Governor of Alabama boycotts Aruba

[ScubaJim]

Gov Bob Riley announced a state wide boycott of Aruba and asks other governers to join in the boycott of Aruba until justice is served.

So my question to you are you for or against a nation wide boycott of Aruba or not?

[smeyer418]

against, but I agree with the Governor I would not send my daughter there by herself.

[JerseyMom]

I am also against the boycott. Like smeyer418 I also would never have sent my 18 year old on a drinking vacation with 100 other 17 and 18 year olds to Aruba, Cancun or even Atlantic City.

[Schplinky]

I'm much more likely to boycott Alabama.

[Hot2Travel]

Gov Bob Riley announced a state wide boycott of Aruba and asks other governers to join in the boycott of Aruba until justice is served.

So my question to you are you for or against a nation wide boycott of Aruba or not?

 

Absolutely boycott Aruba until the government fully cooperates with the investigation of Natalie Hollaway. They keep changing their story and now blame the Dutch authorities for the judicial system. Why did they not say this six months ago? :(

[welove2cruise*]

I found what someone else on these boards said very thought provoking - if you boycott Aruba for the Natalie case - then do we boycott California for the O.J. and Michael Jackson cases?

[DandyCandy]

I'm much more likely to boycott Alabama.

 

AMEN!

[ScubaJim]

I am also against the boycott. Like smeyer418 I also would never have sent my 18 year old on a drinking vacation with 100 other 17 and 18 year olds to Aruba, Cancun or even Atlantic City.

I have to agree with you 100%. I think you said it all and what was the real problem. Where were the adults and chaparones?

[mrrick747]

I would have originally said "no boycott", this was an infortunate incident and no reflection on the Aruban people, however, after watching a show last week I have changed my mind. A group of Texans donated time, money and some very expensive equipment to scan the shallow waters near Aruba and did so without success but after that they requested permission from the Aruban Govt to bring in (at their own expense) even more sophisticated equiptment to do deep water searches....they were denied and had to pack uo and go home. Regardless of whos at fault, I would expect the Country to do anything and everything that they could to find my daughter......they havent!...not opinion...fact.

 

Sorry Aruba.....Boycott for me! Rick

[Schplinky]

The US declines assistance from other countries all the time. If someone from Aruba (or Canada or whatever) was hurt in Alabama and our government called the White House to say we were sending in our own people, what do you think the response would be? Before you answer, you should recall that the White house's first response after Katrina was that the US takes care of its own and that there was no need for assistamce because they had everything under control.

 

It is sad, the industry that is being made out of this girl. Folks are wtahcing shows (and the ad time bought on them), buying book s and magazines and the like, all the while ignoring injustices far closer to home. It also seems that this girl's mother had more than one child. Who is mothering the other one while she is out making her crusade (and a book deal, likely).

[mikvie]

Absolutely boycott Aruba until the government fully cooperates with the investigation of Natalie Hollaway. They keep changing their story and now blame the Dutch authorities for the judicial system. Why did they not say this six months ago? :(

I AGREE

[Coolcruise02]

NO, I will not boycott Aruba, I will be there in 10 days. We would not be able to travel anywhere if we boycotted every town or country that had an unsolved missing persons case or a botched investigation.

[ladycaveat]

I would have originally said "no boycott", this was an infortunate incident and no reflection on the Aruban people, however, after watching a show last week I have changed my mind. A group of Texans donated time, money and some very expensive equipment to scan the shallow waters near Aruba and did so without success but after that they requested permission from the Aruban Govt to bring in (at their own expense) even more sophisticated equiptment to do deep water searches....they were denied and had to pack uo and go home. Regardless of whos at fault, I would expect the Country to do anything and everything that they could to find my daughter......they havent!...not opinion...fact.

 

Sorry Aruba.....Boycott for me! Rick

 

 

Let me guess . . . the program was on FOX News?

[ladycaveat]

The US declines assistance from other countries all the time. If someone from Aruba (or Canada or whatever) was hurt in Alabama and our government called the White House to say we were sending in our own people, what do you think the response would be? Before you answer, you should recall that the White house's first response after Katrina was that the US takes care of its own and that there was no need for assistamce because they had everything under control.

 

It is sad, the industry that is being made out of this girl. Folks are wtahcing shows (and the ad time bought on them), buying book s and magazines and the like, all the while ignoring injustices far closer to home. It also seems that this girl's mother had more than one child. Who is mothering the other one while she is out making her crusade (and a book deal, likely).

 

 

I couldn't agree more . . .

[ladycaveat]

As I posted on another site . . . .

 

Current missing children list from ALABAMA:

http://www.dps.state.al.us/public/ab...g/children.asp

 

 

Oh my goodness . . . poor Governor Riley . . . now he's gonna have to declare a boycott on Alabama. I'm sure that if his state would have done a better job of investigating the disappearance of these children . . . they would have been found. I feel so sorry for all those people who live in Alabama . . . I know they didn't have anything to do with the disappearances but darn . . . they live in Alabama and someone has to pay for the "incredibly cruel and selfish government of Alabama to put their own economical desires above justice."

__________________

[smeyer418]

I thought the Texas group left because they had run out of money. Aruba brought in Dutch military to look as well as the FBI was allowed to use their equipment(to no avail).

[Titan(ic)5.6]

I wish people would boycott improperly chaperoned teenage trips.

[ladycaveat]

I wish people would boycott improperly chaperoned teenage trips.

 

I find it very interesting that of all the people interviewed during the past six months . . . the Holloways/Twittys (adnauseam), reporters in Aruba, some newspaper writer in Aruba and dozens of "talking heads" . . . but not once have I seen an interview with the people that were sent there to watch over these kids on their trip to Aruba . . . the chaperones . . . those sent to be sure the kids in their care behaved themselves and were safe. Where where they when Natalee got drunk and went off with three strangers? Why did they allow these underage kids to even go to Carlos and Charlie? I mean . . . I'm 58 years old and I've been there. This is definately not a place for seventeen year old kids. Why were they allowed to go there? Where were the chaperones? I've also seen very little, if any, interviews with the classmates Natalee was with during her trip to Aruba.

 

While stones are being thrown at Aruba . . . maybe the chaperones and friends need to step up to the plate and explain exactly where they were and why Natalee wasn't being watched over . . . why her friends seemed to not care where she was and who she left with and why in the heck her "chaperones" let these kids go to Carlos and Charlies' in the first place!

[cruisienewbie]

I'm from Alabama and I say no to the boycott. In fact I'm headed for a cruise going there in a few hours.

[Lightsluvr]

In this matter, the governor of Alabama probably doesn't speak for the majority of his constituents, and he surely doesn't deserve a bully pulpit to call for the boycott of an independent nation. (I noticed Beth Twitty in the background during his announcement.) Gov. Riley, tend to the problems in your state...casting stones is reserved to those without fault.

 

I agree with ladycaveat on the chaperone culpability issue. Where were MSNBC, CNN and FOX in tracking down and hounding the chaperones who allowed this activity under their watch? Why didn't they park their cameras and shouting heads at the doorstep of these people? (Alabamans, I wager.)

 

We are going to Aruba in April. I plan to get off the ship and enjoy my time there. No, we won't go to Carlos & Charlies and get falling down drunk, but I am sure some of our fellow cruisers will make that choice.

 

I have one question - who the heck is financing this campaign? Who is paying the Holloway/Twitty expenses in this vendetta? I know that the immediate family was given free lodging by a wealthy Aruban during the initial search...until they began to wear out their welcome...

 

LL

[stevecw]

I will not boycott Aruba, but possibly Alabama.

[ladycaveat]

I'm from Alabama and I say no to the boycott. In fact I'm headed for a cruise going there in a few hours.

 

I've been to Alabama more times than I can remember (I was a flight attendant with United for twenty years before going to law school . . . and graduating at the age 52). I loved Alabama and the people there were so nice . . . I think "Southern Hospitality" when I think about the people in Alabama. I am sure you are not in the minority. Most sane people, which all but a very small minority in Alabama (and elsewhere) are, realize that a boycott of Aruba is one of the most ridiculous things a governor of any state has ever done. Sort of ranks up there with what George Wallace did back in the 60's.

 

Those that favor a boycott say that the government of Aruba is not doing all they should to find Natalee due to the fact that one of the young men last seen with Natalee has a father that is in training to be a judge. I just wonder how "well connected" the Holloway/Twitty family is to get a governor of Alabama to actually call for a boycott of a Caribbean Island.

[JerseyMom]

I just wonder how "well connected" the Holloway/Twitty family is to get a governor of Alabama to actually call for a boycott of a Caribbean Island.

 

If it helps, I believe there is quite a bit of money in the family. Mrs. Twitty's own attorney in Aruba mentioned on the Greta program one night that the police initially were looking into the possibility that Natalie might have been kidnapped for money because Mrs. Twitty owns businesses in both Columbia and Venezuela. I have also heard that the family is well connected to Trent Lott (Senator from Mississippi). So those who think that this is just an average middle class American family should think again. If this had be the daughter of most of the people on this board, there is no way it would have gotten the coverage that it has and most of us certainly would not have been able to persuade the Governor of our home state to call for a boycott of Aruba.

[ladycaveat]

If it helps, I believe there is quite a bit of money in the family. Mrs. Twitty's own attorney in Aruba mentioned on the Greta program one night that the police initially were looking into the possibility that Natalie might have been kidnapped for money because Mrs. Twitty owns businesses in both Columbia and Venezuela. I have also heard that the family is well connected to Trent Lott (Senator from Mississippi). So those who think that this is just an average middle class American family should think again. If this had be the daughter of most of the people on this board, there is no way it would have gotten the coverage that it has and most of us certainly would not have been able to persuade the Governor of our home state to call for a boycott of Aruba.

 

 

Sure doesn't surprise me. I knew there was money there and probably some sort of political connection or this story, unlike so many other stories about kids missing (no matter where) . . . would have been yesterday's news. I just wonder what the connection is with Fox News . . . it seems to be the only "news" channel that keeps this story alive.

 

I still want to hear about those that went to to Aruba to watch over these kid . . . where were they? Why were these kids allowed to go to a place like Carlos and Charlie's alone (or even with their care takers)? Why haven't these people been called to task about why one of their charges disappeared? Don't tell me . . . because they were from Alabama, friends of the Holloways and Twittys and could not in any way be to blame. :( Sorry, but they were the ones who should have been responsibile to see these kids didn't drink and didn't go off with strangers.

 

No, I don't blame Natalee! She was a kid. But Heaven help me . . . I do blame her parents for letting her go there and those sent to watch over her!!!!!!!!!!!

[ladycaveat]

double post . . . sorry!