Snakes and Rats and Spiders, Oh My!
Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 2:31PM Dr. Eddie DelValle is a humble man. He is the CEO and president of TBC Productions, which focuses on natural healing. He also runs With Love Ministries, a traveling Christian community service organization. Late Saturday afternoon, he was cleaning up the grounds on Suburban Drive, where Caylee Anthony’s remains were found on December 11, 2008. He does this at the request of the Chickasaw Oaks neighborhood, where George and Cindy reside, and for Bring Kids Home, the public charity that aspires to build a memorial on the Suburban site. While you may not recognize Eddie, he organized the Peace Walk for Caylee just hours after her mother was released from jail on July 17 of this year. He also put together the Suburban Drive balloon release, which I did attend, on August 5, Caylee’s 6th birthday. When Michelle Parker went missing, he was in charge of the candlelight vigil held for her on November 20. She disappeared 3-days earlier, on the 17th.
Since I began writing about the Caylee Anthony case, way back in 2008, I have been as pragmatic as possible. I can’t tell you how many times I said that a memorial for her on the site where she was found was not only impractical, it was downright dangerous. I still believe that, but after seeing what Bring Kids Home wants to do, I have softened a bit. While I still believe a memorial would be better served elsewhere, I do admire the plans put forth by the charity. However, one of my main arguments remains the same - that Caylee did not die there, and a memorial would only serve to remind us that she was tossed out like a bag of trash. Literally.
Speaking of Trash
While the Bring Kids Home plan still remains a dream, reality brings me back to the same message I preached when countless people wanted it to be a permanent shrine. There’s a school at the east end of Suburban Drive. Children walk by it during the school year. Granted, the sidewalk is across the street, but leaving countless stuffed animals is very enticing to children. They act as magnets. The ground drops down several feet, and it’s sometimes flooded. In the world we live in today, you could say it’s not user friendly.
I was there Saturday afternoon, watching Eddie clean up. All of the stuffed animals, save one, were tossed into garbage bags. He takes them home and slowly has them, piece-by-piece, hauled away with his household trash. There’s just too much to take at one time. I told him I had a problem with the type of memorial that’s there now because it invites rats, snakes, and other types of vermin that could harm school-age children and unsuspecting visitors who just stop by to pay their respects. Eddie’s wife was sitting in the van, but she told me she had seen a huge spider earlier. Eddie made a good-sized fist and said it was all of that, if not bigger. We all agreed that it’s not the kind of environment conducive for a memorial. Not in its present form, anyway. The new memorial plan is to elevate the land and keep it clean. I’ve seen architectural renderings and they look magnificent, but now, it’s just a repository for filthy stuffed animals and one more very important thing… MOLD. Yes, bags and bags of moldy stuffed animals are thrown away each time Eddie makes the rounds. Mold and mildew is not good for the lungs. It is unhealthy and his message was clear - if you want to bring something in honor of Caylee, bring flowers. Almost every stuffed animal is thrown away, so your money is going to waste. Some of the animals were large, too, probably costing $50 or more, only to be hauled away to spend the their remaining days in a landfill. What a nice reminder.
Why not donate the money spent to a good charity instead? Why not donate money to Bring kids Home if you want the location to be a permanent marker for Caylee? Like I said, only one was good enough to save. Eddie told me that the good ones go to homeless or domestic violence shelters. Why don’t visitors do just that? Stop by and pay your respects; then give. Help others instead of the vermin. I noticed that some of those stuffed animals were ripped into, and stuffing was coming out. What a perfect for rats to collect bedding! Better yet, Eddie said, what a great place to make a bed. How inviting.
Let the pictures tell the story…
CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Eddie said he watched a hawk follow me as I drove up, and as I was walking around taking pictures, he tried to point it out to me. He seemed somewhat amazed because the hawk kept it’s eyes on me. “He keeps watching you,” he said. I was rather unfazed, but it was an interesting part of my visit to Suburban Drive. I told him it was the same lightpole OCSO used for measuring where Caylee’s skull rested. It was a fixed point. I distinctly remember those coordinates. 89’ east of the lightpole, 19’8” due south. It’s the 6th photo down in this series - the one with the light brown teddy bear at its base. When I took the pictures of the hawk, his (or her) stare shifted away from me, but he knew I was there. It’s almost as if he proudly posed for my camera. In the bottom image, he seems to be keeping a watchful eye over that sad and lonely place in the woods.
Dave Knechel | tagged Bring Kids Home, Eddie DelValle, TBC Productions, With Love Ministries | in Casey Anthony, Caylee Anthony, Caylee Anthony Memorial, Cindy Anthony, Dave Knechel, David B. Knechel, David Knechel, George Anthony, Hidden Oaks Elementary School, Marinade Dave, Marinade Dave Knechel, Marinade Dave’s Caylee Anthony Posts, Michelle Parker, Suburban Drive, marinadedave | Share Article 
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Reader Comments (28)
Such a sad place. Dave great to hear that you are feeling better. Hope you & your parents have a Merry Xmas!
I doubt if many people really know how sad looking it is in there, southernlace. It was more depressing this time than any other time I've been there, aside from the beginning. After this trip, it will be a long, long time before I return, if ever. It's a lonely place.
Thank you for your kind words. I wish you a wonderful Christmas, too! It's nice to know my medical tests are over for now. By the way, it sure is great to see you.
What a touching sight and your pictures have such clarity. I think people feel like they want to get as close to Caylee Marie as possible, that is why they go there where her little body lay. It reminds me of when I go and take a flower to a gravesite of members of my family, knowing they did not die there but it is the last place on earth the remnants of a life lay and we try to reach out Spiritually to tell them how much we still remember and love them. However, I do agree about the money spent and toys and gifts being put out in the location in which they are made use of as nests by varmints and molds which are harmful to children. I am not in the area but just from your story and your pictures I know how much more helpful your suggestion would be to other children if our acts are given to those organizations who go on to help others. Thank you for writing this post Dave. It is needed, not only for Caylee Marie but even for folks like me who get carried away with our need to feel good about what we do without realizing we can do it all a better way. I do like the marker with her name on it there.
Thank you, New Puppy. I know what you mean by visiting the site where a person's remains rest, but in Caylee's case, they aren't resting there. I guess it's also because George and Cindy hold her cremains and there is no other place to go besides there. I'm not 100% opposed to a memorial there, but it's just not safe at the present time. It never really was, but it's probably necessary. In any event, all of those stuffed animals would do a world of good if they were given to needy children. Caylee needs nothing, but lots of kids do. I think it's just nice to go and pay respects. Say a prayer, bring flowers, but stuffed toys do more harm than good. As for that cross, yes, someone put a lot of work into it, and it does absolutely no harm. No matter what happens, it will forever be a shrine of some kind. I see no real problem with that, unless she is one day laid to rest. If George and Cindy would be willing to give us the location. I think they like her close at heart, there at home.
Sweet, and very generous of the people that want to give. Their hearts are in the right place for sure. However, if they could only see what the weather does to these adorable stuffed animals, they would change their minds. I would NOT donate a penny to any charity that the Anthonys are involved in. They have more than enough blood money imo!
Why doesn't Geo. (and Cindy!) get out there and CLEAN this place up?? Or is it still SHOW ME THE MONEY!
That was the point of this article, Mary B., to show everyone how their gifts are going to waste. As for George and Cindy cleaning the place up, it's not their job. The property owner is responsible for maintaining it. God forbid Cindy gets bitten by a snake. There goes another lawsuit!
Even on highways they have memorials. I always say what a waste the stuffed animals can be? And always wondered who cleaned it up?
Dave, take care for the holidays. And a big thank you for you have done for me!!!
Thanks,
Love and Merry Christmas,
Annie
Florida passed a law several years ago. Personal memorials are not allowed, but the law isn't all that enforced. Relatives of the deceased can petition the state to place a sanctioned memorial on the site. It is simple, but it is respectful. I can understand placing something where the death occurred, but in Caylee's case, she didn't die in those woods. I guess, for lack of anywhere else, those woods became the de facto memorial. OK, fine, but spending all that money on something that does absolutely no good? I'm sorry, but I'm against it. Give those gifts to the living, where they will do lots of good by bringing happiness to children, while keeping Suburban Drive safe for school children to walk by.
Thank you, Annie. I'm glad I was able to help explain things over time. Love and Merry Christmas to you, too!
If Caylee could reach out to us, is this what she would want? Those stuffed toys are not only breeding mold but they are polluting the natural habitat for the wildlife that call those woods home. Yes, even snakes and spiders are beneficial to our ecology. Read on.....
Airborne mold spores can destroy your health. Many people are unaware that they are breathing mold spores until they are very sick. If you are lucky and have a minor allergic reaction to the mold, once you leave the affected area you will recover. But, if you have been exposed to the dangerous stachybotris spores you can have chronic bronchitis, learning disabilities, mental deficiencies, heart problems bleeding lungs and more. Here is what you need to know about mold in your homes, schools, and places of work.
25 million Americans suffer from allergic reactions to molds, most of them don't even realize that when they're sneezing and sniffling the cause could be molds. Many molds produce airborne toxins that can cause serious breathing difficulties, memory and hearing loss, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and bleeding in the lungs. Common ailments from mold---including allergies, asthma and bruising---usually can be treated and reduced after people leave their contaminated environment. But other health problems may remain permanently, such as brain damage and weakened immune systems
Source
Dave~~I had to get the above off my chest. I believe in paying respects but we also have to be realistic. I cannot believe how devastating it looks like out at Suburban. Thank you for enlightening us and believe me, it was hard to look at some of those pics. Two of them look a bit eerie as they appear to be real animals in a decomposing state rather than stuffed animals. I know you checked them out and they are stuffed toys.
Caylee did not interact with many other children her age but had she been given that opportunity, I am sure she would have shared her toys. This is why I think that people who wish to memoralize Caylee with stuffed toys or the like, donate them to a charity. This would better serve Caylee's memory. It would also keep the air cleaner for their tiny lungs. Mold spores are air borne and that school is handy to the dumping site.
I wish that you had posted a picture of the hawk that followed you and perched in a tree out at Suburban. I think that bird was a sign as much as that bolt of lightning that stripped the bark off the tree at the Memorial site. For the record, I do not believe in the Blessed Virgin Mary's face appearing in a grilled cheese sandwich but some other happenings do rouse my curiosity.
Dave, thanks for all the efforts you put into this post and taking the pics. I just hope you didn't breathe in any mold spores. One other thing, I hope the walkway out at Suburban never materializes. Thanks...the Snoop
Yes, Snoopy, there were two stuffed animals that looked eerily like real animals, but I assure you, they weren't.
I think your idea is a great one! Given the opportunity, Caylee would have shared her toys. Since she is not in those woods, I'm sure she would love to share them with the living. I couldn't believe how moldy those things were. Well, that's a perfect environment for it to thrive. What would have happened had she been tossed into a Winn dixie dumpster? Would the dumpster become a shrine? Absolutely not. But just like a dumpster, those woods are infested with germs and garbage. In its present form, it is no memorial at all.
I went back in my post and added the two pictures of the hawk, along with what Eddie told me. To some, it means something. To me, it was a majestic bird. Anyway, thanks. I'm sure we were ingesting some spores, but I hope not.
Hey there Merrynade Dave! (very cute!)
Thanks, again, for sharing your adventure with us. The photos are wonderful. I agree with you, Suburban Drive is NOT the place for a memorial tribute for sweet Caylee, for too many reasons. She deserves much better. She deserves a place to be remembered, but a place that will bring a smile to one's face. A place that Caylee Marie would have liked herself....perhaps a garden with loads of flowering plants and bushes that would attract butterflies. Caylee loved butterflies. Add to that some park benches so that in the evening hours, one could gaze at the stars. Caylee loved looking at the stars. Her memorial doesn't have to be some grand scaled project, just a place to reflect on Caylee's life. Many people have such a place in their own backyards......and in their hearts.
Merry Christmas Dave! I hope your Holiday is wonderful!
Hi, Lindy! Thank you, I'm glad you like "Merrynade" Dave.
You know, I took a lot more photos, but I think I already put too many up. As for the memorial, I never thought that place was a good idea for saveral reasons, but mostly, it was concerns over safety. If someone comes along and buys the land, I guess they could request a zone variance and build a memorial, but I would find out first. You seem to have the best idea yet, and I'd be willing to wager that it's exactly the way Caylee would want it.
Merry Christmas to you, too, Lindy. I hope we all have wonderful holidays.
Lindy~~you just described the perfect memorial for Caylee, a garden. As I read your comments, I could visualze such a garden. What a wonderful thought. Butterflies and gazing at the stars, a little girls dream in happier times. Thank you.
Dave, those pictures are great. Thanks for taking them and sharing them with us so we can see what is happening there. It is still hard for me after these 3 years to grasp that a mother could dispose of their child like that. I, for one, have never been able to understand why anyone would want to put stuffed animals or anything other than flowers there because to me all they would do is become moldy and pulled a part by some of the animals, etc. For what some of those stuffed animals cost it would not be worth it to me. I would either put flowers there or as you have suggested, donate money to a charity in Caylee's name. That makes more sense to me. I don't think that is the right place for a memorial for Caylee. That is where she was disposed of so I would not want her to be remembered there. That is just my opinion though.
I seemed to have pigged out on picture taking, Mary Jo, but I'm glad you like them. I'm sure it will take a long, long time to figure out how a mother could harm her child. Most likely, we never will, but it happens every day in the world. Hopefully, the pictures will serve to show how impractible that tract of land is for a proper memorial. I agree with you, WWCD? What Would Caylee Do? For one thing, she wouldn't want to be remembered there. Not in its present form. If ever. I would rather see a memorial of some kind, a pavilion perhaps, at Jay Blanchard Park, where she loved to play. That makes a lot of sense to me.
Dave ~~thanks for putting up the pics of the hawk. If that hawk was able to communicate with you, she would say, "thank you for caring about our environment." Now how do I know that the hawk was a female? When you took her pic, she wanted a side profile shot.
Sure thing, Snoopy! I think it was interesting that she followed me and that Eddie saw it happen.
Dave~~I did a bit of sleuthing around and found the following. It was updated on 08/09/2011. After reading the following, I find all this a bit extreme. The words 'halo' and 'pilgrimage' really stood out but maybe I am reading too much into their use.
Eddie DelValle, Florida director of Bring Kids Home, said the memorial plans include a raised path that will take visitors into the woods and around a light-projected halo marking the spot where Caylee's skeleton was recovered.
DelValle said hundreds of tourists from around the world still make pilgrimages to the site.
DelValle, a Christian counselor, said he sets up a tent there for two hours every Sunday and counsels an average of 50 grieving people each time.
Read more here....
Source
I saw those plans at the balloon release on August 5. It did look very nice, but at the same time, I felt it was a bit much and somewhat out of place for that area. It is true that hundreds of people go to the site. I have witnessed it myself. I do, however, belive the crowd is dwindling. I'm not as dead-set against a memorial as I was, especially after seeing the plans, but I don't think enough money will ever come in to pay for it. And as time moves on, interest will wane.
I had no idea there's a service on the site every Sunday. Interesting.
Hi Dave
That's beautiful that Caylee is still remembered. I wish people would put a photo up out there of a toy they donate in Caylee's name instead. Then lots of needy children would get to benefit whilst her memory is honored. And no waste and mold.
Doesn't suprise me that birds flock to you wherever you go. The Hawk is majestic! Dr DelValle is doing such a good job and it was so cool of you to report on it for us. Thank you.
You are quite welcome, Tiffany! I think that just stopping by and paying respect is enough. I hope that this post shows how impractical it is to place stuffed animals in there. It's a total waste. That was never a place where Caylee lived and played. It's hollow, eerie and dank - certainly not inviting at all.
I found it intriguing that the hawk followed me, too. Why? I have no idea and had Eddie not pointed it out to me, I never would have noticed.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed my post.
Thanks again for a Terrific post Dave and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I agree 100% that the park where Caylee loved to play would be great..Just build a gazebo with flowers around it..A sign saying things left will be removed at the end of the day would keep down the trash and stuffed animals. The idea of a memorial where she was dumped is not at all approporiate to me..Way to sad for such a lovely child that was taken way to soon.
Also, a Merry Christmas to all my fellow Dave followers.
Hi, GLENDA - I still think something at Jay Blanchard Park would be more appropriate because it's already a popular place to go and it's out in the open, letting the sunshine in. That's perfect for Caylee. Also, the crowd is dwindling on Suburban. The park will always attract people. A memorial is for honoring a person. There is no honor for her in those woods.
Thank you very much, and I wish you a Merry Christmas, as well.
I am from Louisiana and visited the sight back in early 2011 while vacationing with my family. The place is just so very sad. While there, I tried to visualize a mother pulling a trash bag from her trunk, walking a few feet into the woods, dumping the bag quickly, jumping back in her car and going on to her man's home to do whatever she had planned. No one else but Casey Anthony did that, absolutely no one else. She could not go very far into the woods because of the weight of Caylee and also because the child plain and simple did not mean a thing to her heart so when she tossed the bag it felt of nothing but freedom to her. A load off her shoulders. The spot where Caylee landed speaks volumes.
What is very sad is if the 12 idiots went to the spot that she was dumped, the verdict would have been the same even with the visual of just how close to home she was dumped. Hum?? Wonder why, maybe because mommy dearest had not enough gas in the car to go a little further.
I would like to know what they feel like now after returning with that verdict. I also think a copy of Jeff's book she be sent to all twelve of them.
I just pray that something happens in Caylee's favor one day in the form of justice.
I do hope the murderer reads her. I would think she has nothing to do but read all these negative feelings practically the entire world feels towards her. Sad part is her brain works in a way that nothing bothers her. She still thinks she is a hottie.
Ahhhh, Louisiana! One of my favorite states, believe it or not, susie.
The exact distance from the curb to where Caylee's skull was found, among other skeletal remains, was 19'8". At that time, there were approximatley 3 openings into the wooded area where brush and kudzu hadn't overlapped, so as it wrapped itself and hung around trees, it was almost like curtains draping. It was fairly dark in there, too, and she had to have gone down into the woods at least 20" to the east of the tree that marked the remains. Visibility was pretty poor in there, and total blindness if done at night. Law enforcement did a fantastic job of clearing out all the brush, but if you look at videos shot overhead in December, 2008, you would notice that it was thick from the curb down to the spot. In other words, she couldn't hve walked straight in, and from the road, you never would have been able to see down to the base of the tree. As a matter of fact, I doubt you would have been able to see the tree at all. I shot videos the following year on relevant dates, and clearly, the brush had grown back. The following year, in 2010, the brush had been substantially cleared again and someone maintained it. You could easily walk down in and stand next to the tree and look straight down. Unless, of course, it was flooded. Today, you're right, the place is very sad, but back then, it wouldn't have been an easy task, at least, not like people would envision it today.
I've often wondered why the prosecution didn't take the jury to those woods after driving past the Anthony residence. It would have shed a whole new light by putting things in perspective. Of course, this jury seemed to be as dumb as the paver stones scattered throughout the woods. Too bad, but what is done is done. Will Caylee ever find justice? I guess it depends on who's doing the talking. In OJ's case, for instance, yes, he landed in jail, but it was because of his own doing. He hung around common criminals. And in my opinion, his undoing is not anywhere close to justice for Nicole and Ron. If Caylee has justice, I think it will come in the form of her mother's constant fear of having to look over her shoulders for the remainder of her days. In a sense, she was sentenced to life in the prison of her own doing.
Thanks, susie. I appreciate you thoughts. Trust me, living in fear will age her and it won't be long before she finds herself old and ugly.
MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY AND CELEBRATION TO ALL. MAY YOUR COMING NEW DAYS BE FILLED WITH ALL THE GOOD GOD HAS TO OFFER. AND MAY WE ALL BE GRATEFUL FOR THE LOVE AND CARE WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED FROM OUR LORD AND FROM ONE TO ANOTHER. FIND TIME TO PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST AND ALONE, HAVE NOT ENOUGH FOOD AND WARMTH, ANY TIME OF A YEAR. .
Merry Christmas, New Puppy!!! Christmas just wouldn't be the same without your cheery greeting! Thank you, and thank you for reminding us to pray for others. We should do that every day.
Dave, Jay Blanchard Park was my first thought also. Just a small brass sign "In Memory of..." would be enough. Caylee is one of many small children that have been murdered the past few years and giving her so much attention slightly dimininishes the value of other children. Maybe dedicate an small area in a larger park to ALL lost children where signs or notes can be left. If done in a city or state park the small area would be monitored daily and whatever was left in memory of ... would also be picked up daily.
In my area several auto death have happened to young people in the past few years. Small wooden crosses have been erected roadside in memory of ... ! Occaisionaly I will see flowers near crosses. These crosses, I believe are in very good taste and a good reminder to our newer/younger drivers of consequences. Less than 2' tall and being wood they offer no damage to any vehicles.
I agree, cali patti, just a simple plaque or something. In memory of Caylee and all lost children; lost meaning they never came home. Precisely! You got it right. Who would like a sign signifying where their skeletal remains were discovered by a guy peeing in the woods? I hate to sound crass, but donating a new swingset or something to Orange County in Caylee's honor would be more fitting in my opinion. Preferably for Blanchard Park.
Wanted to let you know we're doing a birthday memorial / prayer / vigil for Michelle Parker Jan. 21 2012 at the Oak Ridge Road site 6pm
Thanks for the info, Eddie. I will do my best to make it. That's a Saturday night.
could someone please contact me in regards to a purple cross placed there, i would like to know if it was throw away , it was nailed to a tree 2 weeks ago and if not thrown away i would like it back please, thank you .
I couldn't tell you, debbie, whether your cross is still there or not, until I go back down there again, which I'm not planning on doing anytime soon. If and when I do, I will certainly look around for you, but in all honesty, my guess is that it's still there. The real concern has been with stuffed animals more than anything else. They attract bugs, animals, bacteria and mold. That is the only reason why stuff is carted away. It was something I wrote about almost 3 years ago. That spot isn't fit for men, women and children in its present condition.
If I do find it, I will e-mail you to let you know.
Why do people keep bringing logic into what is clearly some sort of phenomenon? It seems that no matter how many tributes are cleaned up, they appear again. Why try to stop it? Let it be what it is and run it's course as it's meant to. Maybe this will continue for a year, ten years, 50 years. Perhaps it's ground zero for expressed rage and sadness concerning crimes against children in our society, and the lack of justice for th victims. Why should such a memorial be pretty and planned? Why put a sheen over crimes that are dark and dank like this wooded area. As far as the children walking home from a elementary school nearby, they are the responsibility of their parents. Parents or their sitters should be escorting their children to and from school everyday to protect them from harm. Why is it that that is not an expectation anymore?
When you consider that mold spores are toxic and can be air borne, then we have to bring logic into it to try and educate the public. The parents are not with their children when they are out in the playgrounds at recess at that nearby school. I think the main goal is to try and keep the air they breathe clean. People can leave something at the Memorial site that is biodegradeable such as a plant or flowers.
Maybe the nice residents who live at Hopespring and surrounding areas should be educated in not dumping their trash out at Suburban. There are snakes and animals who consider that dark dank area their habitat and all those creatures make up our natural ecology.
Wouldn't it be better to have a cheerful Memorial and remember Caylee when she was a happy child instead of a skull wrapped in duct tape and tiny bones scattered all over a swamp?
Janet, I respect your opinion but felt I needed to add my thoughts.
Janice - It's not a practical place whatsoever, as the photos prove. This is the 21st century. Parents have a tough time making ends meet. To leave work early every weekday in order to pick up a child from school could mean that a parent could easily lose their job. Bus rides from the development are out of the question. That area was left well enough alone because of the critters and flooding that happened there all the time. It's not really fit for people, let alone children. That is not the place where Caylee died. Nor will she ever be buried there. What's the real point of putting people at risk? Do you really want the place filled up with rat and snake infested stuffed animals with mold all over the place? What kind of a proper memorial is that? Besides, how long before the government steps in to force a major - AND EXPENSIVE - clean up by the property owner? Would you be willing to pitch in? What about snake bites? Who should pay for that? The parents for allowing their children to run around in there because someone comes along and says to let it rot?
While I thank you for your comment, and appreciate your opinion tremendously, the way it stands right now, allowing people to traipse all over the place when the property owner CLEARLY has NO TRESPASSING signs erected in plain view, what visitors are doing is breaking the law. The property owner has the say so, not you, not me, not anyone else. Why don't you set up a memorial across the street, in your neighbor's yard, and wait for the fireworks? You see, it's very impractical from all views.
Snoop and Dave. Thanks for your reponses. You both made nice, logical arguments and none of it applies to what I'm saying, bcause I'm not addressing logic. Our society forces political correctness and desired behaviors based on economic or behavior conformity without allowing the underlying natural process the time to unfold adn resolve. That's why there are so many forced superficial "advances" in our culture which regress later to reset the natural progression. It's a sociological/psychological/anthropological point of view. And parents who care will always find a way to take care of their children's safety. It doesnt' matter what their socioeconomic status is. I live 3,000 miles away from Orlando, but I live 10 minutes away from where Polly Klass was kidnapped and killed. I helped with that search. I never participated in any makeshift memorial, and her legacy resides in her family members organizations to help others. Unfortunately, in Caylee's case, there are no family members who care to honor her memory and the void must be filled (physics).
Hi Janice - There's a huge difference between political correctness and common sense. There is nothing political or correct about depositing stuffed animals where Caylee was found. The bottom line is that that land is private property and no one has a legal right to do anything on it. How would you react if someone decided to constantly drop off teddy bears in the middle of a highway because a child died there at the hands of a drunk driver? Does that make any sense? What you are suggesting is tantamount to squatting. Let's just take over the property because we have a right to honor Caylee any way we want, legal or not!
As for parents always taking care of their children, you are wrong. We can start with Casey and address her parenting skills, if you like. People die every day, and that includes children. If we only look at this logically, parents cannot spend 24 hours of every day watching over their children. Parents work. Children go to school. We socialize by interacting with others. It's not only impractical, it's impossible to tie leashes around our children to maintain control over their every action.
I'm grateful you helped search for Polly, but would you put an onus of blame on her parents for not adhering to your edict that "parents who care will always find a way to take care of their children's safety?" Some things are not under our control.
What has happened here, in Caylee's case, is that there's a lot of public unhappiness over the whole Caylee/Casey/Cindy affair. Believe me, I understand it completely, but at the same time, some things puzzle me. Who gave anyone the right to claim Caylee as their own? Who has the right to dictate to the Anthonys how they must act? Who legally adopted the land where her body was discovered? You see, we may not like it, but no one owns Caylee or her memory. No one has a right to decide what goes where in honor of her. This is not a matter of behavioral conformity, it's a matter of people gone wild. If people want to help, wouldn't you agree that a stuffed animal would serve a much better use if donated to a child instead of attracting mold and mildew, rats, snakes and other vermin? Common sense should answer that question; logic, not emotion, and if parents are to watch over their children, they sure aren't doing a good job if they put other children's safety at risk. As for honoring Caylee's memory, do it in a private, intimate way and leave that private property alone.
I saw a photo posted of this site as of 1/27/12 and it is completely free of the dreaded stuffed animals you are so against. (BTW - snakes and rodents and insects reside in wooded areas without stuffed animals) No one has placed any since the last clean up. And it will continue to slow down on it's own.
You just don't get it and you don't want to, so I'll be saying goodbye to you. Your insistence on proving me wrong is nonproductive. I'd debate you over a beer, but I don't have the time or interest to debate by keyboard with someone with a rigid belief system.
Suit yourself, but if you think that stuffed animals do not attract children, you are sorely mistaken. I am open-minded enough to discuss this - not debate it, because there are issues of a legal nature you are just not seeing. Proving you wrong has nothing to do with it. Spelling out common sense and the legalities involved has everything to do with it. I've been saying the same thing for over 3 years now. I live here and have, obviously, been to those woods so many times, I know exactly what it's like. You, Janice, are working off pure emotion, and it is you, not me, who just doesn't get it. What you are saying is that you have zero respect for someone else's private property. Perhaps, owning property is too rigid for you? Maybe Marx was right? How about furnishing me with your address so I can come squatting in your back yard?
I was born, raised and educated on the east coast and I'll send your address to my attorney if you threaten me again.
Janice~~would you please elaborate where Dave Knechel threatened you the once? You said and I quote you, "Snoop and Dave. Thanks for your reponses. You both made nice, logical arguments and none of it applies to what I'm saying, bcause I'm not addressing logic"
To tell you the truth, Janice, I cannot see any of your illogical suggestions making an iota of sense.
I also took note that you are not open to others when they provide constructive criticism to show you that your idea of memorializing Caylee is outlandish. If Caylee had been thrown away in a dumpster, should be have the dumpster bronzed and placed on a pedestal. Parents are not with their children 24/7 as that is not possible in this day and age yet you feel that is their obligation.
I would also like to inform you that rodents, snakes and the like call all that wooded area their habitat and that includes where all the stuffed animals were left to grow mold which is toxic.
It's not going to do any good, Snoopy, for two reasons. One, you can't get through to an airhead like her, and two, she can no longer see this blog. Access Denied. That will really infuriate her.