication that Pfc. Lynch wants any of it.

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