By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

Denise Kemal lost her job in a most unusual way.

The Southwest Airlines flight attendant was fired for violating a zero-tolerance drug policy. A spokesperson for the airline told a San Diego newspaper that, according to company policy, the "illegal use of drugs, narcotics or controlled substances off duty and off company premises is not acceptable and may result in termination because it can affect on-the-job performance and the confidence of our customers in the company's ability to meet its responsibilities."

Kemal smoked marijuana off duty. Her employers found out when she testified in the Danielle van Dam kidnapping and murder trial about her activities the night the seven-year-old girl disappeared. Her testimony was televised nationwide, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and Southwest axed her two weeks after she took the stand. Kemal, who is recently divorced and now lives in Florida, said the move by Southwest has ruined her life.

She was identified as one of the female friends who partied with Brenda van Dam, Danielle's mother, the night of the kidnaping. Kemal testified that she smoked some marijuana in the van Dams' garage before she, Brenda van Dam and another woman went to a local restaurant and bar where they met David Westerfield, the van Dams' next-door neighbor who is accused of the murder of Danielle. Other witnesses testified that Brenda was seen "dirty dancing" with Westerfield that very night, a charge she denies.

This case is one of the most incredible examples I've ever seen of parents being put on trial after suffering the loss of a child at the hands of another. Simply put, the defense has alleged that Danielle's parents let a number of unseemly characters into their home and lived a lifestyle that made such an abduction possible. Say what you want about lawyers trying to get Westerfield off, but you can't say much about what the van Dams have admitted to in court.

Some other samples from the trial testimony are as follows:

Westerfield met Brenda van Dam the previous week at the same bar, where she was with her same two girl friends. He bought them a round of drinks, and that was about it. They had never spoken before that, except for one time last year when Danielle sold him some Girl Scout cookies at his home.

When she brought Danielle and her sister around a few days after the meeting at the bar to sell more Girl Scout cookies, Westerfield asked her to introduce him to some of her female friends. He also told her he occasionally hosted "adult" parties and the two of them exchanged contact information.

The three ladies went back to the bar the next Friday the night Danielle disappered after smoking more marijuana in the van Dams' garage. They also smoked in Brenda's car in the parking lot of the bar.

They met two men and danced with them before bringing them back to the van Dams' house about 2 a.m. Brenda's tally at the bar was three vodkas and a shot of tequila. One of the women went upstairs and snuggled with Damon van Dam briefly before they all ate and the guests left at about 2:30.

That last item sound weird by itself, but not when you hear about some of the van Dams' other exploits. Brenda van Dam admitted on the witness stand that she and her husband, Damon, had sex with Kemal and her husband, Andy, during a Halloween party in 2000.

Westerfield's defense attorneys have consistently tried to portray the van Dams as irresponsible parents who engage in a lot of partying and spouse swapping; from the testimony at the trial, it looks like they've succeeded.

Make no mistake: If David Westerfield is proven to have committed this heinous crime against a defenseless little girl, he should fry, plain and simple.

But if this case doesn't convince people that parents are utterly and completely responsible for the environment they create for their children, and a parent's morally reprehensible lifestyle can be as dangerous as a loaded gun on a child's dresser, then nothing ever will, and God help the children in those homes.

[Monroe Roark can be reached at mroark@TheCitizenNews.com.]

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