Wake Up, America

First, let me say that anyone thinking any group of average graduating high school kids of today on a tropical island celebrating the end of their high school years isn't going to be partying it up is simply kidding his or her self.

Second, anyone who thinks that fact somehow excuses what has happened, or makes any of them, including Natalee Holloway somehow culpable, or less of a decent person, is also being ridiculous and trying to shift blame, or focus.

Third, if you want to ask yourself a serious question while I try to do some work here - ask yourself what, as Americans, we're going to do about this.

How many more young victims need to die before we wake up to the threat posed by high risk repeat sexual predators that target the youngest and most vulnerable of our society?

"This needs to stop here," a somber Groene said in an outdoor news conference. "People like this should not be allowed in public."

Comments

[harry]

Our susceptible people should abide and respect the laws of the countries that they visit. If they cannot do that, then they should not visit them.

[pogo4224]

Today this appeared in our paper. Dave Holloway, is from my town in Missisippi.

Natalee's dad: Support 'amazing'

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 11:42 PM CDT

LETTERS OF SUPPORT - Dave Holloway of Meridian, father of missing teen Natalee Holloway, thumbs through hundreds of prayer cards sent by friends and strangers of all ages. Holloway's daughter vanished May 30 on the last day of a senior class trip in Aruba. PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT / THE MERIDIAN STAR

Father of missing teen plans to return to Aruba Thursday

By Stewart Smith / staff writer

Dave Holloway is overwhelmed.

And it's not entirely due to the exhausting search for his daughter Natalee, who went missing while vacationing in Aruba just over a month ago. Holloway, 45, said the support local people have shown his family has been "more than we could ever ask for or expect."

It's been far more than just banners, yard signs and a couple hundred e-mails.

Holloway said he came home Sunday to a freshly mown lawn (and no indication as to who did it), completed house chores at his North Meridian home and even checks in the mail from fund-raisers. Holloway, a State Farm Insurance agent, has even had offers to help manage his business affairs while he tends to matters in Aruba.

Robin Holloway, Dave's second wife, whom he married in 1995, agreed that the support has been "amazing" - and the little things have the biggest impact.

"Like when we took the animals to the vet, they wouldn't take a penny. Or when people were selling signs, someone bought only one but dropped in a hundred-dollar bill. They won't let us give them a penny back. It's just good-hearted people," she said.

Dave Holloway, a Baptist, said he hasn't let go of "that sliver of hope" he will find his daughter alive - and relies daily on his faith to get him through.

"When I first left here, one of my pastors called and said, 'I understand you are getting ready to go to Aruba.' I said, 'yeah,' and he said, 'Let's have a prayer,' and so we did, right over the phone. He prayed that God would give me the strength to get through this, and that is what I have been hanging onto," he said.

Natalee has two half-sisters, 7-year-old Brooke and 2-year-old Kaitlyn. They haven't given up hope either. Brooke called her father on the telephone shortly after he arrived in Aruba.

"She said, 'Daddy, I'll help out and look around Meridian.' She just wants to help, even though she doesn't really understand what's happening," Dave Holloway said.

While he is being showered with support back home, Holloway said, the authorities in Aruba haven't extended the same courtesy. He acknowledges the difficulties faced by a law-enforcement community with little experience with such cases - but believes Aruban authorities dragged their feet before starting an investigation and have done sloppy and unfair work since.

"What really stomps me is, all these people have come in, they've lied or told untruths to the police, (the police) catch them in a lie or untruth, and then they let them loose," he said, referring two suspects released from custody Monday.

"In the United States, that would be a crime right there, lying to the police."

Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, along with the 17-year-old son of a top justice official on the island, Paul van Der Sloot, have been linked to Natalee's disappearance. However, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were released after a judge deemed there was not enough evidence to hold them. Van Der Sloot himself was earlier held for questioning and released. Van Der Sloot's son on Monday was ordered held for 60 more days.

One of Holloway's biggest allies in the search for his daughter, he said, has been the American media.

"It wasn't until after Greta (Van Sustren) went to the judge's house and interviewed him that he started doing interviews," he said, referring to an impromptu Fox News interview with an Aruban judge.

Holloway will return to Aruba on Thursday to continue the search for his daughter. He thanked Meridian for the support people have shown so far and said he "can't imagine" what else residents could to do to help his family.

[Dan]

Harry, you've said "our country" and "as an American" so many times, I'm almost close to believing it - ALMOST. LOL Give it a rest, will ya?

[murftn]

write the president, governor, senator and your state rep, and congressman, it only takes a few minutes - and they do respond.
www.congress.org

[MrsJimiHendrix]

Harry

Dude,

the girl did not break the law.

cmon now even you can admit that!!

LOL

Mrs Jimi!! still here on earth!!

[MurfTn]

Hey Harry - with that comment of yours, my concern is with the unsusceptible people that did not abide and respect the laws of the countries that they live in...your last name isn't henderson is it>>>

[harry]

Dan, why wouldn't you believe that I'm an American? Can't you check where these post come from? Email me, and I will send you my phone number.

[harry]

Mrs. Jimi:

Welcome back! Technically, she was drinking and getting intimately involved with a minor. In the USA, contributing to the delinquency of a minor comes to mind. Of course, the penalty for that is not death.

[tracker]

Wake up America

Yes, Dan, exactly. There have been too many 'level 3 sex offenders' released by our 'criminal justice system' to prey on innocent victims. It has to stop as Mr. Groene stated with the pain of the loss of almost all of his family in his heart.

We have to develop some procedure for holding judges accountable for their decisions. Duncan was released on bail, to offend again, and innocent people paid with their lives.

Further, we need to provide our young people with the decision making skills and knowledge to be able to detect and avoid such conditions as exist in that tawdry 'resort' of aruba.

I find it offensive that a bar owner in aruba will critize American young people for their behavior when he has contributed to that behavior by serving them liquor and possibly drugs for his profit.

I also feel that the group from Alabama was unprepared for the conditions they encountered on that miserable, wind swept, pile of sand and rock. It seems to me more could have been done to provide some support and guidance to them as they celebrated their graduation.

Basically though, the 'happy island' is a place where the standards we try to live up to and enforce in America are not shared and, in fact, are laughed at...by those who profit from what are illegal activities here, but not there.

And Harry is correct. If Americans go to that island, or other foreign countries, they will be held accountable for their actions under the laws of whatever country they are in.

Lastly, I am outraged by the attitude of those in aruba and the netherlands who blame the victims of this tragedy for what happened to Natalee Holloway.

It was in aruba where a young woman with a bright future ahead of her 'disappeared.'

To date, we do-not know what happened to her.

I ask the 'authorities' of aruba and the netherlands, again,

1) Where is Natalee Holloway?

2) Was a crime committed that led to her disappearance?

3) What happened to her?

Reuben Trapenberg...YOU DO-NOT CARE AS MUCH AS WE DO WHAT HAPPENED TO NATALEE HOLLOWAY!

aruba..this happened in your jurisdiction. The world is watching and waiting for your answers.

[DanO]

The American media is NOT helping solve this case, they are hindering it IMHO. All this coverage is NOT justified. Its a missing person case, with definite criminal overtones. Why is this one so special over all the others, stateside and abroad? How bout an objective assessment on this.

[murftn]

if she was drinking and getting intimately involved with a minor in the USA that would be a misdemeanor (contributing to the delinquency of a minor) Of course, the penalty for Joran would possibly be death as for in the US, he could be tried as an adult.

[MrsJimiHendrix]

HARRY

It seems in Holland that sex with a minor is not an offense though!!

Hey don't be giving out your number to strangers on the net!!

Talk with you later.

Go Easy on everyone here : )

Mrs Jimi

[sleuth]

Harry said this:

"Our susceptible people should abide and respect the laws of the countries that they visit. If they cannot do that, then they should not visit them."

Posted by: harry | July 6, 2005 08:50 PM

Well, Harry, seems to me we can tell what part of your anatomy your head seems to be stuck in, and also, where your sympathies lie.

What laws did Natalee break, as a susceptible visitor to another country? You do not know all the facts, so you should maybe just keep your opinion where your head is.

[Stumped]

Let's not forget one of Joran's original lies. He never told Natalee his true age, he told her he was 20 something years old. She probably wouldn't have had the slightest bit of interest in him if she knew he was only 17.

[michele in bham]

Harry, you have proof that Natalee raped Joran? Because that would be a crime if he was under 16.

But he ain't under 16. And so far it ain't lookin' too much like she raped him, since he lived to tell the tale.

[lesmes]

richard white,
Right on, your entry is very accurate, however your arrogance and hatred towards the Arubans who defend their way of life is out of proportion. Most of the citizens of this world would like to live the american dream, but the arrogance you show makes me think about it twice to ever go live in the U.S.
NO BODY, NO CASE IN HERE AND IN THE UNITED STATES. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
keep the good work

[Lurker]

This will open your eyes (hopefully) if you're still naive, stupid, and permissive enough to keep telling yourselves that these out-of-country hedonistic binge-drinking fests are just innocent "parties." No sane, responsible parent would send their 18 year old on a trip like that. Sure, they've worked hard and deserve a break, but there are BETTER and SAFER ways of celebrating H.S. graduation than getting blind, sh!t-faced drunk in a foreign country!!

There are SOUND REASONS we have a minimum drinking age of 21 in this country.

Remember, anytime you travel abroad YOU MUST ABIDE BY THE LAWS OF THAT COUNTRY and YOU ARE IN EFFECT AT THE MERCY OF THAT COUNTRY'S JUSTICE SYSTEM, and all the whining in the world won't change that!

This is from the 06/30/2005 edition of the Tombstone Tumbleweed, p. 13. "Mexican Border Violence Eclipses Other Dangers for U.S. Visitors." [emphases with asterisks mine)

U.S. authorities are warning Americans away from Mexican border areas such as Nuevo Laredo because of drug violence, but the average tourist may face more danger on a Cancun beach, on the Pacific Coast, or in culturally rich Mexico City.

In June alone, two 18-year-old American women were raped in separate incidents in Cancun, in what some activists call an epidemic that is being swept under the rug by U.S. and Mexican authorities. One victim was from Houston and her attacker was a hotel security guard.

[paragraphs omitted]

So how safe is Mexico for Americans? Probably as safe as anywhere in the United States, officials say, but **visitors often let down their guard and do things they woulndn't do at home. Especially youths, who find Mexico's 18-year-old drinking age reason enough to party.**

"Cancun is one of the safest places in Mexico and one of the safest places in the world," said Mayor Francisco Alor Quezada. "But it is also not the exception that bad things happen everywhere."

**Parents, he said, should tell their children: "You can't come here to do things that would be illegal in the United States. You should behave here like you do in your own country, especially for your own safety."**

**The No. 1 problem for Americans, especially young ones, in such places as Cancun, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta is too much alcohol, U.S. and Mexican authorities say.**

**Many victims of robbery and rape in beach areas are blind drunk and trying to stumble to a hotel whose name they many not remember. Some locals are waiting for such victims.**

**Americans under the influence of alcohol often commit crimes themselves, including rape, seeming to forget that not only does Mexico have laws, but that some of them are more severe than in the United States.**

During Acapulco's increasingly popular spring break period, an overenthusiastic college student stole a Corona beer truck and crashed it. He was jailed until he came up with the funds to pay for the damages.

**"They relax their discipline and do illegal things," said Jorge Munoz, the attorney general for tourism in Guerrero, a special post to help visitors interact with the legal system.

[paragraphs omitted]

Apart from Mexico's northern border, the tourist spot that has received the biggest black eye this year has been the most popular: Cancun.

[paragraphs omitted]

Boldo [head of tourist police] did acknowledge that three rapes over the course of three days in June (the two Americans and a local girl) are unusual and unfortunate. **Still, she said, most crimes can be avoided by taking basic precautions: don't drink too much, don't do drugs, don't wander off alone, don't trust new friends.**

Lidia Cacho runs a Cancun shelter for victims of sexual violence and also volunteers as a certified Spanish-to-English translator. As a result, many of the rape cases fall into her hands.

**So far this year, she has handled 25 cases involving Americans. Many more cases -- four or five times that number -- go unreported, she said. **Most rape victims are young American women. Some are young men. About half the assaults are committed by other Americans, she said.**

**Cacho described sexual assaults in Cancun as an epidemic, adding that Mexican and U.S. officials won't accept that the resort is practically designed to facilitate such attacks.**

How?

Cacho's partial list: **All-you-can-drink alcohol, an obsessive focus on sex, unscrupulous Mexican and U.S. travel agencies that sell drinking packages to youths without the knowledge of their parents, bars and clubs with little interest in the safety of their customers, an indifferent U.S. consulate, easy access to illegal drugs, and minimal screening of hotel employees.**

[paragraph omitted]

**"There's a very imporant coresponsibility by these young people, male and female, who come here to do things that they cannot do in their own country," she said. **

[tracker]

If it needs repeating, the aruban polis ARE RESPONSIBLE for investigating to determine if a crime has been committed.

They are also responsible for conducting the investigation to locate a young female missing in suspicious circumstances and last seen in the company of ARUBAN males.

The arubans are attacking Natalee Holloway's character and threatening Beth Holloway Twitty.

Seems to me they should be trying to find Natalee Holloway.

[Lurker]

Posted by: michele in bham | July 6, 2005 09:58 PM

"Harry, you have proof that Natalee raped Joran? Because that would be a crime if he was under 16.
But he ain't under 16."

WTF are you talking about? Rape is only a crime if the victim is underaged? AND.... The age of consent under Dutch law is 12!!!

"And so far it ain't lookin' too much like she raped him, since he lived to tell the tale."

ALL rape victims are KILLED? REALLY!!!????

[Realperson]

Lurker,

you are being rediculous. You're acting like a 12 year old pretending to be 2. That's a temper tantrum, and you know it.

[bobup]

The age of consent under Dutch law is 12 is that true?

[TheTruth]

Joseph Edward Duncan = Joran Van Der Sloot

[missteacher]

This is all just ridiculous. People here defending their criminal justice system from Aruba are just trying to have something to argue about. That is what blogs or message boards are all about. Someone can run their head and then walk away and let others sit for days and argue back and forth. There is on possible way that ANYONE from Aruba can be proud of the way their law enforcement officials have handled this investigation. You guys say they are just secretive and it is a different system....whatever. This investigation is totally screwed up. No one can honestly say they are proud of how it has been handled and if you do say that then you have no freaking clue what investigating is about. The big hype today is that Beth Holloway Twitty said Deepak and Satish are criminals walking around the island. People are all mad about her saying that but the truth is that they are criminals. They obstructed the investigation. They LIED!! There is some stupid damn law that says you can obstruct justice but only if you are related to the person you are obstrucintg for....dumb. They are not related to Joran so they lied for him and then got let go.

No matter what, the investigation was not handled right......hey it happens here too but, we Americans don't sit there and brag and say we did everything right. Look at OJ....we did a crappy investigation and we admitted it. People are just starting to take this personally that have nothing to do with the investigation. If you live in Aruba and don't run this investigation then don't worry about it. The criticism is against the criminal justice system not the people of the island....unless you are one of those people on the front steps of the courthouse talking smack to Beth Holloway Twitty.......if you are then you are ignorant and have no class. Don't be a bunch of monkeys.....jumping around hollering, copying each other, and insulting someone whose daughter has vanished into thin air while visiting your "happy island". Get a grip.....she is suffering. Let this happen to you and see how you act. It's a good damn thing my husband isn't in this situation. Everyday he sits and talks about how if any of this stuff on the news happened to our little boy there would be no court....just him and his shotgun. I know it sounds "redneck" or whatever to some of you but that is just the way it is.

[MrsJimiHendrix]

RICHARD WHITE

you cannot just post a private email addy on a public forum. it is illegal

wtf is this all about??

[Lurker]

Hey, Miss Teacher, the FACT remains that unfortunately the "crime" (if indeed there was one) occurred on Aruban soil. Therefore the investigation is under Aruban jurisdiction.

Ms. H-T should have thought about that before sending her child over there.

[bhamsteph]

Great comment, missteacher! I agree wholeheartedly.

[RstJ]

Dan,

Less sermons, more news.

RstJ

[Kipster]

Wake Up, America. These creeps are being let out to make room in our overcrowded prisons for non-violent drug offenders. Ask yourself, "How the HELL do these kiind of people get out after being convicted of abusing children 3 freaking times?!" I am not condoning drug use, but let's see: do we jail Brownie Mary and cut loose Dirty Harry? Sadly, yes, we seemingly release the predators, but "this needs to stop here". Treatment for the users, jail for the abusers...

[Anna]

Yes, harry, tell us what laws Natalee failed to obey in this other country?? But we all remember harry who first appeared here trying to spread the lie that Natalee was pregnant for days as though one would go to that hell hole to get an abortion!! There is no limit to the depth to which some with their own little agenda will stoop in smearing a victim.

Harry is one of those sickos. So if foreign laws are to be respected, why do the Dutch and Arubans say this and that is not legal under their system but do nothing about it when their own laws are broken? Why do they look the other way then protest that these things are, too, illegal if this is not a cover up?

Is it legal to lie and incriminate innocent security guards and leave them hung out to dry? They didn't have one bit of trouble collecting forensic evidence from them but waited ten days to do so from the Pride of Aruba, Joran the Great. Why was that? Too late by the time they finally got around to it.

So why are people who share this opinion of Harry's here? This is a blog FOR Natalee. Go find a blog for Joran for this one is not where you belong. You are only here to disrupt and waste time and maybe get a little attention.

Oh, and another thing Harry, you just love to think the very worst of women. Why is that? Why do I think this? First your outrageous lies about the pregnancy based on your imagination and then when I explained to you how somebody in a red state (which tells me you are NOT from this country or have not lived here for fifty years!! Not allowed to return for some reason or warrants out for you H my pal?) but when I explained how through a women's clinic, student health center or private gynocologist, you tried to cast aspersions on me for knowing that!

Did it ever occur to you that I might be a health care provider myself? Noooo because harry hates women and so prefers to think the very worst possible. Bet they hate you right back, harry. Always think the worst first, rigth? The sign of an evil person.

[Dan]

Um RstJ - Sounds like a great name for a web log. So, start one. I won't even tell you how to run or write it! How's that for some news!! ; )

[harry]

Anna:

It is good to see I am so popular with you! Are we still trying to solve the disappearance in Aruba?

[proudredneck]

Anna, just don't exchange any words with Harry. He is an ill-informed poseur, possibly has been living in a dictatorship and as for Lurker, I think Lurker is looking for someone like Harry to defend in a court room.

[missteacher]

Redneck, I think you might be right about Lurker.

Lurker, I know that Aruba has jurisdiction in this case....I just explained that in my comment and that is why the case is yet unresolved. They are doing what they have to to keep BHT and gang from talking about what they know. They let Kalpoes go, BHT mad, now they are appealing it. They must know something good.......