Jeffrey Ake?

Nothing new on Jeffery Ake

Posted: 04/20/2005 06:50 pm
Last Updated: 04/21/2005 09:48 am

Story filed by NewsCenter16 Reporter
Kimberly Torres

LaPorte, IN - It's been one week since the LaPorte community saw images of one of their own being held hostage in Iraq. Since then, there has been no word on the condition of Jeffery Ake but that's not stopping the community from holding out hope.

From street to street and block to block, all that can be seen are red, white and blue ribbons and American flags.

“I was surprised to see all the flags go up so early,” said John Pappas, co-owner of American Café in LaPorte.

It’s a nice surprise for some but a tragic reminder for others.

“The whole city is taken aback by this. It’s been a jolt,” said Carol McCombs of LaPorte.

As far as Jeffery Ake, there are no new developments and those who know anything are keeping tight-lipped right now, which is leading some in the community to ask questions of their own.

“We’re all curious creatures. Everybody wants to know what’s going on,” said Ted Cooper of LaPorte. “The government probably has their own hidden agenda."

“Why all of a sudden are we all ‘hush hush?'” questioned McCombs.

Even though questions aren’t being answered, the community stays unconditional in their mission of hope and pride.
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On April 13, courtesy of Al-jazeera, we watched video of an American citizen held hostage by a group called The Iraqi National Resistance.

At the time of its airing, I questioned whether we, as a nation, had become desensitized to the taking of hostages.

The answer is YES.

Although clearly Jeffrey Ake's loved ones and his community continue to hold vigil, how many Americans are following his story?

There are no new pictures and the family remains quiet.

Do we only care about a story when it receives 24/7 coverage in the media?

The media should not direct the needle on the country's moral compass.

Remember Jeffrey Ake.

Please keep him, his family, and our military men and women fighting the War on Terror in your thoughts and prayers.