Intelligent Comments are Welcome

So I guess I should address the fact that I deleted two comments from my blog. They were both from the same person and they were both just ridiculous. I created this site in support of Schapelle. I am not opposed to having an intelligent discussion with someone of opposing views. When I read the comments they were devoid of purpose and more an attack on me and my reasons for supporting Schapelle.

I do not support her to make myself feel like a better person as was suggested in the comments. I support her because she is a human being wrongly convicted of a serious crime and as a result could potentially spend the next 19 years in jail....
I understand that there are many people in the world that are suffering. I have found a cause that I truly believe in and I will stand beside her until the end.

So while I understand that there are people who do not support Schapelle, my aim is not to silence them but to hear their view to better understand where they are coming from. Those who are not informed about the case and are more interested in spitting out senseless garbage are not welcome on my site and their remarks will be deleted immediately.

The Changes

As some of you may have already noticed the Spirit of Schapelle forum has not been available for the past couple weeks. It is most definitely a big loss but hopefully it will be up and running soon enough. Moderators are working on the technical problems so keep your fingers crossed.

An avid supporter of Schapelle and a computer whiz, Nev, has created a new forum in support of our girl. You can click on the link in my sidebar "Save Schapelle Forum," when you get there you can register and start getting in on the discussions. It will no doubt take a little while to get the old gang back online and to get our new supporters in on it as well but I am certain this will be a good thing.

Nev has also created a toolbar for everyone to download that has tons of amazing features as well as up to date information on Schapelle. Nev will be adding real information on my blog about the website as well as information on how to download it as clearly, I am no computer whiz haha. So check back for updates about it!

Opinions vary

"I try not to make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect."

Since Schapelles arrest there have been 3 major opinion groups. There are those who believe she is innocent, those who believe she is guilty and those who are unsure about what they think. I enjoy hearing the opinions of others, and will always listen with an open mind so long as the opinion they are expressing is an informed and educated opinion.

This blog entry was sparked by a newspaper article written by Luke McIlveen and appeared in The Daily Telegraph on May 31st. Here is the link to the story for those who have not read it: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19309555-2,00.html

I think this article is lacking in purpose. I do not see the point the author is trying to make. He talks about Schapelle writing letters from prison to "complete strangers." He makes it sound as though she is sitting in jail mass producing letters which her family mails out at random. The people who she is mailing letters to are people who have sent their love and support to her in prison reminding her she is not alone.

As a person who has recived a letter from Schapelle, I feel like anything but "a complete stranger." Schapelles life in the last year and a half has been made public. Every detail that can be scooped up by the media has been plastered on the front page of newspapers, TV, radio and all over the internet leaving her wide open and vulnerable. She is no stranger to us. So when I write to Schapelle, I tell her things about myself. I figure if I know so much about her, she deserves to know who her support base is as well.

When I recieved the letter from Schapelle, I was touched see a quote about courage that I have always included in my letters to her. It made me feel so good to know that my letters are getting through and they really are giving her hope. I know many other supporters have recieved letters from her and no doubt felt the same way I did. I never expected that I would recieve a letter from Schapelle but it was so nice to get one. Schapelle is contacting her supporters, thanking them for their love, prayers and continued support. These people are not indifferent to her. We are aware of the horrific injustice she has been dealt. We care about her and will stand by her until something is done and she is free. So to say that Schapelle is pleading to an indifferent nation is absolutely ludacris. This article in my opinion is an example of a slow news day.

After Mr. McIlveen's article was published, there was an opinion survey asking people if they still cared. I think it is safe to say that the opinions were split 50/50. There were those who blatently said no they do not care, and then those who admitted they still stand behind Schapelle. What bothered me the most about the comments left by non supporters was that they were so uninformed about her case. Most of the non supporters were claiming things that were simply not true. People were claiming she had no reason to take a boogie board to Bali since her brother owned a surf shop there...not true. Others were saying she should have noticed the difference in weight of her bag...two things are crazy about this idea.

One, her brother was the one who initially carried her bag from the baggage claim to the customs counter. She never lifted it. Two, supposing she did notice the difference in weight. What would have happend if she opened it prior to going to customs and saw the weed? What could she have done? Informed customs that it wasn't hers? Right, they would have believed that for sure!

Others are simply saying it was in her bag, she is guilty. That to me suggests that they have not taken the time to examine her case. History has shown us that it would not be the first time drugs were planted in the luggage of an unwitting traveller. The behavior of the Customs Officers suggests something is not right.

I am not saying that everyone must believe in Schapelles innocence, although I wish they would. What I am suggesting is that those who believe she is guilty need to educate themselves about her case and form an educated opinion with a theory which runs deeper than "the drugs were in her bag therefore she is guilty."

Either way, at the end of the day the article shows that Schapelle is still on people's minds. Even her non supporters are still thinking about her. So in all, even though a poorly written article on Mr. McIlveens part, it still gets Schapelles name in the news and reminds people that she is still there, she is still struggling and we need to help her.