When people go missing

Ms. Jeanie Stephens wrote about the Gabby Petito case in response to the editor’s comments.

The editor wrote: “Social media and news outlets need to do a better job in ensuring equal coverage of all disappearance cases.

“One shouldn’t get preferential treatment over another because of race, gender or any other reason.” Although Ms. Stephens agreed with this comment, she said that the Petito case was different in that Petito’s parents “… made a big deal about it and they were on the Dr. Phil show.”

I agree with the editor’s opinion. The majority of white people refuse to believe that they have preferential treatment due to their race.

Ms. Stephens has to explain why white people who are kidnapped are small: “Studies show that cases of missing young white women like Petito, 22… [who] are a small minority of missing person cases…”

Gabby Petito Case Raises Question: Why Don’t Missing People Of Color Get More Attention,” USA Today 24 Sep 2021.

According to National Crime Information Center’s Missing Person & Unidentified Person Files, out of 543,018 people missing last year, “… nearly 40% of them are people are color… Black Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population, but account for 35% of missing person cases.” USA Today, Ibid.

Indigenous people in Wyoming have 710 people missing in the past ten years. If indigenous people include Native Americans, why is Ms. Stephens, who claims that Native Americans have suffered more than any other race, is silent in this area?

Throughout the majority of Ms. Stephen’s letters that has been written, race is never a factor.

I have not seen one missing person found ever since the AV Press started printing about them. The majority of them are minorities. Why haven’t they been found? Sadly, this will continue until change occurs.

Vincent White

Lancaster