Poll: Ala. Residents Support Aruba Boycott

[deadparrot]

MOBILE, Ala. - Three-quarters of Alabama residents back the governor's call for a travel boycott of Aruba to protest the island's handling of the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway.

The poll, conducted by the Mobile Register and University of South Alabama and released Sunday, also found that seven out of 10 respondents would not travel to the Caribbean island even if they won a free trip.

Gov. Bob Riley proposed the boycott to protest the investigation into the disappearance of Holloway, who went missing in May at the end of a Mountain Brook High School graduation trip.

The teen's family claims authorities in Aruba have conducted a shoddy investigation. Holloway, who was 18 when she vanished, was last seen leaving a bar with three young Aruba residents. Each of the three was later taken into custody but has since been released.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051120/ap_on_re_us/aruba_missing_teen

[ThePopulist]

1. No offense, but I really think this thing is so stupid....

There are so many people who go missing every single day much less year who never get this kind of coverage. I hope they find the girl alive no matter how unlikely that is. And think about the number of minority people who have gone missing who have never gotten the same coverage.

[murielm99]

2. I agree.

I saw that dumb Dr. Phil on t.v. supporting the boycott, too. I turned the t.v. off immediately.

I think someone posted here that Alabama has more unsolved missing persons cases than Aruba. Maybe they need to clean up at home before they accuse anyone else.

[ThePopulist]

3. Very good points murielm99

By the way, who's the black guy on your avatar?? I'm sorry, I don't even know half the people on the avatar list. lol

[IndianaGreen]

7. John Conyers

is the face in the avatar.

[murielm99]

16. Thank you for speaking up for me.

I was in another forum.

I love John Conyers. ThePopulist, if you don't know anything about the distinguished Mr. Conyers, please Google him. You will like what you find.

[ThePopulist]

118. You're welcome murielm

And thank you for the info. on Conyers. I will check him out.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. No shit. Let's boycott every city that sports a face from the milk carton

:eyes:

[Liberal Veteran]

14. Would that be the same Dr. Phil that was taking women to task...

...for protesting the war in Iraq and telling them how futile and useless such activities were?

What a fucking hypocrite!

[LostinVA]

50. Yes, the very same misogynistic, Freepish Dr. Phil!

[mitchum]

73. And he is the worst type of misogynist...

a half slick conman who focuses in on issues which concern women

[Realityhack]

103. Dr. Phil is an Idiot.

I don't remember if he even has any medical credentials but if he does they should be yanked imediately. He easily oversteaps the bounds several times a week.

[joeunderdog]

93. And the Mother couldn't be more of a media darling.

All I could think of is how this woman looks waaaay to comfortable doing her tv spots than a grieving mother should. Even her pleas sounded scripted. It was like listening to sound bites and Hollywood.

Sorry, but of all of the horrible things in the world, more coverage should be given to the poor bastards that were tortured to death with electric drills.

[Vogon_Glory]

21. So How Safe Is Alabama for Arubans? I Want To Know

So how safe is Alabama for visiting Arubans? I'd like to know if it's been safe for folks from Aruba to visit Alabama even before the unfortunate Natalie Holloway went missing.

How many people from Alabama go missing in a year as a result of foul play? Is it higher than the number of people in Aruba who go missing for the same reason? Inquiring minds want to know.

[QC]

52. Here's an interesting thought experiment....

Imagine, if you will, that someone from Aruba visits Alabama. He or she comes up missing under suspicious circumstances. One of the last people seem with this person is the son of a powerful political figure, so even though there is reason to believe he was involved in the disappearance, the police just throw up their hands and declare that there's just no way to know what happened and we're real sorry but that's that.

What would be the reaction here? Would DUers engage in personal attacks against the missing Aruban if his or her family demanded an answer? Would they call this person a whore? Would it be seen as the height of wit and political sophistication to attack the Aruban's family?

Somehow, I doubt it.

[LostinVA]

57. No, I bet it would happen if it was reversed

If the state of Alabama spent almost 40% of their annual law enforcement budget on the search, put the Aruban's family up for free, had Interpol and the Dutch equivalent of the FBI involved, and did EVERYTHING they could. Then had the Aruban's mom say Alabama didn't give a damn about her kid, and that everyone should boycott Alabama, especially the main money-making industry of the state that employed the poorest people in Alabama.

I bet most on DU would say a thing or too about this.

[Realityhack]

104. You are really only reversing part of the situation.

as the previous poster pointed out they are not exactly throwing up their hands. They have bent over backwards reguarding this.

that is no excuse for some of the more extream comments... especialy with reguard to a greveing family (who has SOME excuse for at least a partial pass on sanity in the midst of this) but frankly there are a lot of people who deserve what is being said about them. Most of the people calling for a boycot over this are frankly retarded, absolutely no clue about the world around them.

[ThePopulist]

120. Well.....

Personally that sounds like a good legal/political thriller novel but I digress. lol If they did go missing - and since most Arubans are black - that should be interesting to see.

[ThePopulist]

64. Birmingham is bad with it's crime

It's probably much more dangerous than Aruba ever was. It's just hillbilly screams. Don't pay any attention to them.

[QC]

65. A "populist" who calls people "hillbillies"...

Who says irony is dead?

[ThePopulist]

66. Irony??

I don't call poor Southerners "hillbillies" just rich elitist Good Old Boys who run the political machinery of the state and stay safely distant from their rural masses while drinking brandy in their cultured country clubs.

[QC]

68. Ah, so you have your very own personal definition of the word then.

OK, that explains everything.

[ThePopulist]

70. I'm originally from the South so that's why

I've experienced first hand not only the racism but also the anti-poor attitude of most of the aristocracy of the South. It's really apalling. I had to leave because I couldn't stand not having friends in my church because I wasn't a radical Republican. I heard stories about California being a much more progressive and tolerant place and I moved out here and have found that to be so true.

[William Bloode]

77. If you were from the South.....

Then you would know you don't refer to Alabama residents or any other flatlanders as "hillbillies". That is infact an insult to us REAL hillbillies who live in the Appalachians. A flatlander is a redneck and can never be a hillbilly.

[ThePopulist]

99. I hope you're joking

I call all elitist racist anti-poor Southerners hicks, hillbillies, or rednecks.(take your pick lol) I can't stand them because they are the most arrogant elitist pricks you'll ever meet.

[JudyM]

105. Aww, c'mon - the most arrogant ones are our great leaders in DC!

Don't we wish they were as ineffectual as the country bumpkin types.

:puke:

[ThePopulist]

116. Well of course Washington is mostly scum.....

but then again at least half the turds out there are these same elitist Southern country clubbers. Just look at Dubya and Trent Lott.....lol

[sarcasmo]

100. I think they should call it a missing WHITE girl boycott.

[ThePopulist]

119. How's about missing RICH WHITE girl boycott. lol

Read this:

As you can see she's from Mountain Brook, AL - one of the wealthiest cities in that entire state:

http://www.companywebserver.net/natalee.htm

And now read this:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/13183479.htm

"....Friends and relatives held a brief ceremony signifying the removal of the ribbons - an omnipresent show of support in this cloistered, **WEALTHY** Birmingham suburb - to let the community know it was OK with the family for supporters to begin moving on......."

Emphasis** added on my part.

Okay, again, don't get me wrong I would love to see the girl found alive someplace but I mean I have to call a dog a dog when I see one if you know what I mean.....

[regnaD kciN]

113. I'm waiting...

...for the JonBenet Ramsey-inspired boycott of Colorado.

:eyes:

[Liberal Veteran]

4. That's good....

...cause it means that there will be less of the type that supports this boycott in Aruba if I ever visit.

[IndianaGreen]

5. Who cares about a missing rich blonde socialite in Aruba?

If Natalee Holloway were poor, fat, and ugly, we wouldn't be hearing a word about this.

I am sick and tired of seeing an out-of-breadth Rita Cosby announcing the latest breaking news from Aruba.

I the larger scheme of things, a missing blonde is not missed at all by those outside of her family.

[gulfbreeze]

8. This makes me ill....

How dare anyone talk about someones child who is probably dead like you did!!! Do you even have children? Have you ever lost one? I have and this is agonizing!! I'm sick of this talk!!!!!!!!!!!!

[marmar]

12. It's not about Natalee or her family...

It's about the larger point. Yes she's missing and it's tragic, but so are the stories of every other missing child (and there are plenty of them). If they were all reported equally, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[QC]

22. But a lot of people here make it about them.

All those comments about her being a drunken whore who pulled a train with those three guys and the comments about her family, etc. Some people can't seem to discuss the point about disparate media coverage without making it a personal attack on some very unfortunate people.

[gulfbreeze]

23. So, what does this statement mean?

"Who cares about a missing rich blonde socialite in Aruba?"

I do understand about the "point".

When you lose a child, in war, in a swimming pool, in a car accident, or as in Natalie's case, you're entire consciousness changes and you understand how everyone is equal. No one is more or less than anyone else. YOu understand the common ground like never before. You might ridicule the media!!!!! for not understanding... and only doing the stories on the white children, but you NEVER have the right to call this child a "missing rich blonde socialite" or YOU are the one who is just a horrible as the news media!!! I swear to you, if you knew for one second what this felt like as a mother, you would NEVER say those things.

Just like you would never say those things about Cindy Sheehan!!!! She represents many, many families suffering and is bringing the debate to the surface.

[IndianaGreen]

30. If she were black, ugly, and poor, you wouldn't be hearing about her

The fact that the media makes a big deal about her is because they are racists that only care about members of her socio-economic class.

This should have been a local story and nothing more!

[RazzleDazzle]

41. So since she's not black, ugly and poor, she doesn't deserve any

media coverage?

Your dismissive treatment of Natalee's case doesn't help the black, poor and ugly, you realize. It just hurts all women because it suggests that there are women who don't deserve media attention when they go missing, for whatever reasons you can dream up.

I don't agree that someone abducted and missing in a popular foreign tourist vacation destination should only be a local story, especially in these days where mere car chases in other American cities gets live news coverage on cable. People need to understand the risks of travel to certain places. This abduction isn't an isolated incidence in Aruba or the region.

There is some chance that she is still alive and like another young woman, whom I hesitate to identify as young and pretty for fear she will be scorned like Natalee, may have been abducted into sex slavery which is thriving in that region.

[LostinVA]

51. Her case doesn't warrant the huge amount of air it's gotten

Many, many Americans go missing every year in foreign countries -- in Central America and Caribbean countries. Just forget about the US. And we never hear about any of them. Zip. Nil. There is no reason for Ms. Holloway's disappearance to still eb getting so much airtime... the poor girl's memory and probable death is being USED by fame whores like Phil McGraw, and it is sickening... as is the MSM's refusal to "showcase" the deaths of Americans that aren't pretty young white girls. It's not a slam against Ms. Holloway's tragic case, but of the nuttiness of the MSM.

And, the Aruba boycott is frigging INSANE. The government and people did so much for this family, including spending almost half of their yearly law enforcement budget. And, the people of the island opened their homes and hearts to Beth Twitty, and what does she do? Bite the hand that eased her pain.....

[silvermachine]

83. Agree with you completely...

...while it is tragic, the reasons for the media focus on the case are monetary. And Beth Twitty has lost all credibility imo. She is addicted to the media spotlight now. And how much do you bet that she'll set up some kind of Natalee Foundation sometime soon, the primary function of said group being to keep Beth on tv and other media. Even if her daughter was found alive and well (which I don't really expect to happen, just speaking hypothetically), you won't have seen the last of Beth...

[PaulaFarrell]

80. Sex slavery thriving in that region?

What do you base that on? I have never heard of sex slavery in the Caribbean although it's pretty easy to find gigolos apparently.Or are you just talking about the Dutch Antilles? Do you have any sort of links about this - I'm interested because I have to go to the Carib on business occasionally.

[raccoon]

84. Or if she were an older woman. nt

[ThePopulist]

As marmar noted, take a look at the much bigger picture

I used to watch Unsolved Mysteries ALL the time. I can't tell you how many missing cases they had on there. They numbered easily in the hundreds. And believe me, nobody gave a shit then and nobody gives a shit now about those little kids who disappeared and were featured on the show. People only care about this particular girl because she's rich and pretty. Personally, I think she brought it on herself. What the fuck was she doing out the final night of her trip drunk with 3 foreign guys? You can't tell me they forced her to go with her when everybody agrees she voluntarily went. This whole thing is one big soap opera.

[Renew Deal]

13. That wasn't offensive.

It's actually a valid point. Would this story get the same attention if the victim was "old", a man, black, ugly, overweight, or anything else? I doubt it too.

[LisaL]

20. Most likely not. But one can no more help being pretty young girl, than

being old ugly fat man. It's stupid to boycott Aruba, though, considering how many pretty young girls go missing right here in US.

[saracat]

26. The point is many peoples children are being killed in Iraq as we speak.

And as unfortunate as the Natalee Holloway story is, it is not a big priority. For the record , I felt the same way about Chandra Levy and all the others. They were the personal tragedies of those involved and the attention of the world does not need to be deflected from those issues of national consequence.

[ThePopulist]

121. Damn Straight

We have thousands dying every year over there in that 3rd World shithole. That's far more important than the Holloway or Levy case. If anything, they should go after that Condit pervert for having an affair with his intern. Wasn't he the only dem ever censored by the party?? If so then I give him a kick.

:kick:

[Dances with Cats]

29. I'm from Bama

And there are numerous other "missing" children. No publicity for them, however, they are not from the GOP laden Mountain Brook area.
That whore NAncy Grace is keeping this going, too.....

[RazzleDazzle]

37. How heartless and cruel

and worse: quite possibly classist and sexist and bigoted against whites as well.

"a missing blonde (woman) is not missed at all by those outside of her family."

What brings on such "blond women are worthless and dont' deserve media attention if they go missing" sentiment? I can understand dissing Rita Cosby, but I can't understand the callous disregard of the welfare of THIS woman because not all missing women there in Aruba or here in the US/Alabama are tracked to suit your taste

If Natalee Holloway were poor, fat, and ugly, we wouldn't be hearing a word about this.

Well, if she had a bulldog of a mother who wouldn't let it go like Natalee's mother won't let it go, you just might be hearing about it. So in the meantime why don't we work on getting poor, fat and ugly women also covered adequately by the media? We can do this while we're also supporting efforts to find out what happened to Natalee, starting with a thorough investigation which hasn't yet happened.

I hope you will explain to those of us shocked by your callous commments where you're coming from because we might be tempted to think badly of you. Those comments are pretty ugly and insensitive.

[iamjoy]

62. You Forget, If Natalee Were BLACK

now, not to disparage her family or minimize their grief, but the media largely ignores missing women of African descent - unless of course, whe is wanted for questioning in some criminal matter.

[Renew Deal]

9. This is dumb.

It's not Aruba's fault she was disappeared and that she wasn't found. Besides that, the FBI had unlimited access to the island. Should we boycott the FBI? :shrug:

[RazzleDazzle]

40. You're wrong on all counts

It most likely is Aruba's fault she went missing -- they are failing to adequately protect visitors. That she hasn't been found is also a failing of the investigation, which has never been properly conducted. And the FBI was never allowed a role in the investigation.

[kath]

42. "failing to adequately protect visitors" - WTF???

[LostinVA]

53. No, they DID protect visitors -- personal responsibility, Razzle

Ms. Holloway was legally an adult, she had friends with here, chaperones who didn't do their jobs. In college, none of us would ever have went off with people we didn't know, and if we were that nuts, our friends wouldn't have let us go. Am I blaming the victim? Of course not. I'm saying this was a very unfortunate incident that happens all the time because many kids this age act like idiots. It wasn't Aruba's fault this happened, and SHAME on you for saying it is! This young woman made some bad choices that night, that lead to whatever events that ended i her death. Because we know she's dead. But they were her choices, alas, not Aruba's.

I wish her Mom would let her rest in peace, because Natalee deserves that.

[silvermachine]

86. You've been there on top of the investigation?

<<It most likely is Aruba's fault she went missing -- they are failing to adequately protect visitors.>>

And you have first hand knowledge of this?

<<<That she hasn't been found is also a failing of the investigation>>>

Seems like merely a lack of evidence from what I've seen and read.

<<<And the FBI was never allowed a role in the investigation.>>>

Not true. Perhaps the Aruban authorities didn't feel like being bulldozed by them but the FBI have certainly played a role in the investigation.

[Realityhack]

106. Actualy... you are wrong on all counts.

Your way WAY off base, I don't even know where to start with that...

> It most likely is Aruba's fault she went missing -- they are failing to adequately protect visitors.
Your kidding right? 'failing to adequately protect visitors'?!? Get a clue. How many visitors to the US do you think went missing last year?
Tell you what. When we have a 0 violent crime rate... or even 0 violent crimes against forieners on US soil for a year come back and whine about Arubas secrity for their visitors.

> That she hasn't been found is also a failing of the investigation, which has never been properly conducted.
The case has probobly been investigated far more than the vast majority of dissaperances in the US.

> And the FBI was never allowed a role in the investigation.
Actualy they were. That statement is a direct odds with the facts of the situation. And when was the last time you heard of dozens of Aruban law enforcement personell comming here and demanding we open our doors on a case to them?

[ste]

10. childish

The whole idea of this boycott is very childish, to me atleast.

[Benhurst]

11. Without the big spenders from Alabama, Aruba will fall within a week. NT

[carla]

75. I am Dutch.

I could start a boycott against the USA because of all the death and destruction you have brought on the world. We, the Dutch, have done all we can to find this "party girl". I didn't teach my daughter to get drunk with strangers and wander away from the safety of her friends. It is sad that Natalee Holloway wasn't reatred properly by her own family. To blame us is patently absurd. I feel as if I will start that USA Boycott afterall...

[bleedingheart]

81. blaming the victim in any case is not cool...

many young men and women get drunk every day...but that doesn't mean someone should hurt them.

[brentspeak]

95. "Death and destruction you have brought on the world..."

Ok, there is Iraq. And, what else?

Considering all the legal teenage prostitution that goes on in the Netherlands, the Dutch are hardly in a position to lecture Americans on how to raise its children.

[QC]

102. Yeah, but those child prostitutes get to smoke pot!

And they have excellent health care, so it all evens out. :sarcasm:

[carla]

76. I am Dutch.

I could start a boycott against the USA because of all the death and destruction you have brought on the world. We, the Dutch, have done all we can to find this "party girl". I didn't teach my daughter to get drunk with strangers and wander away from the safety of her friends. It is sad that Natalee Holloway wasn't reared properly by her own family. To blame us is patently absurd. I feel as if I will start that USA Boycott afterall...

[apollo56]

110. What a joke

I travel there every year and that is not going to happen. I think it will be better not to have a few people Alb messing things up. Most travelers are not from Alb and most are from other countries! I looked up to see how many girls where missing in Alb and there are a lot. Let's look for all of them instead of just one. Her Mother is as fault for letting her daughter go alone. It is another country with different laws. So tired of hearing Christians wanting to rule everything.

[kevinbgoode]

15. Wow...so Alabama residents won't be cruising to Aruba

I'm sure Aruba will declare bankruptcy.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

54. self-delete

.

[LisaL]

18. I am here in Columbus OH. We have five-six pretty young

girls missing in the recent years. Police, as usual, haven't got a clue.
I hope those Alabama folks going to boycott the rest of the US, cause I am pretty sure every major city has it's share of missing young pretty girls.
Stick to Alabama, folks, and delude yourself that no crime is ever committed there. Better yet, never leave your house, cause I am pretty sure Alabama got it's share of crime too.

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Fox News will fold, too. No news to break for the 10, 867th time

[brentspeak]

24. Something's wrong if Aruban authorities havn't figured out what happened

The three Aruban residents who left the bar with Nathalee Holloway know more than they are letting on.

[LostinVA]

60. Who says they haven;t figured out what happened?

Figuring it out and being about to arrest are two different things. John Douglas says the FBI knows who the Tylenol Killer was... they had enough evidence so that they knew, but not enough to arrest and convict him. So, they basically let the guy know he was being watched, and did so. FYI: Douglas said the guy did it to kill his wife, and had to tamper with the meds to make it look like a crazed killer was on the loose.

[LisaL]

67. Exactly. There are so many cases right here in US, where

police have a pretty good idea who done it, but can not make an arrest because there isn't enough evidence to convict. The exact same thing would happen here, if there was a missing girl but no body.
Even if police had a pretty good idea on who had killed that girl.

[silvermachine]

85. Figuring it out is one thing...

...proving it in a court of law can be another. I think that's the case here. Hardly the first time it's happened on this planet, Aruba, the US, or anywhere else.

[bluestateguy]

25. Not a priority

This nation is at war.

[jakefrep]

27. I might take a vacation to Aruba...

...just to spite the assholes that started the boycott.

[LostinVA]

55. We were planning to go to Mexico in May, but are trying to

see if we cabs wing Aruba, instead....

[daleo]

28. I have a hunch most of the boycotters couldn't afford that vacation anyway

The "even if they won a free trip" part is the clincher.

[Dances with Cats]

31. Alabamian tourists

Take a ten dollar bill and the Ten Commandments and don't break either one, hehe...

[gulfbreeze]

32. You know.....

Why is it you feel compelled to evicerate an entire group of people or an entire state, for the actions of a few?????? This is called stereotyping. You can't make a difference if you play the same game as the GOP!

[Dances with Cats]

33. Are you talking to me?

I'm from Alabama and still live here, Ace....

[gulfbreeze]

34. Yes, I'm talking to you

[ugarte]

35. If Alabama boycotts Aruba, I'm boycotting Alabama

It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to try to stay away.

:rofl:

[gulfbreeze]

36. I'm glad you think it's funny..............

It's NOT..............It's about as funny as Cindy Sheehan losing her son! Your child is your child.

[sofa king]

38. It's funny because there is nobody to blame.

Look, the "child" was a woman who went to an island, got drunk, screwed on the beach, and then went for a swim alone in the dark in the ocean.

What's funny is that the prople of the state of Alabama are having trouble seeing it that way, and now they're about to do something stupid and pointless.

"Funny" doesn't have to be positive. This is a fine example of dark humor, a comic symbol of our nation's inability to take responsibility for our own actions. Well, I'm sorry to say it, but the woman took responsibility for her own actions--by default.

[LisaL]

63. Unless you claim to be a freaking psychic, you have no clue

what had actually happened to the girl.

[sofa king]

71. I have a pretty damned good clue, actually.

Because this bullshit story has been wasting space in the news for the better part of a year. There were three witnesses who saw her on the beach, one of them fucked her, and says he left.

Now, you can go ahead and believe that those three guys conspired to kill her, and then managed to stick to their story under immense worldwide public pressure.

Or, you can believe the drunk chick went for a swim, as the witnesses say she said she was going to do.

On edit: what is the importance of the guy admitting he had sex with her? The importance is that it harms his own case. He didn't have to admit it, but he did. I think that if the guy knew this poor woman was sleeping with the fishes, he would realize he doesn't have to admit anything at all.

And anyway, do you think Alabama has a better clue about what happened to her?

And one more thing. You know why this case became such big news? I have a pretty good guess. A lot of reporters probably found the prospect of a nice fact-finding mission to Aruba and Amsterdam to be rather more attractive than being lied to by a bunch of rich old white guys in Washington.

[brentspeak]

94. Yeah, uh, case closed

You don't have any more idea what happened to the girl than does Nancy Grace.

I wonder what you'd really think if it were your daughter or sister that was missing.

[ugarte]

46. What's funny is not the missing girl

What's funny is Dr. Phil, Nancy Grace, a grandstanding corn-pone Alabama governor and anyone else who calls for a boycott of another country over an unsolved crime. How many unsolved murders do you suppose there are in the state of Alabama? A few more than in Aruba, I imagine.

[LostinVA]

58. Great post -- sanest on this thread.

[Dances with Cats]

47. I thhink you are probably alright

but are overreacting with your accusations of stereotyping. This was a publicity stunt by Gov. Bob Riley who is having to face teh demon of hell Judge Roy Moore in the GOP Primary next year. Further, why bhurt the 99% of Arubans who had NOTHING to do with this regrettable incident?

[silvermachine]

87. This is rich....

....what do you think the good simple folk of Alabama are doing to the Arubans??????????????????

[Name removed]

98. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dances with Cats]

101. truth

That is the damn truth. I gotta get the fuck outta here.

[Roland99]

97. That was my first thought!

:D

[reprobate]

39. There are reports that she and other missing young women.......

....are being held at a white slaver compound on neighboring Curacao.


Now if Mad George wanted to invade someone, he could send some marines over there and see how many missing women are still alive on Curacao.

[LostinVA]

59. There is no evidence of this -- none

The only reason it's getting ANY ink is because Dr. Phil's babbling about it. Are they white slavers in the region? Yes. ARe there white slavers in the US? Yup. But ZERO evidence Ms. Holloway is being held. The actual fact is that that's quite ludicrous.

And, do I have evidence that it isn;t true? No, because I don't have to prove a negative -- that's an irrational, illogical way to argue. Negatives are not what must be proven.

[Realityhack]

108. Looks like its tinfoil hat time.

I hope to god you never get in a position of any power. You just advocated an invasion on even less evidence than shithead had for invading Iraq.

[damntexdem]

43. Well, good for them. They can boycott to their hearts' content.

Come to think of it, I haven't gone to Aruba, either, and I'm unlikely to.

[Initech]

44. I think I've got my summer vacation planned!

Thank you, Alabama! :woohoo:

[MarsThe Cat]

45. Aruba supports Alabama boycott of Aruba-

that's probably the best news their travel bureau has had in quite awhile.

[Dances with Cats]

48. Love your name!

n/t

[MarsThe Cat]

49. it's the name of our red tabby...

god of war, and all.

and red.

[Dances with Cats]

56. cool kitty

I once had a big old orange polydactil (6 toes) tabby name of "Lasher" What a fine friend he was for a decade or so.
My kitty PencilTail sez a hearty Nre'faao to Mars.

[MarsThe Cat]

61. speaking of extra toes...

She-Ra, our siamese/himalayan mix has 7 toes on each front foot, and 6 in the back.

we had to have her declawed(in the front) because she had 2 claws that were grown together on one foot, and as such they couldn't retract.

[Dances with Cats]

91. Wow

that kitty has a lot of toes! Hope you and Mars find this message!

[Realityhack]

107. LOL... thats great! n/t

[WMliberal]

69. and Aruba will be set back tens of dollars.

In the mean time, I'll boycott Alabama for all of its missing children and their government's shoddy investigation of the disappearances. Never mind that I wasn't ever planning on going there... :crazy:

[mitchum]

72. Well, that's just dumb

And I agree with the posters who say that the authorities may have a very good idea about the person(s) responsible, but can't make a case.
What do the people of Alabama want? A confession beaten out of them?

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Alamom]

78. George Wallace is dead and the connection is .......

:shrug:

I agree completely. The media has gone way over the edge in national coverage of this story. I don't believe anyone from Alabama dictates what the media does.

However, it seems like a lot of people like to make a big deal out of everything they can whether the subject warrants a "big deal" or not.

The USA Polling Group, surveyed 400 adult residents of Alabama.

Population, 2004 estimate 4,530,182
400 people polled......Not a good representation of what the majority of the population of Alabama thinks.

Alabama does have a Republican Governor who is an idiot.
About 27 other states have the same, many of them making total asses of themselves at any given time.

Alabama ranks # 18 in crime...not good, but not the worst by far.

"Update"
George Wallace has been dead for years. He lived the last 26 years of his life paralyzed from the waist down after being shot 5 times by Arthur Bremer of Milwaukee.
If all politicians had to pay this price for being bad, wrong, rascist or criminal... ... we "would" possibly have better politicians.
I do not condone violence...just making an observation.

I somehow have missed the the rascist and xenophobe boxes on the Alabama ballots. I would have voted against it.

Serious note. The remarks about the young woman and the parents are incredibly cruel & heartless. Losing a child, even an adult child is the most horrible tragedy a parent can suffer. Sometimes it takes years to even comprehend what has happened and the family is never the same again. A part of your life is gone. When you know what has happened to them, there is a type of closure at some point for most.

When you don't know, getting through the stages of grief & loss is almost impossible. The Mother will turn to anyone who offers to help. She can't help it.
She doesn't realize she is being used for sensationalism.


Do I know about losing a child.....yes.

[pinniped]

79. These morans couldn't even find it on a map.

They think it's next to Alaska because all countries are alphabetical on the world map.

[pitohui]

82. i've heard some dumb-all ideas in my life

by all means, while boycotting aruba i'll boycott rolls royce too just for shits and giggles

[Brooklyn Michael]

88. I'm sorry, but that's just assinine....

Exactly how many Alabamans (?) were even considering going to Aruba in the first place? How many have the inclination, money, or even knowledge of where it is?

Now, apologies to any educated Alabama Dems on here, but it's my least-favorite state for reasons of personal experience and objective observation. But this whole "boycott" thing has my stupid-o-meter going berserk.....

For example - two weeks ago, as I was in the middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania (population 17 or so), I saw an big-ass Jeep with the bumper-sticker "Boycott France!" on it. Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and make a few assumptions about the vehicle's owner:

1) I'm going to guess the owner wasn't a fancy red wine drinker.

2) I'm also going to guess that they weren't a big fan of brie, camembert, roquefort, or other fancy French cheeses.

3) I think it's pretty safe to say they've never even HEARD of French pop music, much less enjoyed it...

So, I ask you.....

what the @#$%^&*! are they boycotting?!?!?

Answer: They're not boycotting anything. Just an empty slogan to make their small minds feel better.

[demo dutch]

89. WHO CARES!

[Skidmore]

90. As if three-quarters of Alabama residents will ever go to Aruba

in their lifetimes.

[noonwitch]

92. Don't let your kids go out of the country on a high school trip!

Hell, don't let them go to Florida if they are not supervised, and either under 18 or just turned 18. Just because your kid is technically an adult, doesn't mean that he or she is ready to be a responsible traveler. It also doesn't mean you don't have any authority to stop them, either. If they want your help paying for college, if they want to continue to live in your home for a low rent, if they want to drive your car, etc., then they have to obey your rules or move out. Parents wuss out with their young adults when they shouldn't. If they have too much money, make them pay for more of their own expenses. Don't let them accumulate a couple of grand to spend on a stupid drunken vacation.

[Name removed]

96. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[apollo56]

109. So tired of hearing about this story

I feel for her Mother but why on earth did she let her daughter go alone to another country on her on. She shares just as much blame as anyone else. Move on with your life!

[superconnected]

112. I don't believe people who lose a kid should be told to just move on with

their life. If there's a chance her kid is alive, she should keep seeking news and looking.

Now being on the reciepient of the news, yeah, it's taking away from the national news and it's unfair that her kid gets all the media. Still I don't blame her.

As far as the mothers fault. Give me a break. The kid was 18. Many parents would assume the trip to be safe and consider it an opportunity of a life time for their kid.

Let's just protest the fact that other races aren't getting this kind of coverage, and that it's taking away from the bush admins crap being in the public face.

No need to blame the victim's mother.

[apollo56]

117. Shame on you

There are so many missing girls - we need to try o help more than one. The energy spent could have saved many girls and having been there many times - it only makes the US more disliked. I was in England recently and you have no idea how much people dislike what the US stand for - just look at Bush and when we spend all our time on one story it is a waste of energy.

[superconnected]

123. shame on yourself.

we don't need to throw away any of them.

My you're getting hypocritical by abandoning one while touting all the others.

Sure one is getting more media, good for her. It's sad all can't. But it doesn't mean you need to attack the one who is lucky enough to get the press.

Like I said, don't be such a hypocrite and act like you care about all the girls if you consider some or even one not worth it.

Ewww. Some humanitarian.

[QC]

125. "when we spend all our time on one story it is a waste of energy"

And yet whenever anyone has posted a thread on this subject, it has quickly grown to a hundred posts or more.

It looks like we at DU are every bit as obsessed with this story as the hausfraus who watch Nancy Grace.

[IndianaGreen]

122. Yes, I will blame Natalee's mother!

There is no evidence of foul play. There is no evidence that Natalee was murdered by the 3 suspects. If this had happened in America, there is not enough evidence to even hold the suspects!

What does Natalee's mother wants that I find so despicable? She wants the Aruban authorities to hold the 3 young men in jail indefinitely, sort of like we are doing with the Guantanamo detainees, and put enough pressure on them to extract a confession from them (like Cheney's torture).

Perhaps Natalee's mother doesn't care about little things like evidence, and the rights of the accused, and due process, but I do. The only incontrovertible facts in this case is that Natalee partied with the 3 young men, period. Unless and until there is evidence that shows that there was foul play and that one or more of the young men were involved in it, there is nothing else to go on. There are thousands of missing persons in the US that have grown cold, the difference between them and the Natalee case is the wealth and political influence of Natalee's family.

[Dances with Cats]

111. just for kicks

KICK (pardon the pun) See, I'm stuck here in the Red State of Alabama and it cheers me up to hear these wingnuts get pummelled by my fellow DUers!

[DaveColorado]

114. Those numbers would be reversed had it been a black girl

[QC]

115. Many DUers are always willing to beat up on Southerners,

religious people, working people, country folks, etc. You'll get to see it a lot. For many people, it seems, being a Progressive is mainly a matter of expressing one's disdain for The Great Unwashed. It's much easier (and more fun) than all that hopelessly old-fashioned stuff about standing up for the downtrodden and defending the people against the powerful and so on.

I don't know what you mean by stuck, though. It's been a while since I was in Alabama--have they closed the highways or something? Started requiring a special dispensation to cross the state line?

[DFWJock]

124. Note to Aruba:

Alabama wont be coming, might as well close up shop.

[Dances with Cats]

126. Good 'un!

Thanks for the reply, no the highways aren't closed. I work a seasonal job from March to November in the lovely Blue State of Oregon but always return to the south under the guise of the HOLIDAYS and end up spending a long tow or three months here surrounded by the wild eyed wing nuts of this especially red part of a red state. If economics allowed I would remain out west year 'round and maybe soon they will.

[progressivebydesign]

127. I think that is ridiculous.

Sorry for the family's loss and the not-knowing part. But, the mother acted as if there was no other business in Aruba for the government but finding her daughter. Terrible things happen, and I just don't think an entire government is required to stop everything to find one person. Oh.. if ONLY the people of Alabama would give a shit about the numerous non-cute women who are murdered in Alabama.

[DarbyUSMC]

128. They will likely change the song, doncha think?

Kokomo
------Beach Boys

Barbados , Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go