Arubian Anger

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

I was wondering when the people of Aruba were going to get sick of the innunedo and insults that have been made against their government, their people and their justice system by the Holloway family and the US media. Check out this story...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050706/D8B5SJIG0.html

I have sympathy for them. I have a daughter their age and I would be devestated if anything happened to her. But the harsh reality of this case is that this girl apparently was out in a bar, was reportedly intoxicated and reportedly left he bar with people she did not know. I remember seeing a friend of hers on TV in the first few days after she was missing. She something to the effect that there were chaperones, but that the chaperones were "probably too involved" in what they were doing. It was "understood" that the girls were going down there and would be on their own. That is a recipe for disaster.

The media has vilified the government, the cops and the justice system. Calls for the FBI to assume the investigation are a joke. Aruba is a sovereign nation. The FBI has zero jurisdiction in a case like this unless they are invited in. I don't see an invite coming.

Now the Arubians are ****ed. I personally don't blame them.

[BFDNJFF]

Now the Arubians are ****ed. I personally don't blame them.

Neither do I, But i do think they should allow the FBI to be of more assistance or is it they are hoping nothing comes out of there investigation?

[RoughRider]

Originally posted by GeorgeWendtCFI
I was wondering when the people of Aruba were going to get sick of the innunedo and insults that have been made against their government, their people and their justice system by the Holloway family and the US media. Check out this story...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050706/D8B5SJIG0.html

I have sympathy for them. I have a daughter their age and I would be devestated if anything happened to her. But the harsh reality of this case is that this girl apparently was out in a bar, was reportedly intoxicated and reportedly left he bar with people she did not know. I remember seeing a friend of hers on TV in the first few days after she was missing. She something to the effect that there were chaperones, but that the chaperones were "probably too involved" in what they were doing. It was "understood" that the girls were going down there and would be on their own. That is a recipe for disaster.

The media has vilified the government, the cops and the justice system. Calls for the FBI to assume the investigation are a joke. Aruba is a sovereign nation. The FBI has zero jurisdiction in a case like this unless they are invited in. I don't see an invite coming.

Now the Arubians are ****ed. I personally don't blame them.

I don't blame the mother for single handedly keeping the story alive by staying in front of the camera in an effort to find her daughter.
I would do the same. That said, I know Aruba is not a banana republic
and we should not pass judgment on their system before all is played out.

[SAFD46Truck]

Originally posted by BFDNJFF


Neither do I, But i do think they should allow the FBI to be of more assistance or is it they are hoping nothing comes out of there investigation?

Without a conviction there is no murder, just a missing person. Murders are bad for tourism. My sympathy is with the Holloways.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

Originally posted by BFDNJFF


Neither do I, But i do think they should allow the FBI to be of more assistance or is it they are hoping nothing comes out of there investigation?

The FBI has no authority to even ask to be involved in this investigation. Let's be real here...the FBI is not all that effective in this type of investigation in the US. They take the lead, but they rely on the use of local law enforcement to accomplish much of the investigation. Put them in a country where they have no official powers or relationship with the law enforcement agencies in Aruba and you have a situation where they probably would not make any difference.

There were mistakes made in the initial stages of the invest that have probably doomed the investigation and made any hope of a succesful prosecution highly unlikely. But remember, there were mistakes made in the OJ case and there were mistakes made in the Jon Bonet Ramsey case that killed those investigations as well.

As I said, I feel for the Holloways, but she is making a bad situation worse. If she continues this, the media is going to bail.

[Bones42]

I agree with George's comments.

My daughter is 9 and when she turns 17-18, I would not let her go to an island with 124 other 17-18 year olds and ONLY 7 chaperones. Let alone the fact that my school would never allow such a low ratio of chaperones.

[StayBack500FT]

George and Bones - I couldn't agree more.

[firenresq77]

Originally posted by Bones42
I agree with George's comments.

My daughter is 9 and when she turns 17-18, I would not let her go to an island with 124 other 17-18 year olds and ONLY 7 chaperones. Let alone the fact that my school would never allow such a low ratio of chaperones.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this trip sounded odd.......

[DaSharkie]

While this obviously a sad point in the lives of the family and Aruba, I tend to agree with the country. Let them investigate. The FBI has no jurisdiction or authority.

What I really hate about these "high profile" kidnappings is that the media only takes notice of them for a couple of reasons it seems:

1) the victims are all women.
2) they are relatively attractive.
3) they are from financially comfortable families.
4) they are all white.

Thousands of people go missing every year in this country, why are Laci Peterson, the Runaway Bride, Chandra Levy, or this girl any more important than some poor little Asian or Black girl that has been kidnapped, raped, mutilated, or killed?

It just disgusts me. My view may not be popular, but I just can't pay attention to it anymore.

[hwoods]

I admit to having disagreed with Sharkie, once or twice, but not this time. He has hit on a sore subject with me also. Why do a few certain cases become front page news, while others are ignored? With all due respect, One case should NOT be covered to death (no pun intended) while another is never mentioned. As a Father, and Grandfather, my heart goes out to the families involved, but this is rapidly becoming a circus. Nothing good can come from the direction that events are taking in this matter.

[ThNozzleman]

It just disgusts me. My view may not be popular, but I just can't pay attention to it anymore.

Exactly. I am SO frickin' tired of the over-produced mini-series that passes for "news" in this day and age. A woman was raped and brutally murdered on my street a few months ago, and the case is still unsolved. Why isn't national news dedicating five hours a day to her? And the deal with the Dutch F-16's flying around in an attempt to locate her body...give me a break.

[hwoods]

Originally posted by ThNozzleman

And the deal with the Dutch F-16's flying around in an attempt to locate her body...give me a break.

F16s???? You ARE kidding, right?? That's about as useful as 2 people looking out the windows of a 747. I'm no pilot, but a thorough search from anything that flies that fast is impossible. Idiots abound. And, as people point fingers all over the place, I'll tell you where mine is pointed. Parents are responsible for their minor children. Period.

[ThNozzleman]

Nope, I'm pretty sure they used at least three of them. I'm sure they were equipped with some pretty advanced observation equipment...but it still seems like overkill.
http://nytimes.com/2005/07/03/nation...pagewanted=all

[firemanpat29]

I just heard the mother apologizing on CNN. 13:00 07-08-05

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

I'm sitting here watching Fox News and Natalie Holloway pops up again (just like she does every day). I am completely convinced that this woman simply enjoys this attention to no end. She talks to Greta and Co. as though they are her best friends. Now she is asking for help from the Arubans telling them to please call with any info they have and it won't be given out to the media.

Yeah. Right.

[RoughRider]

I'm sitting here watching Fox News and Natalie Holloway pops up again (just like she does every day). I am completely convinced that this woman simply enjoys this attention to no end. She talks to Greta and Co. as though they are her best friends. Now she is asking for help from the Arubans telling them to please call with any info they have and it won't be given out to the media.

Yeah. Right.

George,

I agree with you about what has become of the BS news cycle. But, If that was your daughter wouldnt you bang the drum until you found the body??

Perhaps, you would use a different approach but I dont blame a mother trying to keep the pressure up to recover the remains of her daughter.

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

George,

I agree with you about what has become of the BS news cycle. But, If that was your daughter wouldnt you bang the drum until you found the body??

Perhaps, you would use a different approach but I dont blame a mother trying to keep the pressure up to recover the remains of her daughter.

Their daughter is missing on an island that is a little bigger than the town I live in. If she wanted to bang the drum, she coud go friggin' door to door instead of getting face time on Greta and Geraldo every night. I would also be working with the local PD and trying to be as cooperative as I could. I wouldn't be out there criticizing every move they make.

If it was my daughter, instead of having my hair and makeup done for TV interviews, I would be crawling through every cave and every dumpster and every landfill on that island to try to find her myself.

[RoughRider]

Yeah, I was much more sympathetic of her actions in the beginning.

[turnout733]

It was mentioned that this is a trend there. Uh, so why do these people keep sending their children into the grinder and then are shocked when they don't come home?

Is there nowhere else for them to vacation? Oh, i forgot, there is other places. But in the other places its difficult for underage kids to drink all night and spend the night on the beach with whomever they chose.

What was i thinking, Aruba is the perfect vacation spot for teens, without your parents of course.

Everyone with half a brain knows why your child goes to Aruba or Southern Mexico without you.

[Emberxx]

You guys have some good points. But after reading a few of the posts, my question is at what point would you consider that your minor children become adults?

This girl was 18, a high school graduate, and she was also considered highly intelligent and mature. Granted, it was a school trip, however, those same kids are going to be going to college in two months.

On another note - I agree whole heartedly that this kind of media does far more harm than good. People get tired of seeing the same thing over and over - not to mention that they do not cover everyone in that situation equally.

But I won't judge the mother. Not being in her shoes, who knows what's going through her mind right now? Maybe she is doing things incorrectly - but there's no handbook that tells you the steps to take when your child is suddenly gone without a trace. Do you think she cares two whits what the Arubans think of her right now? I doubt it.