This story just keeps on going and going and going! How long has it been now? Bloody ages. I just don't understand why it keeps on top of the news. Yes, it's sad. Yes, I feel sorry for the McCanns. But I did not and do not know them, and I am bored of this story and the lengths to which they are going to keep it in the headlines., such as this latest idea, to have a "Madeleine Day":

"THE PARENTS of Madeleine McCann are planning an international day of events and appeals featuring world leaders, pop stars and well known athletes.
Gerry and Kate McCann, whose four-year-old daughter vanished from their holiday apartment on Portugal’s Algarve coast a month ago, want to keep her disappearance in the public eye with a “Madeleine Day”.
They plan to ask Sir Elton John, David Beckham and former US president Bill Clinton to help. They have approached JK Rowling about distributing bookmarks featuring a picture of Madeleine with her next Harry Potter book." (The Times)

No, no, just no. This is ridiculous. At first it was fine - the media choose to latch onto these kinds of stories every now and then, and then soon move on - but now, especially with the way in which Madeleine's parents are going on, visiting the Pope etc., it is absurd. I just don't understand why it is in the news so much and so constantly . And I certainly don't want to find her picture in my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

This entire story is typical of a modern angst-obsessed Britain. And it is horrific to look on my country acting like this. Even the way in which people reacted (and still react) to Diana's death, of which I'm certainly not a fan, is far more acceptable than the way in which they are acting to Madeleine's abduction. Her parents are typical of the way in which much of modern Britain reacts, as well, refusing to blame themselves at all ["We have never subconsciously or consciously thought it was [Madeleine's mother] Kate’s fault, or it’s my fault. It’s not our fault."] despite the fact that they left their children alone in their holiday home while they went to a restaurant to have a meal. Whilst it isn't their fault, per se, they did leave their children alone for no better reason than to have a meal!

The way in which it has been dealt with by the media, celebrities, et al, is just ridiculous, wrong, and in many ways quite sickening. We should no more have a "Madeleine Day" than a "Sarah's Law". And any person - celebrity or not - who believes that we should lowers themselves hugely in my eyes. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of missing children out there [as is being ably demonstrated by Ellee Seymour at the moment*] and so to put one on a pedestal like this is just wrong.

* Although I personally hope she doesn't keep doing it for too much longer, as I find her politics posts far more interesting.

Source: The Times - article 1, article 2

This is an absolutely disgusting action on the behalf of web squatters:

"Unscrupulous businesses are cashing in on the interest in the internet campaign to find Madeleine McCann by attempting to trick the millions of visitors with bogus websites.
By yesterday afternoon the Find Madeleine website, findmadeleine.com, had received more than 75 million hits in its first 48 hours, making it one of the most popular destinations on the internet. It gives details of the search for Madeleine since she was abducted from an Algarve holiday apartment 16 days ago.
However, more than 20 websites with similar names have been created in the past three days to promote businesses including chat rooms, estate agents and dating sites.
The McCann family has condemned the “typo squatters”, who make money from advertising links on the bogus websites. John McCann, Madeleine’s uncle and a director of Madeleine’s Fund, branded the people behind the websites “parasites”. He said: “We are incredibly disappointed that [they] are taking advantage of people’s generosity and using it for commercial gain.”" (The Times)

I find the whole excess around Madeleine's abduction distasteful in the first place, with celebrities and politicians getting involved. After all, what makes this case so different from all the other cases of missing or abducted children (some of which are being highlighted by Ellee Seymour)? It's the same was with the murder of Damilola Taylor and the other similar outcrys and media scrums around events that happen every day, yet get highlighted only occasionally.

Yet the reactions of these web squatters is disgusting in every possible way. I mean, using the abduction of a young girl as a means to make money?! Revolting beyond belief.

Source: The Times