Differing Opinions

The news today is about Greta's ratings ... some are more kind than others. I know of one news guy who couldn't believe the London bombings didn't close the story down.

I thought that would be the case, too, actually.

I just flew in from Cinncinati - and boy are my arms tired. Okay, it's supposed to be Cleveland - and this guy isn't laughing.

A Clemson QB seems to have known Natalee Holloway fairly well.

At Mountain Brook High, Holloway was one year behind Reese, who is entering his redshirt freshman season at Clemson. They had similar groups of friends, and Reese said he often saw Holloway on the weekends.

“I’ve heard reports on the news of how she was like dumb and just partied all the time, but she did nothing like that,” Reese said. “She went out and had a good time, just like anybody else, and she was just the nicest girl ever. It’s just unfortunate she got caught in that situation.”

Scott Gray is a teen who lives near Mountain Brook. He thinks Congress should act ... to regulate teen trips.

Note to Congress / and Scott: The global war on terror is less complex than regulating teenagers ...

Enjoy the day, I'm off to work.

Comments

[`]

Those who are sick of Beth's voice and all the news on Natalee:

Turn the channel. Stop visiting this web log to complain about how sick you are of it. Go to the logs that are focusing on your most valued topics. I have faith in you. You can do it.

Posted by: Jane | August 8, 2005 04:42 PM

Oh Jane dear, you are not the owner of this blog. And I believe he encourages intelligent discussion. This is not the kind of blog that would speak badly of Natalee, fortunately. But many of us are trying to think and reason this thing through and aren't going to buy everything that Greta and Jossy are telling us. Sorry.

You can always take your own advice and find another blog? You can also easily do it.

[Isanah]

Dennise, I know MB school did not endorse this trip. I'm was just wondering if they did anything to alert parents of their senior students that they do not endorse such trip and provided them with information to make an educated decision since this was a annual practice for their senior graduates. It was not their resposibility to do so but perhaps it would be a good idea to be proactive in the community by communicating with their students' parents

[b.hrt]

I will boycott Aruba. Not because of this case, or any other reason than the fact that I can't envision spending those sums of money required to go there. I don't have them to spend. The beaches I can get to aren't nearly as beautiful but they swim just the same. And if I ever aquire the kind of money that some people seem to have that do go there I don't think going there would be all that important to me. However, I don't begrudge the folks who can afford going there. It looks like a pretty place and as some have pointed out the every day natives have had nothing to do with this tragedy and can do nothing to redirect the investigation.
If I were set to travel to some foreign country I would appreciate any warnings the State Dept. might have developed from intelligence operations that might affect my safety but it's hardly their place to tell me where to go or not to go, short of my being involved in something illegal of course.
If the government wants to boycott another country that has demonstrated that they are an enemy and that to continue to do business with them would not be in the best interests of the US or world at large then I certainly think our government has a right to do that. But this particular investigation has nothing to do with our national security. I symphathize with the folks who are frustrated with the investigation but it's kind of silly IMO to suggest that our government boycott Aruba.

On the other hand, the great amount of drugs that apparently move through the island to the States is something that ought to move the US government to action- take out the drug lords involved and the island would be a more attractive place to visit.

[b.hrt]

"Oh Jane dear, you are not the owner of this blog. And I believe he encourages intelligent discussion. This is not the kind of blog that would speak badly of Natalee, fortunately. But many of us are trying to think and reason this thing through and aren't going to buy everything that Greta and Jossy are telling us. Sorry.

You can always take your own advice and find another blog? You can also easily do it.

Posted by: ` | August 8, 2005 06:08 PM"

I don't think Jane is against intelligent discussion of this case, '. I think she is against constant complaining by some posters that we talk about it too much, intelligently or not. And I would have to agree, if someone is tired of discussing this topic, for whatever reason, they ought to either take their soap box elsewhere or start their own thread. It isn't a question of whether or not they are wrong for believing what they believe, but it is tiresome to wade through a blog about the case, and it is reasonable to believe they would be much happier posting on an "anti-media coverage of the NH case blog".

[Anna2]

Those who are sick of Beth's voice and all the news on Natalee:

Turn the channel. Stop visiting this web log to complain about how sick you are of it. Go to the logs that are focusing on your most valued topics. I have faith in you. You can do it.

Posted by: Jane | August 8, 2005 04:42 PM

Jane,
Good Advice - but you have more faith in them than I do!

[frenchymom]

It amazes me how some people tend to WANT to place blame and find fault with the parents or with the teens on this trip.

Have you looked at what is going on in the states, on spring breaks, at concerts? Do you really think that this same type activity couldn't happen to your child in your own city??

I think I am a good parent. I have three daughters (ages 16, 20 and 22) who have thus far led productive lives without coming home drunk, sneaking out, been caught doing drugs, etc. But do I think they are perfect? no. Do I think they will always make good mature decisions? no.

Our role as parents is to lead and guide them and help them to become mature, spiritual individuals capable of becoming productive and respected adults.

Think about the news in your state and/orlocal paper on any given day and you may remember instances of children being kidnapped from their own beds, parents abusing and killing their own children, theft, battery, vandalism, drug arrest, dui's, teachers having sexual relations with students, priest having relations with parishioners,reports on rapes and murder. It is happening here in the states at a much more alarming rate than it did in Aruba.

You may not choose to send your child to an island for their senior trip or to even allow them to go on a senior trip stateside, but tragedy and danger is nearby. Whatever you do, realize that if your child chooses to party, they will.

I like you want all of our children to be safe, but the best we can do is protect them. Their decisions will ultimately still be their own. Good or bad.

The Mountain Brook parents are doing the best job they know how, just as you or I would.

Blame is short-sighted and useless.

Mel

[vincent]

"Not everyone wants to keep Beth Holloway on Fox" sorryminndad

LOLOLOLOL hey idiot! Did you happen to notice you're on a NATALEE HOLLOWAY forum? If you're so worried about other events in this world, what on Earth are you reading/posting here for?

You and your other troll buddies are dumber than bricks, and obviously worried about the outcome of this case;)

[leeza]

Vincent:this forum, as I understand it, is for REASONABLE discourse. That means that someone IS ALLOWED to post something to which you may not agree. If so, make a cogent statement to sway the other side, but no name-calling. It just makes the reader realize that you are short in the debate skills. Also, everyone, no matter what he/she feels personally, is worried about the outcome of this case.

[PRNDL23]

Figleaf,

I am still trying to remember the last time anything even remotely like this happened in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (the home of the University of Alabama, where Natalee would be attending in a few weeks). I must be getting old, because I just don't remember it. So, it's kind of hard to compare Aruba to T-town without precedent. Plus, Tuscaloosa has a police force that actually TRIES to do the job for which they are paid. Hmmm.....

[clintcarter]

Hey, Scott Gray:

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

And Figleaf, et al:
One of these days I'm gonna go to Aruba so I can see US teenagers getting all drunk and acting crazy. God forbid, nothing like that ever happens here at home.
Especially at a place like the Univ. of Alabama!

I lived in small town Indiana for a few years, and worked at a state-run detox center. I would drive out into the night to pick up drunk teenagers from the police, stoned men and women lying in their front yards, girls so f**ked up they didn't know they'd been sick on themselves, you get the idea.
And yes, people would disappear. People that few seemed to care about...

There are hundreds of Carlos n' Charlies in every US state. They just have different names.
And women get drunk and put themselves out there and sometimes bad things happen.

BLAME is not the answer.
"If you want to change the world, you must live that change."

[jayjay]

Leeza,

I agree with your statement to Vincent that this forum affords people the opportunity to voice their opinions. However, he does have a point that people who wish to discuss other topics need to simply post on threads about those other topics.

He may not have been subtle about it but I did not see in his post where he berated someone for their opinion as much as the topic of their opinion.

Open debate is fantastic, but why not stay on topic??

[jim]

Send your kids to Florida we don't lose them

[Isanah]

Send your kids to Florida we don't lose them? No we usually find the bodies here in Florida!