LET'S TAKE A LOOK IN THE READER BAG...
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters from readers on the Aruba boycott
(source)
This is the last straw for many American citizens who support Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway in their efforts to find out what happened to their daughter. Another slap in the face.
Nothing but lies coming out of Aruba from the very beginning.
Now the senior Van Der Sloot is no longer considered a suspect, the guy who told his son and cohorts "No body, no case". What a joke Aruba is in the eyes of the rest of the world, not just the American citizens.
Corruption from the very beginning, now even the chief prosecutor is lying about meeting with Beth Twitty. To the Dutch who control Aruba: you have done irreparable harm to your country's, to your citizens who depend on tourism for their livelihood.
I have been to Aruba 6 times and cannot return there considering the lack of concern for Natalee Holloway and the corruption of your government. It appears all Aruba and their Dutch government is interested in is the almighty American dollar. I will spend mine elsewhere.
Donna
Maryland, USA
Like many of my fellow Americans have been following the disappearance of Natalee Holloway very closely. I have found many of your officials to be very disturbing. Your Prime Minister announced the finding of blood and then you try to tell us "chocolate and cleaning fluid"?
We rearranged our school's Senior trip destination to go elsewhere. I have also chosen another destination for my honeymoon. No, my problem is not with the people of Aruba. It is with the government and the people you have chosen to protect us when we visit your island.
I have in addition to many of my friends and our families have written to our Governor to join Alabama in a boycott. Just for the record, it really is a shame that this affects the people and not the government. I have never seen a country that allows liars to walk the streets while a young girl is missing. Why do you have a law regarding the legal age to consume alcohol when it is not enforced? The Law Enforcement serves what purpose?
Daphine Peck
Oklahoma
As an American citizen, I also totally support a Boycott in Aruba. The Holloway family has been treated very badly, and in the name of Natalee, I will also not support any wrongdoing. There are many more Caribbean Islands to enjoy, besides Aruba.
Pam Aderholt
The way they have handled (and covered up) this case is unacceptable. The way they have treated this case and Natalee's family is cruel and inhumane and I will never spend any money on that lousy island. They have continued to put up roadblocks for the search team and have done everything possible to make sure that this case goes unsolved. Now they will suffer. I cannot believe that they actually expect American citizens to continue to go to their Island after the way they have treated one of our own. I do feel bad for the Aruban citizens, but they did elect their officials.
Mark Dickenson
The reasons to boycott Aruba. The ABC team of Aruba; arrogant, bumbling, and corrupt.
(1) From the very beginning, the chaperone that stayed behind to find Natalee was given the runaround and no assistance.
(2) Beth was the one to rundown the suspects, not the ABC team.
(3) The team would not search Deepak's car or PVDS's home because they said "no".
(4) Statements taken were altered and, in front of Beth and Jug, Natalee was called a whore,' they used the Spanish word.'
(5) Dave Holloway was also disrespected when asked how much money he had and told that his daughter was shacking up and would turn up at the bar.
(6) The next day Poppa Paul and suspects held a meeting with family and lawyers and were advised "No body, no case" how could he have been so certain?
(7) The suspects conspired to come up with a false statement and pointed the finger at two black security guards and when found out they changed stories many times. They say she was left at the beech and was fine! Why then did they make up a story if they did not know anything had happened to the girl?
When finally arrested, (only because of the media coverage), they failed to follow up on statements, such as when Joran said that he thought Deepak murdered Natalee and buried the body. Why didn't they follow up with at least basic questions like "Where?"
(9) All evidence was either altered, ignored, suppressed, or tampered with. The blood in the car, the body parts found, the belt, the statements by school friends that before this happened, Joran bragged about drugging and seducing girls, especially American tourist. What happened to the girls that came forward? On and on.
(10) There is so much more but I do not intend to write a book.
Let’s skip to recent events. DomPig started appearing on the media shows in a public relations campaign making such statements like, "We can't wait to get a hold of these tapes, if they are authentic we could re-arrest the suspects that I am sure that are in some way responsible for the disappearances of Natalee."
He now says after the tapes have been sitting in Holland for three weeks that there is no priority in getting the tapes. Also, he expressed an eagerness to talk with Beth. When she went to Aruba neither he nor the prosecutor would meet the grieving mother. Recently Dave asked Dompig to question a friend of the suspects with a boat. He did not, but the boy's father was called in! What for? To warn the suspect?
Enough already. The reason to boycott Aruba is that it is the right thing to do!! They perpetrated a cover up, brutalized a grieving mother, and will never attempt to find the answers unless they are replaced under pressure. BOYCOTT ARUBA NOW.
Dorothy Phillips
Las Vegas, Nevada
My entire family is going to indefinitely boycott Aruba as a travel destination.
Natalee Holloway was just a child. Your island is supposed to be a safe place. She was killed and your investigators are so inept and incompetent they could not uncover the truth in all this time. Amazing. You guys are an amazing bunch of incompetent and uncaring people.
I will support the Aruban boycott started by the mother of the missing girl. Shame on you all for allowing crime to go unpunished and making a mockery of justice. I have the deepest contempt for your entire island and every single one of its contemptible inhabitants. Just because the kids involved in the murder and cover-up come from wealth, your officials are intimidated and afraid to rock the boat.
If this were my island, I’d be ashamed to live in it. Ashamed to belong to a group like yours. Cowards!
Martine Chirayath
California, USA
Dear Aruba:
You are basically dead as a vacation destination to more Americans than you'll ever know; you have blown the Natalee Holloway investigation so badly, that only a miracle would redeem you at this point.
Does that mean that no Americans will ever visit Aruba? Of course not, like any country, we have many citizens that could care less about others' problems, their losses, their pain, unless of course something happens that effects them personally.
So you will still see American tourist on your corrupt little island. But you won't see as many, I can assure you of that, because there are far more who do care about others pain and suffering and who can and do empathize with others.
There is such a tremendous ground swell of animosity towards how you handled this investigation that you will lose business, probably an awful lot of business. There are many of us who now realize that your country is unsafe to visit and should be there and anything go wrong, that we could only blame ourselves because you have shown your true colors to whole world.
But again, will Americans visit Aruba, of course they will, but again, not nearly as many as used to, so you'll have to decide if allowing your institutionalized corruption to continue is worth the cost the on going loss of business, because for many of us, we will continue to boycott Aruba until convinced things have been corrected in the Holloway case and that your island is safe to visit..
I know of no one who would now consider Aruba a vacation destination. I have a sister-in-law who is a travel agent, specializing in vacation and cruise travel. She tells me that when she works with clients today, no one will consider Aruba, even in light of some of the bargain deals now being offered to salvage your tourist business. She said she can't even book a cruise with Aruba as location to be visited. She said that by now she has booked 100s of winter vacations for her customers, but not a single one to Aruba; a location she said had always been high on people's list and by now she would have booked dozens of Aruba packages for this winter and she hasn't booked a single one this year.
So you can kid yourselves that this will pass, but for many of us it will only pass if you solve this crime, clean up your act enough to make people feel safe.
My own daughter will be celebrating a significant birthday in 2006, the entire family at her request had agreed to join her in Aruba, although the trip hadn't been booked, the dates and location had been agreed to...well, she made it easy for all of us by announcing she was open to other suggestions then Aruba, because Aruba was officially off the list.
That's means about fifteen of us from our family alone, won't be vacationing in Aruba this year and one can only speculate how many times this same scenario will repeat itself all across America.
Maybe when Arubans begin to lose jobs and have their standard of living impacted will they then appreciate the cost of corruption and not speaking up against officials who protect themselves and their ilk at the cost of the citizenry?
G. Schwend
Texas, USA
As a prominent news source for many of the Caribbean island nations, I'm writing to share near total disgust with the obvious negligence and/or protective corruption apparent in the Natalee Holloway case with Aruba.
As a member of a diving group who routinely spends large sums organizing dives throughout the Caribbean, we intend to not only support Beth Holloway's request for an Aruban boycott, we intend to further it by our own means.
More to the point, we are outraged by the Aruban government's statement that an Aruban boycott is "preposterous", as relayed in pleadings to the United States Department of State.
What we find is preposterous is the sham "investigation" carried on to date and the unwillingness of the Aruban Attorney General to shoulder any responsibility whatsoever for the Aruban government's failings in properly investigating and prosecuting this case to fruition.
So until such time the Aruban government assumes proper responsibility for it's faulty investigation, lack of results and unwillingness to properly examine all evidence presented to date, we intend to urge all Americans to avoid travel to Aruba. It's "Hell no, we won't go", until this case is resolved to Beth Holloway's satisfaction.
Jeffrey Antisdel
Niles, Michigan USA
This is the last straw for many American citizens who support Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway in their efforts to find out what happened to their daughter. Another slap in the face.
Nothing but lies coming out of Aruba from the very beginning.
Now the senior Van Der Sloot is no longer considered a suspect, the guy who told his son and cohorts "No body, no case". What a joke Aruba is in the eyes of the rest of the world, not just the American citizens.
Corruption from the very beginning, now even the chief prosecutor is lying about meeting with Beth Twitty. To the Dutch who control Aruba: you have done irreparable harm to your country's, to your citizens who depend on tourism for their livelihood.
I have been to Aruba 6 times and cannot return there considering the lack of concern for Natalee Holloway and the corruption of your government. It appears all Aruba and their Dutch government is interested in is the almighty American dollar. I will spend mine elsewhere.
Donna
Maryland, USA
Like many of my fellow Americans have been following the disappearance of Natalee Holloway very closely. I have found many of your officials to be very disturbing. Your Prime Minister announced the finding of blood and then you try to tell us "chocolate and cleaning fluid"?
We rearranged our school's Senior trip destination to go elsewhere. I have also chosen another destination for my honeymoon. No, my problem is not with the people of Aruba. It is with the government and the people you have chosen to protect us when we visit your island.
I have in addition to many of my friends and our families have written to our Governor to join Alabama in a boycott. Just for the record, it really is a shame that this affects the people and not the government. I have never seen a country that allows liars to walk the streets while a young girl is missing. Why do you have a law regarding the legal age to consume alcohol when it is not enforced? The Law Enforcement serves what purpose?
Daphine Peck
Oklahoma
As an American citizen, I also totally support a Boycott in Aruba. The Holloway family has been treated very badly, and in the name of Natalee, I will also not support any wrongdoing. There are many more Caribbean Islands to enjoy, besides Aruba.
Pam Aderholt
The way they have handled (and covered up) this case is unacceptable. The way they have treated this case and Natalee's family is cruel and inhumane and I will never spend any money on that lousy island. They have continued to put up roadblocks for the search team and have done everything possible to make sure that this case goes unsolved. Now they will suffer. I cannot believe that they actually expect American citizens to continue to go to their Island after the way they have treated one of our own. I do feel bad for the Aruban citizens, but they did elect their officials.
Mark Dickenson
The reasons to boycott Aruba. The ABC team of Aruba; arrogant, bumbling, and corrupt.
(1) From the very beginning, the chaperone that stayed behind to find Natalee was given the runaround and no assistance.
(2) Beth was the one to rundown the suspects, not the ABC team.
(3) The team would not search Deepak's car or PVDS's home because they said "no".
(4) Statements taken were altered and, in front of Beth and Jug, Natalee was called a whore,' they used the Spanish word.'
(5) Dave Holloway was also disrespected when asked how much money he had and told that his daughter was shacking up and would turn up at the bar.
(6) The next day Poppa Paul and suspects held a meeting with family and lawyers and were advised "No body, no case" how could he have been so certain?
(7) The suspects conspired to come up with a false statement and pointed the finger at two black security guards and when found out they changed stories many times. They say she was left at the beech and was fine! Why then did they make up a story if they did not know anything had happened to the girl?
When finally arrested, (only because of the media coverage), they failed to follow up on statements, such as when Joran said that he thought Deepak murdered Natalee and buried the body. Why didn't they follow up with at least basic questions like "Where?"
(9) All evidence was either altered, ignored, suppressed, or tampered with. The blood in the car, the body parts found, the belt, the statements by school friends that before this happened, Joran bragged about drugging and seducing girls, especially American tourist. What happened to the girls that came forward? On and on.
(10) There is so much more but I do not intend to write a book.
Let’s skip to recent events. DomPig started appearing on the media shows in a public relations campaign making such statements like, "We can't wait to get a hold of these tapes, if they are authentic we could re-arrest the suspects that I am sure that are in some way responsible for the disappearances of Natalee."
He now says after the tapes have been sitting in Holland for three weeks that there is no priority in getting the tapes. Also, he expressed an eagerness to talk with Beth. When she went to Aruba neither he nor the prosecutor would meet the grieving mother. Recently Dave asked Dompig to question a friend of the suspects with a boat. He did not, but the boy's father was called in! What for? To warn the suspect?
Enough already. The reason to boycott Aruba is that it is the right thing to do!! They perpetrated a cover up, brutalized a grieving mother, and will never attempt to find the answers unless they are replaced under pressure. BOYCOTT ARUBA NOW.
Dorothy Phillips
Las Vegas, Nevada
My entire family is going to indefinitely boycott Aruba as a travel destination.
Natalee Holloway was just a child. Your island is supposed to be a safe place. She was killed and your investigators are so inept and incompetent they could not uncover the truth in all this time. Amazing. You guys are an amazing bunch of incompetent and uncaring people.
I will support the Aruban boycott started by the mother of the missing girl. Shame on you all for allowing crime to go unpunished and making a mockery of justice. I have the deepest contempt for your entire island and every single one of its contemptible inhabitants. Just because the kids involved in the murder and cover-up come from wealth, your officials are intimidated and afraid to rock the boat.
If this were my island, I’d be ashamed to live in it. Ashamed to belong to a group like yours. Cowards!
Martine Chirayath
California, USA
Dear Aruba:
You are basically dead as a vacation destination to more Americans than you'll ever know; you have blown the Natalee Holloway investigation so badly, that only a miracle would redeem you at this point.
Does that mean that no Americans will ever visit Aruba? Of course not, like any country, we have many citizens that could care less about others' problems, their losses, their pain, unless of course something happens that effects them personally.
So you will still see American tourist on your corrupt little island. But you won't see as many, I can assure you of that, because there are far more who do care about others pain and suffering and who can and do empathize with others.
There is such a tremendous ground swell of animosity towards how you handled this investigation that you will lose business, probably an awful lot of business. There are many of us who now realize that your country is unsafe to visit and should be there and anything go wrong, that we could only blame ourselves because you have shown your true colors to whole world.
But again, will Americans visit Aruba, of course they will, but again, not nearly as many as used to, so you'll have to decide if allowing your institutionalized corruption to continue is worth the cost the on going loss of business, because for many of us, we will continue to boycott Aruba until convinced things have been corrected in the Holloway case and that your island is safe to visit..
I know of no one who would now consider Aruba a vacation destination. I have a sister-in-law who is a travel agent, specializing in vacation and cruise travel. She tells me that when she works with clients today, no one will consider Aruba, even in light of some of the bargain deals now being offered to salvage your tourist business. She said she can't even book a cruise with Aruba as location to be visited. She said that by now she has booked 100s of winter vacations for her customers, but not a single one to Aruba; a location she said had always been high on people's list and by now she would have booked dozens of Aruba packages for this winter and she hasn't booked a single one this year.
So you can kid yourselves that this will pass, but for many of us it will only pass if you solve this crime, clean up your act enough to make people feel safe.
My own daughter will be celebrating a significant birthday in 2006, the entire family at her request had agreed to join her in Aruba, although the trip hadn't been booked, the dates and location had been agreed to...well, she made it easy for all of us by announcing she was open to other suggestions then Aruba, because Aruba was officially off the list.
That's means about fifteen of us from our family alone, won't be vacationing in Aruba this year and one can only speculate how many times this same scenario will repeat itself all across America.
Maybe when Arubans begin to lose jobs and have their standard of living impacted will they then appreciate the cost of corruption and not speaking up against officials who protect themselves and their ilk at the cost of the citizenry?
G. Schwend
Texas, USA
As a prominent news source for many of the Caribbean island nations, I'm writing to share near total disgust with the obvious negligence and/or protective corruption apparent in the Natalee Holloway case with Aruba.
As a member of a diving group who routinely spends large sums organizing dives throughout the Caribbean, we intend to not only support Beth Holloway's request for an Aruban boycott, we intend to further it by our own means.
More to the point, we are outraged by the Aruban government's statement that an Aruban boycott is "preposterous", as relayed in pleadings to the United States Department of State.
What we find is preposterous is the sham "investigation" carried on to date and the unwillingness of the Aruban Attorney General to shoulder any responsibility whatsoever for the Aruban government's failings in properly investigating and prosecuting this case to fruition.
So until such time the Aruban government assumes proper responsibility for it's faulty investigation, lack of results and unwillingness to properly examine all evidence presented to date, we intend to urge all Americans to avoid travel to Aruba. It's "Hell no, we won't go", until this case is resolved to Beth Holloway's satisfaction.
Jeffrey Antisdel
Niles, Michigan USA
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