November 29, 2005

MAKE UP YOUR MIND? ARE YOU IN OR OUT?


Flip-Flopping at its Best:

What made Decatur Daily Change Their Minds After Two Weeks?



Suppose that during the 1950s or '60s, after any one of several horrible crimes committed against black people and civil rights activists, someone had called for an economic boycott of Alabama until state authorities brought the perpetrators to justice.

Would this have whipped the police, prosecutors and courts into line? Probably not. They would have become more defiant than ever, railing against Yankees and carpetbaggers trying to tell Alabamians what to do.

What a boycott might have done, had it worked, was hurt those Alabamians, white and black, who were not to blame — including those who were trying to overcome racism and change attitudes from the inside.

Natalee Holloway's stepfather, Jug Twitty, made a similar point Aug. 4 when he wrote a letter to Gov. Bob Riley and the Alabama Legislature. He thanked them for their concern about Miss Holloway, a 2005 Mountain Brook High School graduate who has been missing in Aruba since May 30. But he asked them not to pursue an Aruba boycott.

"Aruba and its people should not ... be harmed for the actions of others over which they had no control," Mr. Twitty wrote. "This boycott could bring severe economic repercussions to the people dedicated to helping us through these trying times."

But last week, with Miss Holloway still missing and her family distraught and frustrated, her mother, Beth Holloway Twitty, joined Gov. Riley at a press conference where he called for a travel boycott.

The boycott got the Aruban government's attention. It protested publicly and complained to the U.S. State Department. U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Birmingham, said later that Aruba would send its chief investigator to the United States to answer questions about the Holloway case. Maybe this resulted from the boycott effort; maybe not.

The State Department has declined to embrace the boycott, and so far the only elected officials who have endorsed it, as far as we know, are in Alabama. Travel industry experts say it won't hurt Aruba much, although tourism accounts for 70 percent of that island's gross domestic product.

From what we can see, Aruban officials have botched their investigation. Tragically, it appears unlikely that Natalee Holloway will ever be found. If a boycott would miraculously change that, we'd support it. But it won't, and it certainly won't promote cooperation between Americans and Arubans in continuing to pursue the case.

Every tourist is free, of course, to stay away from Aruba for this or any other reason. But the boycott strikes us as an empty and perhaps harmful gesture.




Keep pressure on Aruba to solve Holloway case

Governors of the other 49 states may not be as familiar with Natalee Holloway's disappearance as Bob Riley, but they should not conclude he's indulging in self-serving politics as he calls for a tourist boycott of Aruba. Politics are hardly the case. He's responding to and identifying with a parent's cry for help.

Beth Twitty, Natalee's mother, is to be commended for not giving up. She first went to the island to find Natalee when she didn't show up at the airport to fly home with her group. Now she's looking for justice and for the peace that comes from knowing.

What happened on the tourist island off Venezuela on May 30 and the subsequent investigation into her disappearance call for drastic action because of the ineptness of the local police authorities. At this point, asking American tourists to find another vacation spot in the southern Caribbean is about the only pressure the governor can bring against Aruban authorities...

...Barring any official U.S. State Department action, the governor's appeal to his peers will at least heighten public awareness that Aruba isn't a Garden of Eden tucked away in the sun drenched Caribbean.


SWISH! MORE POINTS FOR NATALEE



Arkansans Urged To Avoid Traveling To Aruba

Governor Mike Huckabee announced Tuesday he is joining with Alabama Governor Bob Riley in requesting Arkansans consider avoiding travel to the Caribbean island of Aruba on behalf of the family of missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway.

"I have received a letter from Governor Riley explaining the situation and requesting that I join him in urging this boycott, and I agreed," said Huckabee. "Out of respect for the Holloway family, including several members who live here in Arkansas, and out of concern for the safety of our citizens, I believe the prudent course of action is to avoid travel to Aruba for the time being."

Beth Holloway Twitty, Natalee`s mother, is originally from Arkansas and several family members still live here.

Recently, Riley publicly urged all Americans to refrain from travel to Aruba in an attempt to force the Aruban government to be more forthcoming with information on the investigation. On November 18, he sent a letter to each of the nation`s governors requesting that they join him in urging a travel boycott to Aruba.

Riley said in his letter, "The point has now been reached where Aruban authorities are no longer communicating with Natalee`s family and are not providing information about the status of the investigation into her disappearance. This is unacceptable to me as their governor, and it should be unacceptable to all Americans."


EVEN T-SHIRTS CAN MAKE A STATEMENT!

Here is some great artwork I received from a reader!


artwork by Larry Patterson


Hello Aruba!?! Wake up!


This is what the GENERAL population thinks! Don't trust what you hear on TV or read in the paper...the REGULAR EVERYDAY people of America who come and visit your island and spend their hard earned money are the ones that you should be afraid of...not Natalee's family, not the United States, not politicans...it is US, the Joe-Blows of America, that you should be afraid of.

TO TELL THE TRUTH OR NOT THE TRUTH?


Arubatruth isn't being truthful... Sounds to me like these folks are trying hard to cover their asses and are scared of the implications the boycott on Aruba will have on their economy.

Here's the scoop...thanks to scaredmonkeys.com



Arubatruth stated on their website:

The tapes of Deepak Kalpoe being questioned by Jamie Skeeters did not provide any new information for investigators. In fact, one tape that was of the interview run on the Dr. Phil show was "manipulated" according to forsenic experts.

Investigators certainly had hoped that the tapes might reveal more about exactly what happened that night on the beach. But this analysis by four independent forensic experts found that the phrase they wanted to hear was just not there.

Even so, Chief Dompig has asked, along with the prosecutor, for a review by the FBI.



Here are my questions to Arubatruth.com:

Where are the statements by these so-called experts claiming the tapes are indeed manipulated? If these were forensic experts, then why would Aruba need the FBI to go over the tapes? By the way, how was Aruba able to get 'forensic information' so quickly if they took their sweet time reviewing all the other evidence? And speaking of forensic evidence, what ever happened to the forearm bone found? Did your forensic experts find anything out about THAT yet?



Another CLAIM by Arubatruth:

It was clear that the family had the same dismay as investigators when the tape review was completed. Beth admitted that it was possible, without her knowledge, that the tape was altered or improperly edited.



My question to Arubatruth:

Where did you guys get this quote? Did you just make it up? This is what Beth really said about those tapes (FOX, November 27, 2005, Big Story Weekend):


"Well, I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to review this tape. I've seen it in it's entirety...the uncut copy. And yes Deepak does specifically say "She did and you'd be surprised how simple it was." I think what we're having trouble with here Rick is a language barrier. It's a semantic problem. The Dutch Forensic Institute has stated that the tape they received from the private investigator and from the fbi has not been manipulated. The one by Dr. Phil was not manipulated, it was edited for television. You can't have a 2 1/2 hour taped interview on a one hour program. We just needed a 30 second soundbite or a ten second soundbite."


November 28, 2005

DON'T PAY JORAN!

DO NOT BUY JORAN'S NEW BOOK! BOYCOTT IT NOW!


SIGN THE MESSAGE BOARD TO PROTEST!

November 27, 2005

SMEARING = SCARED

Looks like Aruba is more afraid of this boycott than they let on. Here is another pathetic attempt to smear a public figure who openly advocates the boycott of Aruba. Click here to read the translated Diario article that prints blatant lies and no credible references or information to back their claims up. This is disturbing...

What's next in this endless drama?

Does Aruba really want to go head to head with who has more dirty laundry? I'm afraid this is a classic 'pass the blame' and muckraking technique that only makes themselves look bad and will backfire.

MORE STRONG SUPPORT!


RICHMOND, Virginia (10 Nov 2005) -- The National Coalition of Victims in Action, a nonprofit organization comprised of crime survivors, many of whom are parents of murdered children, is publicly supporting the Aruban boycott proposed by Alabama Governor Bob Riley. Alabama U.S. Senator Richard Shelby has also urged a voluntary boycott in order to pressure the Aruban government into cooperating more fully with the investigation of Holloway's May 30th disappearance.

Like Sen. Shelby, among many others, the Coalition is concerned that the present investigation has stagnated. Senator Shelby stated in a letter, "From all appearances, this investigation has been plagued with inconsistencies and conflicting information." Coalition Board member Polly Franks affirms, "This young lady has been missing for nearly six months, And her parents deserve answers. At the very least they need to know where she is so they can bring their daughter home."

In lieu of any official boycott by the State Department, the Coalition is urging all concerned Americans to voluntarily boycott vacationing in Aruba until Natalee is found.

"A boycott is the least we can do for Natalee, and her parents," says Franks. "Would you want to send your teenaged daughter off to Aruba anytime soon? I wouldn't!"

Contact: Polly Franks, Board of Directors
National Coalition of Victims in Action
Telephone (804) 564-9196


November 25, 2005

A CITIZEN MAKES HIS OWN WAVES...


When "regular" people start taking action by getting involved, writing letters, helping out in any way they can-- is when things can really make a difference.

I feel thankful that I live among such heartfelt and passionate people. Great letter sent to the Governor of Vermont:




The Honorable James Douglas
Governor of Vermont
109 State St., Pavilion
Montpelier, VT 05609-0101
Dear Governor Douglas:

I expect that you have received a letter sent by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to his colleagues nationwide urging participation in the voluntary tourist boycott against Aruba. I support his action strongly, and request that your office advise Vermonters to join the campaign.

Six months ago, Natalee Holloway vanished in Aruba. Her family immediately identified the three persons with whom she was last seen. Since then, the Aruban government has released those suspects (to the astonishment of Dutch detectives sent to interrogate them), impeded the work of volunteer search teams, failed to utilize assistance offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and now is vilifying the family of Natalee Holloway.

The Aruban government’s obstruction has become so blatant that the term “cover-up” no longer can be used. Accordingly, I have urged the American Society of Travel Agents to ask its members to discourage trips to Aruba while that government remains intransigent.

It is also the responsibility of our government, at all levels, to consider the well-being of American citizens and take such actions as it sees fit to promote their safety. Our state can and should make clear its disdain for regimes which let suspected kidnappers, rapists and killers go free and which then assert that Americans have no right to demand justice.

We must continue to insist that both the Netherlands and Aruba abandon their policies of deceit, delay and denial. Vermont’s prompt endorsement of the tourism boycott will both demonstrate our state’s support for the family of Natalee Holloway and provide a moral statement of our determination to protect our own people from those who prey on them.

Respectfully,
Richard M. Rogers

Cc: Sens. James Jeffords, Patrick Leahy, Rep. Bernie Sanders, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, Aruba Tourism Authority, 1200 Harbor Blvd., Weehawken, NJ 07087
Embassy of the Netherlands, 4200 Linnean Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008


OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF ARUBA


Letter by Dee Fine--The Voice of Alabama

I have received many e-mails from Arubans...many of you are frightened about an American boycott. I don't expect those of you who have written to me to understand, because your anger with me is too great for you to allow yourselves to see what we here in America are seeing and feeling.

You continue to refer to your island as crime free, and many of you foolishly compare our country of 288 million people to your country of approximately 92,000. This is ridiculous. Aruba has had 3 murders in just the first half of this year (and, that is not counting the potential murder of Natalee) and just a few days ago we know there was a man who was found decapitated!!! This for a so-called "crime free" island!!!

Americans are seeing everyday how Natalee's family are being left in the dark concerning evidence about their daughter's disappearance. When we continue to hear from your officials..."this is Dutch law"...."this is how we investigate crimes" and, "this is just how it is"...... and when most of us have a bad feeling about this so-called investigation to boot... you can expect Americans might choose to enjoy beaches, ocean views and sunsets someplace else!! We are the ones who are angry, not at you, the people of Aruba, but what seems to be the victimization of Natalee's family by YOUR government.

All Natalee's family wants is to be kept informed on how the investigation of their daughter's disappearance is going.. then hearing they had to hire their own lawyer to get this information, and now learning that the judge in charge won't even consider their request, would not make most of us want to run and book a trip to your "happy island!" When jobs are lost and when we Americans and others boycott Aruba.... blame it on your Dutch law, and how Natalee's family is being left in the dark.

Your island has become the focus of much attention. We now know that your island is a gateway for drugs for South American drug lords and hearing about human trafficking could also cause future travelers to choose to NOT make Aruba one of their vacation destinations. How many others have disappeared? and, by the way, do your crime statistics have a column for the missing or disappeared? We know for certain, that if Natalee's family had not pursued this obvious crime, their daughter's disappearance would have never come to the attention of the world. Knowing what we now know, may be enough to keep Americans from your island.

Your anger at a boycott should be directed to YOUR government...Americans refuse to live in darkness ...we expect families of victims who are searching for their loved ones to be kept informed.. we have a press that demands information...and we live under a constitution that gives us many freedoms and protections. We know Americans are not loved throughout the world, we are also aware that we are only valued for our spending power... I believe strongly, that the time is long over due for Americans to spend their money in America. We need to support our own vacation destinations, and support our own economy!!! See America first!!!

I have heard from thousands of Americans who believe, as I believe, the so-called chaperons must bare some responsibility for this unfortunate incident!!!! Also, when parents, such as those Mt. Brook parents who ALL signed a form releasing chaperons of any responsibility for the welfare of their kids, was just stupid and irresponsible!! The chaperons who have decided to hide from questions are only adding more speculation and suspicion to the tragedy that is unfolding in Aruba. Shame on them and shame on all those parents who allowed their children to go out of the country with the understanding that there was no supervision and only a noon check-in for a 24 hour period!! This is nuts!!

I will close by saying to those who want to boycott America....this is a line from Uncle Remus, a children's book, "please don't throw me in the briar patch!"...


November 23, 2005

BOYCOTT UPDATE


This is a post by RED from Scared Monkeys.
His comments are in blue:



According to the AP, Alabama Governor Bob Riley has sent 49 letters off to the other United States governors to have them back his boycott of Aruba. Gov. Bob Riley has sent letters to the 49 other American governors, urging them to join him in a boycott of Aruba on behalf of the family of missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, but it’s unclear how many governors will support the move.

It had been reported earlier this week that Riley was slow to follow up on his initial statement of calling for a boycott. Many of his fellow governors had yet to hear about the boycott except through emails and the general public. What else would one expect from politicians?

“We’ve gotten a few e-mails form constituents, but we haven’t rece ived anything form Gov. Riley at this point,” said Kempthorne’s office. “Our hearts go out to that family…had heard Gov. Riley would be contacting other governors … and haven’t heard from him,” said North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven’s office.

In some states it apparently wouldn’t make a difference anyway.


Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack’s office said, “As far as I know we haven’t taken any action on that and don’t plan to.(WHAT AN ASS!!!)

This is just like any issue. Politicians will not do anything unless their respective emails are filled and phones are rang off the hook. Remind them who they work for.


The letter that Governor Riley sent out requesting support stated the following:

Riley, in his letter sent Friday, said Aruban authorities are no longer communicating with Holloway’s family and are not providing information about the status of the investigation. “There can be no other conclusion: the Aruban government is not taking this investigation as seriously as it should,” Riley said. The governor said Aruban authorities have not shown they can be trusted with the safety of Americans.

“I’m asking that you join us in this effort and urge your citizens to avoid traveling to Aruba at this time,” Riley said. “Hopefully, this boycott will cause the Aruban people themselves to demand that their officials conduct this investigation in a more careful, thorough and appropriate manner.”


WON'T ANYONE LISTEN OR TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY? I SMELL A FOUL STENCH OF CORRUPTION AND POSSIBLE POLITICAL PAYOFFS

ANOTHER AMERICAN DEAD IN ARUBA





The body of American Robert Wayne Benson, 58, who was employed by a company that fixes cars and motorcycles in Aruba was found dead in a locked container. The cause is still to be determined.


More information as it develops...



November 22, 2005

KEEP YOUR MONEY IN THE U.S. WHILE DECIDING YOUR VACATION


Spring Break is coming sooner than you think...where do you plan on going?


If there are any college students out there that are willing to join me in the of boycott Aruba as a spring break destination, please contact me via this post.

College students and young adults can make a HUGE difference if they choose to get involved. Especially in large numbers.

If you are interested, please forward this blog to other friends you know from other Universities so the word can be spread and an action will be planned.

Let's keep our U.S. dollars here in our country.





INTERESTED IN SIGNING AN INTERNET PETITION?




Do you agree with a voluntary boycott of Aruba?

Cast your vote here

OTHER BOYCOTT BLOGS



The sheer incompetence of the Aruban police force would be laughable if it it wasn't for the suffering of the Holloway family. Where is she? What did these guys do to her? It seems they are tired of all the bad press. They just wish it would all go away so the tourist dollars can keep flowing in.


That's all the Aruban government cares about; MONEY.


Enough already! If money is what talks down there, then let's get together and deny it to them. Boycott Aruba! Boycott the Dutch Caribbean islands. Stop spending your hard earned dollars on an island that cares nothing about justice and common human decency. Help spread the boycott around the world. Help make the Aruban government listen. Do not let them cover it up.


Boycott Aruba Now!


November 09, 2005

Second day of the Queen’s visit to Aruba


The Queen mints the commemorative coin that is made on the occasion of 20-years Status Aparte and the 30-year existence of the national anthem and the flag.

ORANJESTAD – The second day of Queen Beatrix’s visit was in the sign of integrity. A presentation in the Central Bank of Aruba mentioned that the tourism can develop itself permanently especially by integrity. The Queen visited the Feria Aruba Multicultural at the Juliana School in the morning and the YMCA in San Nicolas in the afternoon.


CENTRALE BANK


Governor of the Central Bank Rob Henriquez, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP), the entire council of ministers, and the bank personnel welcomed the Queen inside the reception hall of the Central Bank of Aruba. Daughters of three employees presented the Queen with flowers. The ministers had an encounter with the Queen and talked about the financial developments of Aruba and the tourism. They didn’t mention the dispute between the Netherlands and Aruba about foreign loans.

After the encounter with the ministers, the Queen attended a presentation of Ryan Peterson, dean of the Faculty Hospitality & Tourism Management about permanent tourism. Peterson mentioned that tourism and also the future economic development of Aruba depends on the willingness of the island not to be an island, but to be open to integration and head for (cooperation)-relations. Aruba needs to behave as a nation.

After the presentation, Queen Beatrix minted the commemorative coin in honour of 20-years Status Aparte and 30-years National Anthem and Flag. This is the first time a commemorative coin is minted in Aruba. Afterwards, they toasted with champagne and shouted “Biba La Reina, Biba Aruba (long live the Queen and long live Aruba)”.


SCHOOLS

Queen Beatrix went to visit the Beatrix School, where the students have been waiting outside for one hour in the sun, but when the Queen arrived, they were so exited and waved with the little flags in their hands. Then they hurried inside the school grounds to sing for the Queen. They practiced 12 songs for the Queen, but she only listened to a few, because she had a one on one meeting with a former student, the 17-year old Bedoya Yangus from Colombia that told her about the education-project Prisma that helps foreign students integrate faster by teaching them Dutch.


FERIA MULTICUTURAL

A cake with the image of the Queen could be admired at the Feria Aruba Multicultural at the Juliana School.


The Juliana School organized a Feria Multicultural (multicultural festival), where the Queen met students from 17 cultures. The School has been organizing this since 1996 in order to promote integration between the students. The festival usually takes place on the Day of the National Anthem and Flag, but this year they planned it for today, especially for the Queen’s visit. There were 17 booths representing the 17 cultures at this school. Even Bonaire had a stand and the Queen had to taste the salt of Bonaire and she could take a small package with the salt with her. She spoke Papiamento to the 13-year old Marc Anthony Ranis, who was pleasantly surprised.

Stimulating the integration with a multicultural festival worked out also for minister Atzo Nicolai (VVD) who accompanies the Queen on this trip. Oduber, who supposedly was only going to meet the Queen at the airport when she arrived, decided to accompany the Queen everywhere she went in Aruba. He even sat in the same car with the minister of Kingdom Relations and the two had very productive conversations during the rides. They talked about last week’s commotion, when Oduber accused the Netherlands of re-colonization practices.


YMCA

They went to San Nicolas in the afternoon, where the Queen met with young people that performed exceptionally in sports last year, like the synchronized swimmers and the ladies softball team that won gold during the Kingdom games in Curacao. All this took place in the YMCA. But the Queen didn’t only meet with young sporters, she also met with elderly persons of the Senior Citizen Home. Some were in wheelchairs, other could still walk. Accompanied by three nurses, the elderly shook hands with the Queen. Some of them became emotional and shed some tears.