A Note On The Aruba Boycott

I'll have more to post on this, but I would like to point something out to followers of today's boycott news. And this post is not about the SM blog, but to make a point.

Here is the link to SM's sitemeter. Once there, click on the referral link - all that post order, find thread stuff is basically the same people over and over again talking about the boycott, I suppose.

I have the same issue, those referrals show as comments on the referral link at my sitemeter.

You will see about 1/3 or 10k more clicks here today than at SM, though they have far more of that chat traffic than I do. The relevant point is this, and clearly visible by looking through a few referral pages. All that traffic here today was looking for news on the Panther Cheerleaders story - Angela Keathley and Renee Thomas.

And that, in a nutshell, is why the Aruba boycott will fail.

Comments

[newswatcher]

Heh!

[TheAlamo]

It is ludicrous to boycott an entire nation based upon the doings of a few perpetrators. If that is the case, we would be boycotting other states, and other countries would be boycotting us--all the time.

It is sad what happened to Natalie. However Aruba didn't do it. One, or more perpetrators did so, and to punish the average working stiff by eliminating their major source of income is almost as sick as the criminals who did something to Natalie.

"Groupthink" is a sick and sad state of mind, and it looks like some of our government is more than willing to perptuate it. Why not....it is easier to control one mindset than to have to deal with thousands of individual ones.

[slappy]

Dan,
That was the story of the day....everyone was talking about that!!!!

[!]

You are a trip ! Lol

[Jami]

Aruba was the watercooler talk where I was.

[wreck]

Personally, I am not for a boycott. But that said, I don't think it is really the "nuclear solution" many here are up in arms over. Boycotts are VOLUNTARY from all parties involved. If people agree with the H/T's they will go along -- if they don't (or most likely -- don't give a damn) they won't. Most likely, the people that agree with the H/T's have already decided on their own not to travel there for awhile. Bottom-line: those on both sides have already made up their minds -- no change tonight from where it was this morning.

[dnichols]

The purpose of the boycott is not to harm the people of Aruba, but to motivate the Dutch officials and leaders to revisit this case that has been botched from day one, and begin again in earnest with some expert investigators assisted by the FBI.

All the errors from the beginning may have ruined any chances of ever having a case against those who are responsible for Natalee's disappearance.

Unfortunately, that may end up being the saddest reality of all for Natalee's family to accept. But they are trying as hard as they can to find her, and they are swimming against a tide and system that allowed their daughter's case to be mishandled from day one in a way that should never have happened.

Mr. P. Vandersloot most probably assisted in destroying any evidence and any case that could have come about early on.

The only hope is that one day one of them will have some level of guilt or shame that will drive them to confess.

Otherwise, I am sorry to say, it is all in vain and will remain an unsolved case boycott or not.

[bizarre]

Aruba was the watercooler talk where I was.

Posted by: Jami | Nov 8, 2005 8:48:29 PM

Not by me, mine must be a more lecherous bunch! It was the cheerleaders all the way....not a mention of aruba at all.

[Daniel]

"The purpose of the boycott is not to harm the people of Aruba, but to motivate the Dutch officials and leaders to revisit this case that has been botched from day one [..]"

The State Department will have some explaining to do. If not to the Aruban government, maybe to the WTO..

[Canada Goose]

It is unfortunate indeed that a whole country is being penalized because of the ineptitude,arrogance and incompetence of a politically motivated police force. The sad thing is that I wouldn't go to Aruba, because I know if anything happened to one of my family members, it would be foreknowledge that this police force and judicial system is a joke. Deppak openly admitted he and his brother and Joran took advantage of Natalee when she was inebriated. That constitutes rape to me, but no charges have been filed. I would choose not to go to Aruba because of this and not as a punishment to a nation. I don't need a governor to tell me not to go. Also, there was another American that went missing and nothing was ever done on his behalf. Unfortunatley, he didn't have an assertive determined mother like Bey Holloway. Beth has been remarkable and I applaud her actions for putting forth the resolve to find answers to this unbearable situation. I only know one thing, and that real justice will be meted out by a kind and loving Heavenly Father that sees all things and is omniscient. Everyone will be accountable for their actions. I am sure He will show Joran and his Surinam friends the same kind of mercy they showed Natalee.

[Rubby]

Your site is easier to follow than SM. I come here daily just to read about this case.

Take NH off your site and then count your hits..oh wait, you tried that!

You are a hoot!

[findnat]

Dan,

We had issues today with your site..
each one of our posts was posting
three, sometimes four times...

Not sure if you were aware of this...

[Dan]

Dan,

We had issues today with your site..
each one of our posts was posting
three, sometimes four times...

Not sure if you were aware of this...

yes, thanks - unfortunately Typepad is up grading their database and there's nothing to be done about it. Believe me, I complained.

[26ANDCOUNTING]

Isn't there a missing school principal in Alabama? Sounds like a dangerous place. I think I will boycott Alabama instead.. And now I will definetly book a trip to Aruba..

[frenchymom]

Here in my area, the talk around the water cooler was more around water cooler was tied to a man in his 50's that found himself "super glued" to the toilet seat at his local Home Depoton a recent Halloween day.

Yes, you read correctly. Some halloween prankster allegedly put super glue on the toilet seat. He visited the facilities and became one with the toilet seat. After a 30 minutes ordeal and waiting for someone to "find him" rescue workers had to cut the toilet seat off and carry him on it out of the store and to the hospital.

I am not making this up....He is now suing Home Depot as the clerk who he initially made contact with thought he was playing a prank and did not call for help....

What an odd world we live in....

[MisterD]

If you talking about the other american who went missing from the cruiseship, you should ask the owners based in the US for answers. And if you talking about one guy on a skijet, that was a hoax. Please get the facts right. And I agree that what they want to do with Aruba is a bully-like manner. You CAN NOT punish a whole nation for a crime of a few or one. Crimes are being commited right now somewhere in the US, and not all are solved..otherwise there wouldn't exist programs like COLD CASE on A&E.

[Sjaan]

Dan you really made me laugh with your post!
You rock!

[tuesday]

"And that, in a nutshell, is why the Aruba boycott will fail."

Posted by Dan in News | Permalink

Ouch.

[tuesday]

"The State Department will have some explaining to do. If not to the Aruban government, maybe to the WTO.."

Posted by: Daniel | Nov 8, 2005 9:19:17 PM

OUCH!

[maiwee]

Beth has no choice but to fight on behalf of her daughter by calling for a boycott. The US government should actually order a travel ban to Aruba until the case is solved. Even Dave now believes there is a massive cover up. The question is why are they covering up, what issues are at stake and who is driving the cover up and why.All we have been witnessing are games being played by the investigating team, they give you the impression something is coming up soon , knowing well that they are just buying time. They cannot use this trick anymore, people now know what is happening. My guess is the boys are guilty in any scenario, be it a drugging-kidnap-rape and murder then body disposal or a drugging-kidnapping and sex slave scenario.The boys played key roles in either senario.It appears Paul Sloot would spiil the beans about drug related crimes by senior officials if him or his son are convicted. He obvious may know a lot by virtue of his position in the judiciary. This is where the catch is. Aruban authorities would rather go through a boycott than get exposed on drug dealing crimes. So the ordinary Aruban would suffer for the sins of the few. This happens, even god punishes us for the sins of our fathers.The resolution of Natalee's case lies in official exposure of those behind the cover up. This is the secret to the case.

[dugo]

Depends on what the goal is Dan. If the governors call was to pull this to a higher political level and get the Natalee dissapearance back in the utch newpaper (page 8) it succeeed. Aruba cabinet went into hurry session, Dutch minister of foreign affairs has been asked to call the US ambassador to show up, and Ouduber wants to know what Bush' position on this is. Great success if the goal was cause ruckus.

[dugo]

"""Here is the link to SM's sitemeter. Once there, click on the referral link - all that post order, find thread stuff is basically the same people over and over again talking about the boycott, I suppose."""

Like .. doh_you_can't_become_new_member_anymore maybe?

[J.B. Lenoir]

Once again....

I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me (2x)
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
and the whole world let them peoples go down there free
I never will love Alabama, Alabama seem to never have loved poor me (2x)
Oh God I wish you would rise up one day,
lead my peoples to the land of pea'
My brother was taken up for my mother, and a police officer shot him down (2x)
I can't help but to sit down and cry sometime,
think about how my poor brother lost his life
Alabama, Alabama, why you wanna be so mean (2x)
You got my people behind a barbwire fence,
now you tryin' to take my freedom away from me

[Canada Goose]

To Mr.D and all:
Getting the facts straight? I watched a show where a single American man, back in the late 80's or 90's went to Aruba to do some jet skiing. He was at his hotel, left, picked up his jet skis and that was the last ever heard of him. No trace of him anywhere. No big investigation, no world attention. No one really cared except his family back in the USA. The Aruban police basically said. "Too bad, so sad" and the case has been forgotten about. Anyone else out there that can bring better information on this lost man? Has any news been heard about Olivia Newton John's boyfriend? The missing teacher?

[neil young]

Alabama clings to segregationist past
US state with racist history votes to keep 'separate schools for white and coloured children' as part of constitution

Gary Younge in New York
Tuesday November 30, 2004

Guardian

During his inaugural address in 1963, the then Alabama governor, George Wallace, took to the steps of the state capitol and made a promise. Standing on the spot where Jefferson Davis had declared an independent southern confederacy just over 100 years before, he pledged: "In the name of the greatest people that ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny and I say: Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation for ever."
Yesterday it looked as if he might get his wish, after a referendum in the state looked likely to keep segregation-era wording, requiring separate schools for "white and coloured children" in its constitution as well as references to the poll taxes once imposed to disenfranchise blacks.

A narrow margin of 1,850 votes out of 1.38 million, or 0.13%, in a referendum on November 2, meant the state was obliged to hold a recount, which took place yesterday. But with no accusations of electoral fraud or any other irregularities, nobody last night expected the result to change.

The ballot initiative sought to remove the most objectionable elements of the state's constitution which remain, even though they have been overridden by more recent civil rights legislation. They include passages such as:

"Separate schools shall be provided for white and coloured children, and no child of either race shall be permitted to attend a school of the other race."

And: "To avoid confusion and disorder and to promote effective and economical planning for education, the legislature may authorise the parents or guardians of minors, who desire that such minors shall attend schools provided for their own race ... "

Almost 50 years since Rosa Parks was ejected from a bus in the shadow of the governor's mansion because she would not move to the back, most people thought the amendment to remove the segregation clause would pass fairly easily.

"It was more ceremonial than legalistic," said Bryan Fair, a law professor at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. "The language in the constitution was already unconstitutional and this would have brought Alabama up to date. So it was surprising that something so clear and symbolic would be even close."

Even the Montgomery Advertiser, not given to radical outbursts, backed it. "Amendment 2 is a valuable cleansing of a grievous stain on the state's image," it argued in an editorial shortly before the vote. "It should be ratified."

But powerful groups and personalities on the right campaigned heavily against it, claiming that the amendment opened the door to lawyers to sue the state and raise taxes.

They were most incensed by efforts to remove the section that denied that Alabamians had "any right to education or training at public expense". Opponents claim education is a gift from the state of Alabama, not an entitlement.

"You open up that door, that is a trial lawyer's dream, to represent clients that have unbridled opportunity for mischief in raising taxes, tampering with private and parochial schools. It's unlimited," said John Giles, president of Alabama Christian Coalition. "Activists on the bench know no bounds. It's a trial lawyer's dream."

Mr Giles's campaign was assisted by the former Alabama chief justice Roy Moore, who has become a local hero since he defied a federal court order to remove a two-ton slab of granite engraved with the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the Alabama supreme court.

Mr Giles said he would have been happy to see the racist language go so long as the issue of education rights remained. But many in Alabama believe the taxation argument was simply a ruse for white southerners to flex their muscles, even on a symbolic issue.

After the US supreme court ordered the end of segregation 50 years ago, many white southerners simply moved their children from state schools to private academies, often referred to as "seg academies" because they effectively kept segregation intact.

Since then Alabama has provided the backdrop for some of the ugliest scenes during the civil rights era, from the bombing of a church in Birmingham that killed four little girls at Sunday school to the beating of marchers on St Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

"There are people here who are still fighting the civil war," Tommy Woods, 63, a deacon at Bethel Baptist church and a retired school administrator, told the Washington Post. "They're holding on to things that are long since past. It's almost like a religion."

A statute banning interracial marriage in the state was struck down only four years ago by 59% to 41%, with a majority of whites voting against the change.

This year Mr Moore's former aide, Tom Parker, was elected to the Alabama supreme court even after it became clear that he had been handing out Confederate flags while campaigning and had attended a function honouring the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

"It seems perfectly clear that a number of the people who voted against the amendment did so for purely racist reasons," said Mark Potok, spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Centre, an anti-racist monitoring group based in Montgomery.

But in one of the most lightly taxed states in the nation the argument that the measure could raise the fiscal burden went a long way, some say.

"In Alabama, if an opponent can label a policy as a tax, then 99 times out of 100 the policy fails," said Prof Fair, who is an African American. "Some folks in Alabama are assiduously holding on to what they call southern traditions which are traditions of white people being superior. But racism by itself is far too simple an explanation."

Troubled past

Since Alabama was declared a sovereign and independent state on January 11 1861, it has been a hotbed of racial tensions in the US

· December 1955 Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, was arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger. Her action prompted the Montgomery Bus Boycott and earned her the title "mother of the modern day civil rights movement".

· December 1956 The US supreme court banned segregated seating on Montgomery's public vehicles. The Rev Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks were the first to ride a fully integrated bus.

· May 1961 The Freedom Ride, an integrated bus trip from Washington DC, through the Deep South, was formed to test the 1960 supreme court decision prohibiting segregation on buses and trains. It was greeted with violence in Anniston and Birmingham. The Freedom Ride eventually resulted in the interstate commerce commission ruling against segregation in interstate travel.

· 1963 Birmingham bombings of civil rights-related targets, including the offices of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the home of A D King (brother of Martin Luther King Jr), and the 16th Street Baptist Church (in which four children were killed). Governor Wallace makes a speech at the University of Alabama protesting against federally forced racial integration; Vivian Malone and James Hood register for classes as first African American students.

· March 1965 Six hundred demonstrators make the first of three attempts to march from Selma to Montgomery demanding the lifting of voting restrictions on black Americans. They were stopped by police at Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge, the pictures of the clashes with police were broadcast across the nation and caused a surge of support for the protesters.

· March 1965 The Rev Martin Luther King led 3,200 marchers from Selma toward Montgomery in support of civil rights for blacks. Four days later, outside the Alabama state capitol, King told 25,000 demonstrators: "We are on the move now ... and no wave of racism can stop us." On August 6 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.

· Sept 2000 Selma elects its first black mayor, James Perkins, with 60% of the vote

· May 2002 Bobby Frank Cherry is convicted of murder for his part in the bombing of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church on September 15 1963, in which four black girls were killed.

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

[Canada Goose]

I watched on AMWanted show on Saturday that the search was back on again off the coast of Aruba looking for Natalee and that the authorities stopped it all. Apparently a large concrete block has been found on the ocean floor that is made from newly formed concrete. Hmmmm... then authorities revoke their license to search. What's up with that? Aruba plice are probably most afraid of is the truth coming out. It only seems plausible that her body has been dumped off the coast where it would deteriate very quickly.

[siny]

All I have to say about the boycott is KEEP IT COMING!! As long as you dumb Americans keep this this crazy stupid BOYCOTT thing going, Aruba gets MORE AND MORE AND MORE publicity, sending more and more and more dumb and curious Americans with their dollars to spend on our island!! Right on. Viva la Boycott!

[terry]

give the woman a break. can you IMAGINE being in her situation? no, b/c you never have been. i don't think the boycott will work either, but you can't blame the woman for trying everything in her power to get some answers. and you have to admit the case was botched from the start. i cannot blame her if she's completely lost her sanity over this.

[kathy]

sending more and more and more dumb and curious Americans with their dollars to spend on our island!! Right on. Viva la Boycott!

Posted by: siny | Nov 9, 2005 9:41:59 AM

This attitude reflects opinions about the American tourist and possibly extends into the justice system of Aruba. Put up a front, act like your investigating and after awhile it will just "go away"... back to one happy island. A travel boycott brings this injustice to the front.
I SUPPORT TRAVEL BOYCOTT to Aruba, there are many other places to spend my money.

[Arubaanse]

Posted by: kathy | Nov 9, 2005 9:55:44 AM

Good for you!! It's your money and you can do whatever you want with it. Trust me you are doing us a favor.

[MOM]

I read some really strange things about import/export figures on here yesterday, so I researched. Check it out for yourself.
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top0508.html

[kathy]

Cape Cod, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Key West and all of Florida, the Blue Ridge Montains, the Painted desert, Las Vegas, Broadway Shows...etc. I think I can find someplace to spend my money until there is some proof that the people involved with this case really want to solve it, or at least make it appear so!

[Dixie]

This boycott is nuts. I'm ashamed of Gov Riley for backing this.
I'm from Alabama and this boycott will hurt many innocent people/children in Aruba & do nothing to get the answers the family wants, needs and deserves.
I think the MB teens know more then what they are saying and until they decide to come clean and talk then we wont know anymore then we do right now. If BHT spent as much time actually searching for Nat as she does trying to keep the MB's quiet then we may have the answers we want.
This is all about Natalee..somwhere along the line that has been lost.
If the teens cared about their friend as they claim to, they would be more forthcoming and honest. If the schools in MB are that friggen advanced then you would think the teens would be smart enough to speak for themselves and not let someone intimidate them into staying mum.
Come clean....say what they know..dont hide from the fact they were all drinking heavily and being wild and possibly sleeping around.
I want answers just as much as anyone and I think the MB's know more then what they are saying. I will continue to pray for Nat ...she needs to be brought home to rest but until EVERYONE comes clean I'm afraid that wont happen.
JMO

[Forgetaruba]

Boycott or not, as an American I won't be going to Aruba. Aruban officials arrogantly hoped that by attempting to shove the Natalee Holloway matter under the rug that it would somehow go away. What kind of morons allow teenagers to manipulate and control and possible murder investigation? One thing is for sure, if you go there, you'd better hope nothing goes wrong because if it does you can kiss this world goodbye and nobody in Aruba is going to do a damn thing about it. Aruba wants our business but they don't want to be bothered if someone goes missing? No thanks, the U.S. Virgin Islands is looking really good these days....