Belated Blog Hits (1 out of 3)

This agonizing narrative appeared Tuesday, Nov.3 in the St. Charles (Missouri) Journal. It's a really heavy report and there was narrative approach to it. It reads like a short story, but the newspaper probably could have stepped this up a notch, with the investigation and sensory elucidation.

There were poor editorial decisions. I think they could have used the name and used compassion when reporting on the children involved. The Journal balked a little.

In an outburst of virtual vigilantism, readers of blogs such as RottenNeighbor.com and hitsusa.com have posted the Drews' home address, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and photographs. Now more vigilant and wise newspapers like the L.A. Times have taken over this case. And the Boston Globe reprinted it today. The story is the sixth most popular story this hour on Boston.com .

Here are some bloodthirsty quotes from The Journal's comment board.

"This a terrible occurance. What happened to megan is terrible and i am sorri for ur loss," said thirteen-year-old Eden Maree Hemera. "[A]nd find t that family is cruel and should not get away with wat they done. for a pperson to do that to a nother human being is disgusting. they wont get away with this. "

Another commentor went without a name. She simple addressed herself as "madnurse."

"I just recently read in the Sun Sentinal newspaper in Florida tha account of this terrigle crime," madnurse said. "Hate crime? Child abuse? Internet stalking? Child Prediator? There must be some way to make the parents who instigated This crime pay for what they did to that child. I work in a pedi ER and what they did is a crime. Lets put a name on it. They need to be listed as child prediators. I wouldn't want them near my children. Doesn't the district attorney have any way to press some kind of charges against the adults who tromented a trouble child???? God help us if we let them get away with shis. Someone Please Help! "

From the L.A. Times piece:

Dozens of people allegedly have called local businesses that work with the family's advertising booklet firm, and flooded the phone lines this week at the local Burlington Coat Factory, where Curt Drew reportedly works."I posted that, where Curt works. I'm not ashamed to admit that," said Trever Buckles, 40, a neighbor whose two teenage boys grew up with Megan. "Why? Because there's never been any sense of remorse or public apology from the Drews, no 'maybe we made a mistake.' "