Ashley Smith is a liberal hero

[Cocoa]

I see her amazing story as the perfect illustration of the liberal approach to criminals and crime. That is, seeing them as human beings instead of monsters, no matter how monstrous the crime.

I also see it as a good example of how the liberal approach to criminals can be seen as being informed by Christianity.

Something tells me, however, that the conservatives are going to embrace Smith so hard she'll turn purple.

[slackmaster]

1. She's lucky she didn't get raped and decapitated

:argh:

That is, seeing them as human beings instead of monsters, no matter how monstrous the crime.

Some human beings ARE monsters.

[solinvictus]

19. Yep...

The entire story gives me pause about her and the perpetrator. She's lucky to be alive.

[Cocoa]

20. decapitated?

where did that come from? Did Nichols decapitate anyone, or is that just a fantasy?

[slackmaster]

33. Nichols appears to be a psychopath - no telling what he might do

It may be just a "fantasy" on my part but I wouldn't want to do the experiment needed to determine whether or not he would do such a thing.

[Cocoa]

45. you don't like Nichols?

well neither do I, but who cares whether you or I like him.

Maybe if Ashley Smith was preoccupied with how "bad" a person Nichols is, she'd be dead now and so would some others he got to next.

[slackmaster]

49. Yes, it matters not what you or I think of Nichols

Maybe if Ashley Smith was preoccupied with how "bad" a person Nichols is, she'd be dead now and so would some others he got to next.

Or not.

[LisaL]

2. Oh boy.

She read to him from the bible and from the Purpose Driven Life. She also appeared on Fox News, I believe, on Hannity and Colmes. And you think she is a liberal hero? LOL. Conservatives are embracing her because she is conservative, or trying to be, with her embracing religion and all.

[RebelOne]

5. She probably doesn't know what an asshole

Hannity is. I doubt she is much into politics.

[LisaL]

8. I wonder who did she vote for in 2004.

But I would bet it wasn't Kerry.

[Orangepeel]

37. I'd bet $500 that she didn't vote

if she's registered (which I doubt), she would have done it through her church, so she'd be registered as a republican. But, most women in her age group and most people of her socio-ecomomic status don't vote.

[King Coal]

Lizzy, you don't understand what Cocoa is saying.

[Cocoa]

6. well, her approach to Nichols sounds liberal to me

:shrug:

[LisaL]

11. Doesn't Christianity teaches that if somebody hits you

on one cheek, you should than turn the other one? Her approach was not liberal, it came straight from the bible.

[moddemny]

23. Maybe Jesus Was A Liberal.

.....

[fob]

7. I think what Cocoa is saying is that rather than letting her be usurped

by the red side, her actions provide plenty of support for the Blue side way of life. And I think Cocoa makes a strong case, it would take a savvy Democratic media machine though.

[moddemny]

22. ......

Is it her fault the FOX NEWS picked up on the story the way they did?

[FreedomAngel82]

3. Did she say she was a liberal?

I never heard anything about her and politics. For all we know, unless she's said something, is she's already a conservative. :shrug:

[LisaL]

4. I bet she is a conservative.

[Cocoa]

9. probably a conservative that should be a liberal

she's a liberal and she doesn't know it.

[LisaL]

13. Maybe Bush is liberal but doesn't know it either?

:evilgrin:


Just a little joke.

[King Coal]

10. Maybe she is a RINO.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LisaL]

31. Well, there you go.

She is a bible reading Christian living in a red state. What do you expect, really?
Liberal Hero? LOL.

[leftynyc]

34. Sounds like she handled it the same way Jimmy Carter would

n/t

[moddemny]

24. Dumb default assumption.

"For all we know, unless she's said something, is she's already a conservative"

[NewJeffCT]

12. who is Ashley Smith?

I'm at a loss.

[Cocoa]

14. she was the hostage in Atlanta

of the man, Brian Nichols, that killed the judge and the others.

[RebelOne]

15. She is the one who turned in the maniac who

killed the judge, court reporter and deputy on Friday. I assume you don't watch the news on TV much. It was on all the channels.

[NewJeffCT]

16. not too much TV news, no...but

I had heard of the killer (though, I don't know his name)... and I heard about the woman, just had no idea of her name.

[Beaverhausen]

21. She's the one who got him to turn himself in peacefully

I agree that she dealt with him in a more "liberal" way.

[FreedomAngel82]

25. But because she

used her Bible it was all about the Christian angle.

[Beaverhausen]

28. Well I believe there are some good christians

I'm a pagan but I do believe that many christians really are trying to follow what Jesus said.

Look at Jimmy Carter for one. He is an example of a person using christian principles for GOOD in the world.

[frictionlessO]

44. Im in complete agreeance with you on that BH...

Conservative or liberal, she used compassion and cool headedness to save a situation. That is to be commended.


Also pagan...

[XuChi]

17. How about just a good smart American woman

Since both "sides" wish to claim her, maybe this isnt a left right issue at all. Its just a non political story of a brave American woman for us ALL to be proud of. Trying to fit it into an ideological straitjacket doesnt do anyone credit.

[Pawel K]

46. Exactly

People here, and others in to politics (me included) try to turn everything in to a left vs right issue. This is just a story of lucky women that was pretty brave.

[applegrove]

18. I worry about that girl. Some predator somewhere saw her on the TV

and is saying... yummy - she will make a great wife and take ownership of all my sociopathic shit. Think how easy it will be to control her and abuse her and make her take ownership. And the monster will actually think himself in love. And then she will have a monster in her life.

That is what would worry me the most. I don't think celebrity is going to make her life easier.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. I never thought about that

Hmm. Hopefully she has some protection and lives in a good neighborhood that has a watch thingie.

[RebelOne]

29. I think with the reward she is going to get,

she will be able to afford to live in a good neighborhood with security.

[applegrove]

41. No - my worry is that one of those suckers will come along and

pretend to be a normal person.. and try and move into her life and have complete control... someone who would be well married to her before he started to 'relax and be his abusive self'. I think that her pastor should start with the 3rd degree from right on in. Don't let her date anyone until they have passed an MRI exam.

I mean that girl was projecting her goodness all over that monster... there may even be a feeding frenzy of sociopaths fighting over her in a couple of months. She projects her goodness onto others and she will have money.... HIDE HER! I'm not kidding. HIDE HER NOW!

[LisaL]

48. She is an adult woman. She will have to make her own mistakes,

if she does.

[kittenpants]

27. I agree w/ Cocoa. A Republican would have shot him most likely.

[LisaL]

32. She is a Bush voting republican, apparently.

And if some liberal shot this guy in an effort to save his life, I for one would not cast any blame. I wouldn't cast any blame if a republican did it either.

[XuChi]

35. well reallyl!

who would choose to believe they could talk him into surrender? Lucky for her it worked that time. Who would like to try it next time?

[LisaL]

36. I sure wouldn't bank on it. He killed 4 people in one day.

She got lucky. The next person who tries to read their kidnapper a bible or make him pancakes might not be so lucky. Especially if they suck in making pancakes. If you get a chance to escape, you should take it. And if you get a chance to shoot your kidnapper-so be it. Self-defense is legal.

[annabanana]

38. Her options were limited.............

She did the only thing that had a chance of working. She did it well.

Oh, and XuChi..Welcome to DU
:toast:

[LisaL]

39. Even according to her, she could have escaped before,

but chose not to. She followed him in her car, with a cell phone, but did not make a run for it. So, I don't think she did the "only thing" that had a chance of working. However, according to her, she didn't escape when she could, because she was afraid Nichols would escape as well, and hurt other people, so, it looks like she didn't escape previously because of her concern for the safety of others.

[Beaverhausen]

42. and by doing that she probably saved lives.

why do you have such a problem with her?

By the way in self defense training you are told that if you can calm down and talk to your attacker you have a better chance of survival.

[LisaL]

47. I never said I have a problem with her. I just don't think she is a

liberal.

[XuChi]

43. thanks...

not sure i belong here but thanks

[Jesus Saves]

40. Has Ashley Smith said or done anything political?

I'll admit I haven't really followed this story.

But I have yet to read where she did anything political. It seems like a personal thing to me.