Pearls on Anderson Cooper

[mstee]

Don't know if this has been posted- I'm sorry I'm in a rush and leaving my house in a min.- but wanted to post quickly that the Pearls and Lydia's Schatz (sp?) are being spotlighted on Anderson Cooper 360. I'm going to Tivo it. Just thought I'd let you all know.

[Buzzard]

Looks like he's actually being critical... YAY!!!! Part 2 is tomorrow night.

[FakePigtails]

My TV listings show AC360 as being on at 10ET too, shouldn't that be a rerun of that?

[VodouDoll]

Yay Anderson! We should all write emails or tweet him or something saying how important it is to look into these people. More positive feedback will mean maybe he'll revisit the topic.

[Grace]

I totally thought this was going to be that the Pearls had posted THEIR OPINION on (ie: ABOUT) Anderson Cooper. And I thought, "Well this should be interesting." haha.

*sigh* He's so lovely.

[Austin]

My TV listings show AC360 as being on at 10ET too, shouldn't that be a rerun of that?

I hope so, b/c I already missed his earlier show. I am DVRing the one at 10 in hopes that it is a rerun of his earlier show.

[dawn9476]

Yay Anderson! We should all write emails or tweet him or something saying how important it is to look into these people. More positive feedback will mean maybe he'll revisit the topic.

If he is smart, he will use the topic and do a whole show on it on his talk show that starts up in the fall.

[Lainey]

I totally thought this was going to be that the Pearls had posted THEIR OPINION on (ie: ABOUT) Anderson Cooper. And I thought, "Well this should be interesting." haha.

*sigh* He's so lovely.

You know you're half asleep when...I thought this thread was about Anderson Cooper wearing pearls, and couldn't figure out for a second why it was here. :?

[hoipolloi]

Just watched Part I online at the show's website. Anderson and company NAIL it.

Not only do they get the Schatz case's DA on camera clearly blaming TTUAC & the Pearls but the AC360 reporter ___ Tuchman (sorry, don't know his first name) actually went to TN to interview Mike & Debi, who don't come off very well. About half the piece is directly focused on the Pearls and TTUAC.

Mike Pearl actually says on camera that they "looked into" the Lydia Schatz case but didn't think their "ministry" had anything to do with it. At least he didn't have the audacity to use his speech about laughing at his critics.

NB: they have some heart-breaking excerpts from 911 tapes with the surviving daughter talking about where she'd been beaten by the Schatzes.

Anderson Cooper has done a great job.

[FakePigtails]

It's going to be airing again soon, after coverage of the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair (specifically, could it have been prevented which I mention because the reactions I read act like there's no blame on anyone because it was an "act of God". Seems FJish to me in a way.).

[marmalade]

I hope so, b/c I already missed his earlier show. I am DVRing the one at 10 in hopes that it is a rerun of his earlier show.

Yes, the later airing is a repeat; anyone on the west coast who works a regular 9-5 can't catch the first airing so I typically catch the 7pm (pacific) airing.

[GenerationCedarchip]

Won't be able to catch it but I'm so glad someone is looking at the Pearl connection to some of these horrible abuse cases. Now I just hope more prosecutors will do it.

[anniebgood]

I went over to CNN and sent an email to AC360. I told them to ask the Pearls what could an infant do that would deserve to be beaten by plumbing line? Why do they keep advocating violence against children? Why is their younger daughter living in poverty? I kept it fairly unemotional but I think I got my point across.

:o

ETA the video:

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/15/v ... hpt=ac_bn1

[lilwriter85]

I'll watch the video later on. I give credit to AC for spotlighting the Pearls and making people more aware of what they are about.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

Wow, that was hard to watch, but I'm so happy to finally see the Pearls getting some serious negative attention.

And seriously, let's contact the 360 staff in every way possible to encourage this.

[debrand]

The Pearls are good at dodging the truth and using double speak.

The DA's response made me happy. He put blame on the Pearls, where it belongs. They wrote a book and have articles on their site that encourage parents' to break a child's will. Of course, someone is going to take it too far.

[Austin]

OMG - I am feeling so sickened. . . again.

The Pearls come off terrible. Like nasty, dirty hicks who don't even make sense (tell your kid he's got to be spanked b/c he's been violent - right before you beat him). And what Michael Pearl had to say about the death of Lydia Schatz: "we reviewed the case to try to find out what happened to see if there was going to be any blame pointed at us".

[xDreamerx]

I'm glad someone in the media is covering this. I hope more news programmes will do the same.

[Guest Anonymous]

That creepy, vacant smile on Debi's face upsets me. This guy is talking to you about a dead child and you're grinning? The fuck is wrong with you? Michael Pearl looks scary.

I couldn't believe the pics they showed of the bruises on the surviving (Zoriah? sp?) sister's body. I do not get how you can do that to a kid. Hearing her on the recording was gut wrenching. Apparently she was either sick or so overwrought that she was vomiting. The officer who attempted to revive Lydia also said something about Lydia having swallowed vomit.

The reporter said that Zoriah addressed her adoptive parents in court and asked them in regards to Lydia: "Why did you adopt her? So you could kill her?"

I cried. I couldn't help it. Mike and Debi Pearl are monsters, and I remember that book being in my house as a kid. Gee, I'm so glad that my mother gave those people money so that she could learn how to hit us better.

[Kitty]

That creepy, vacant smile on Debi's face upsets me. This guy is talking to you about a dead child and you're grinning? The fuck is wrong with you? Michael Pearl looks scary.

I couldn't believe the pics they showed of the bruises on the surviving (Zoriah? sp?) sister's body. I do not get how you can do that to a kid. Hearing her on the recording was gut wrenching. Apparently she was either sick or so overwrought that she was vomiting. The officer who attempted to revive Lydia also said something about Lydia having swallowed vomit.

The reporter said that Zoriah addressed her adoptive parents in court and asked them in regards to Lydia: "Why did you adopt her? So you could kill her?"

I cried. I couldn't help it. Mike and Debi Pearl are monsters, and I remember that book being in my house as a kid. Gee, I'm so glad that my mother gave those people money so that she could learn how to hit us better.

I was freaked out by that smile too. was she trying to "keep sweet" or what? I agree that Michael looks scary as fuck. It's not surprising that a guy who looks like that would devise ways to beat children.

I think Zariah was vomitting from a combination of her own injuries, and just witnessing her sister being beaten for 17 hours. Seventeen goddamn hours, wtf. And Lydia's injuries were more consistent with earthquakes and bombings WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :(

17 fucking hours... that's fucking sadistic. And the Pearls' reactions... just fucking sick. What, spare the rod and spoil the child, even if they DIE?! uggghhhhh.

[Hisey]

That video made me ill. I am very sorry I watched it, it was so triggering. I guess it is important to bear witness to what happened to that poor baby. I have a seven- and eleven-year old myself.

I don't think the Pearls gave a hoot about what happened to that little girl. Perhaps because she is black, who knows? It wouldn't surprise me if they are racist, too.

I was also sickened by that story where they whip (I refuse to use the word "spank"_) a daughter for two weeks because she'd taken two weeks to confess a lie. Did it ever occur to them she probably lied out of fear of their horrible punishments? And how she must have suffered during those two weeks, while Debi tried to figure out who'd done the crime? And that perhaps she should praise her child for honesty? How could she even hit a five year old for two solid weeks? I think Debi was just pissed that she got bamboozled by a five year old.

I used to try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but know I see they must be sadists or something.

And to think the Duggars recommend their books!

[Witsec1]

The reporter said that Zoriah addressed her adoptive parents in court and asked them in regards to Lydia: "Why did you adopt her? So you could kill her?"

I cried. I couldn't help it. Mike and Debi Pearl are monsters, and I remember that book being in my house as a kid. Gee, I'm so glad that my mother gave those people money so that she could learn how to hit us better.

Oh, Lissar, (((hugs))). I didn't know you were one of their victims too.

I noticed that in some of the photos the mom and daughters were wearing headcoverings and in some they weren't. What's up with that?

ETA - Oops I put my real name because apparently I thought I was writing an email.

[Guest Anonymous]

Oh, Lissar, (((hugs))). I didn't know you were one of their victims too.

I noticed that in some of the photos the mom and daughters were wearing headcoverings and in some they weren't. What's up with that?

Thanks Flora. My siblings and me are okay, and our mother would have whacked us with or without the Dobson and Pearl stuff cluttering the place up. (Although shockingly! the deeper into fundamentalism my parents went, the worse our lives were.) It mostly pisses me off that she put money in their pockets.

**Edited to take Flora's real name out of the quote.

***ETA: Thanks Lainey, too, and all FJers. I didn't mean to derail/do an all-about-me thing, I apologize. When I saw the book with the covered wagon on the front I just had an "oh shit!" moment because I recognized it straight off.

[Lainey]

Thanks Flora. My siblings and me are okay, and our mother would have whacked us with or without the Dobson and Pearl stuff cluttering the place up. (Although shockingly! the deeper into fundamentalism my parents went, the worse our lives were.) It mostly pisses me off that she put money in their pockets.

I didn't know that was part of your upbringing, either, Lissar. I'm glad you and your siblings are okay now. I'm sorry you had to go through that, though. :(

[Witsec1]

Yeah, Mr. Dog-beater Dobson is not that much better than the Pearls IMO.

I checked the Facebook page for No Greater Joy and there's nothing, nada, zero response. The last time he was possibly going to be interviewed for TV they had a Note on their wall to "Pray for Michael Pearl". I think they finally realize that they aren't going to be able to laugh this one off and are just hoping not to draw attention to the interview.