Natalee Holloway - Aruba Boycott A Lost Cause

Former congressman and U.S. Attorney Bob Barr published a rather scathing op ed item in the January 4 Atlanta Journal Constitution. Barr currently practices law in Atlanta and maintains a website here.

However, going out of your way to insult the authorities at every opportunity and pressuring the governor of your state to call for a tourist boycott not only will fail to produce the desired results, but more likely than not will impede those efforts.

Perhaps even less comprehensible than Riley's call for the good people of Alabama to refrain from visiting Aruba, however, is the fact that he talked two other governors — our own Gov. Sonny Perdue and Arkansas' Mike Huckabee — into joining the rather pointless exercise. Other than simply trying to lend a supportive hand to a friend facing a tough re-election battle (Riley is being opposed in the GOP primary by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore), expending political capital on such a joust at a windmill makes no sense at all.

Comments

[nelson]

Its always about power anyway nothing new and will not change either. This issue is not about a missing girl anymore its more of a vendetta and if she was a grieving mother howcome she was spotted in Idaho vacationing and all the Aruba basher wanted to know exactly what Joran and the Kalpoe's were doing? give me a break!!.

[melissa]

To be fair, this woman needs a break. I am sure if she got a phone call saying something happened then she would be on the first plane.

Honestly, since this summer we have watched this woman age before our eyes. Granted she has pushed her limits, but I feel her pain. I have lost children, granted before they were born, but I can only imagine her pain is times 1000!

Empathy instead of disgust is needed to this woman.

[nelson]

After she went for the boycott of Aruba I have lost all respect for her. Everybody understands her lost but the boycott and name calling is WAY out of proportion and goes against any kind of ethics. She allready had accused 3 boys before any investigation was done.

[david r]

I agree that the whole Aruba thing is a waste of time. I never plan to go there. My diving vacation money goes much farther in Cozumel. The Arubans who have posted on this and other boards have not made me want to "discover their culture." I'm ready to forget about Aruba.

I will always feel sorrow for Beth. Her plight reminds me of a young couple who lost a three year old boy in the lobby of a local hotel. He fell to his death after slipping away from his parents and getting on an elevator, then falling through the third floor railing of the atrium corridor in front of his horrified parents. Natalee's death was in some ways similar. Both victims were exploring the wild side, and both got in over their heads. (Perhaps Lou Reed should do a fitting eulogy that we can remember in the decades to come.) Except that Natalee met up with a different kind of gravity. Where there scoundrels afoot ? Most probably. Was there injustice ? Very definitely. Nontheless, I'm ready move on.

[CitizenDick]

I'm feeling rather blue.

[brownalmostblackman]

Where's Juuuuuuuuuuug? If Dr. Phil can't find her, then no one can. The boycott of Aruba worked really well, didn't it? TJ Ward? Alive and well!!! Joran and company? Doing their thing. File it under missing persons. It's over. Beth? Probably having a good time. She deserves it, after all the struggle on TV, Greta, Nancy and all the rest. "I will not leave this Island without my daughter". "No body, no case" wins every time out of the US. Smart, real smart!!!!!!!

[truthbetold]

beth has been curiously quiet since she was blasted in that vanity fair article - truth hurts perhaps

[truthbetold]

I'm feeling rather blue.

Posted by: CitizenDick | Saturday, January 07, 2006 at 10:41 PM

no blue - smile smile smile :)

[roy]

I guess it doesn't take much of anything to become governor of certain states. Like Alabama, Arkansa, ...
Some states even have governators.
And then what about the people who listen to them and follow the call of these govs.

[truthbetold]

Some states even have governators.

lol we speak of arnold? I never think of him as the govenor - I just always see him saying ' I'll be back"

[roy]

Did not do that on purpose.... Arkansas.

[Milo]

Dan, when are you going to take your own advice and let the Aruba thing go? Please. It's embarrassing.

[bbcab]

I understand what a grieving parent goes through. I lost my 17 year old daughter and 4 years later lost my 15 year old son. They were my only children. IMO Beth is on a power trip and is totally enjoying it. She should deal with the justice system here in the USA...talk about a joke!

[antoinette]

Beth is a bit quiet? "you know", she making a review of her White bind.
ALE is going to isolate her for a while..

[John Armstrong]

Save your money. I spent 6 weeks in Aruba. It is a corrupt, greedy, immoral, and really a not very pretty island. It is small and there is a large refinery spewing pollution on the south end. What a joke Aruba is! I went there for work. Thankfully, I did not pay to go there.

[nursemind]

Good for Bob Barr! The boycott was an embarasment to all Americans. Beth needs to get a grip. LIFE IS TOUGH. We all have different tragedies and hurts but how one responds shows his/her character. Beth has shown nothing but hatred, revenge and self centeredness. She takes no personal responsibility for sending Natalee off to a foreign land where she had prepaid for all the alcohol her daughter could drink and with no supervision. Parenting 101 would tell you this is not a good idea!!

[kim]

barr's that strange liberterian guy who doesn't support the patriot act (if i remember correctly). he writes for the atlanta journal constitution now, i didn't know they let anybody with a grain of conservative thought in. wait, he does work against the republication norm, that must be why. i doubt he cares about the case, probably just mad at perdue, or perhaps he supports moore in alabama. who knows with these politicans, there's always a hidden reason.

[Outraged]

YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR OWN ADIVSE AND DO THE SAME ! UNREAL

Posters here would be well advised to go read the last comment in 345 before commenting. I will ban posters for nonsense when I see it and will close the discussion completely if it's going to turn into some people's Usenet playground. There are ample forums already available for that. I have no intention of hosting it here.

[Brooke]

This blue hurts the eyes, don't like this new format!!!

[DunbrookeMom]

Information released regarding Natalee's "pre-Aruba" life has been limited. The public has learned only "Natalee was perfect," a Dorian, and a virgin. Why aren't former teachers, classmates, neighbors, and friends speaking out to ensure Natalee is portrayed accurately ? Natalee was a normal teen, who made age appropriate mistakes, had normal teen concerns. Simply not just the person the world has learned about via print or the airwaves. What's MB hiding ?

[boywonder]

still looking for a few hits Dan? LOL This case is over....Americans have seen how Arubans treat the pendahoes.....to bad their tourism is in the toilet...but really what did they expect?

[danascully]

This blue hurts the eyes, don't like this new format!!!

Posted by: Brooke | Sunday, January 08, 2006 at 07:59 AM

Brooke, this happened to me too last night and I didn't know what was going on, but I refreshed the page a couple of times and that seemed to get it back to the "white" format. Hope that helps.

[Jan]

Milo - so you want Dan to drop covering this - but here you are with the rest of us posting on a Natalee post - does that make sense -- besides the only place I have ever gotten any straight info on this case since day 1 is on line!! so I guess as long as there are people posting Dan will cover it - thank you Dan!!!

[antoinette]

Save your money. I spent 6 weeks in Aruba. It is a corrupt, greedy, immoral, and really a not very pretty island. It is small and there is a large refinery spewing pollution on the south end. What a joke Aruba is! I went there for work. Thankfully, I did not pay to go there.
@JArmstrong
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/113662917916560.xml&coll=2
Don’t say it, you were part of one of his gangs??? Seems they want to go back.. a new group. Sorry !!!
Antoinette

[COLUMBO]

lots going on behind the scenes down there....they'll roll out a perp soon....a lesser known, perhaps a new name

I suspect that shortly thereafter, this individual will die, and ALE will conclude that the cause of death was suicide

[medicinegirl]

Tourism is just fine here. The winter months are our slowest time, but we locals love it! There have been 4 school districts in Florida that have changed their spring break plans from Cancun to Aruba! Obviously, Floridians don't give a damn about a silly ineffective boycott! Go Bob Barr!!!

[roy]

Save your money. I spent 6 weeks in Aruba. It is a corrupt, greedy, immoral, and really a not very pretty island. It is small and there is a large refinery spewing pollution on the south end. What a joke Aruba is! I went there for work. Thankfully, I did not pay to go there.
Posted by: John Armstrong | Sunday, January 08, 2006 at 12:37 AM

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I think your experience in Aruba might have a lot to do with your personality.
Let you and I both pray you don't have to be back in Aruba for work or whatever.

[Sue]

Follow the Web Cam, Doesnt look like packed beaches to me
http://www.bucuticam.com/album2/gallery.php

It posts the times on the web cam pictures if you follow along you will see the beaches are pretty slow

[antoinette]

Sue, Follow the Web Cam, Doesnt look like packed beaches to me.

Well if you chk the time is 9 9:15 AM usually at this time people is still sleeping or taking breakfast. Have you been at the beach lately?
If you notice, the lines for the volleyball are fresh.
Taking a tan 11am to 3:00pm, Best time. Moreover, the Taishi classes, for golden age given in the side of the pool.
Next time we will ask a special photo for you at 1Pm.

[minnesota dad]

What a complete joke. To first understand this OpEd, you must understand what Mr. Barr's agenda is in writing it. You see, people like to prop up individuals as experts (e.g. Murtha), without fully delving into what their agenda is.

Who does Mr. Barr represent that he is attempting to curry favor with? Is Mr. Barr looking for some extra busines from some folks in Aruba and the boycott is affecting their ability to make money?

I don't trust anything that appears in OpEd areas of newspapers. Especially an OpEd written by an attorney.

Vive la boycott!

md

[roy]

Posted by: Jan | Sunday, January 08, 2006 at 11:33 AM

I agree 100%.
Dan's Blog is the only one with good posters on 'both sides' of the issue. Best balanced Blog.
Unlike another Blog. That one has the scent and smell of a monkey cage. Also the behavior there is kinda like 'monkey see, monkey do. And not very smart monkeys either.

[Heli]

Follow the Web Cam, Doesnt look like packed beaches to me
http://www.bucuticam.com/album2/gallery.php

It posts the times on the web cam pictures if you follow along you will see the beaches are pretty slow

Posted by: Sue | Sunday, January 08, 2006 at 02:59 PM

*****************

Before you get too excited, perhaps you would like to note the times many of those photos are taken i.e. 9:04 a.m. Not exactly prime beach time.

Also, if you look at random photos taken prior to June, 2005 you'll note that there is very little difference in the number of vacationers on the beach.

Moreover, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the webcam photos taken lately and those taken in the summer of 2005 and prior to June 2005. The boycott is having NO appreciable effect; seasonal as well as other factors contribute to the fluctuations.

[shonane]

barr's that strange liberterian guy who doesn't support the patriot act (if i remember correctly). he writes for the atlanta journal constitution now, i didn't know they let anybody with a grain of conservative thought in. wait, he does work against the republication norm, that must be why.

Posted by: kim |
================
Kim, FYI - - - Libertarians are not strange IMO. Libertarians are politically far right, very conservative. Most were Republicans before becoming Libertarian, and some run on the Rep party for office. The believe in a minimalist role for government (only majors like national security), and are opposed to unwarrented government intrusion into peoples lives, thus problems with many parts of the Patriot Act.

[INDIANAREDNECK]

Aruba Airport Authority reported that cruise passengers visiting Aruba dropped 40% in October. And that tourist flying in by plane dropped by 2000 in December. Enjoy the boycott Aruba and thank your officals for it.

[Aruban Lawyer]

Just 7 months after his daughter has disappeared, Dave Holloway announces he has written a book.

It will come out April 11, 2006.

Aruba : The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise (Hardcover)
by Dave Holloway, R. Stephanie Good, Larry Garrison

It will retail for US$ 25.99

What will happen with the money is unknown.

[shelby]

Dave Holloway writing a book , now how despicable is that try to make money off his dead daughter!

[Wants the truth]

Greta addressed the above issue in an email to a blogger -I think it is important for parents to write these books —and also investigators — to give us a better idea of the events that unfolded. It is not enough to simply watch television shows about it. Books are often more personal and give you more details that might be important to you as a person who has followed the news story. Sharon Rocha has a new book out ("For Laci") which I found powerful and informative.

[Telling it like it is!]

Dave Holloway has done a wonderful thing by writing his book. He has set up a foundation for missing persons and the profits are going toward the search and assistance of others.

[007]

letmetellyouhowitis;
IN THE FIRST PLACE IF THE CHAPARONES DID THEIR JOB, TO LOOK FOR THESE OUT OF CONTROL KIDS, USING ALCOHOL AND DRUGS FOR 4 DAYS AND NIGHTS, GOING OUT WITH THEM AND COMING HOME WITH THEM EVERYTIME, EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WOULD GONE HOME TO MOM AND DAD, STILL VIRGIN, NO ALCOHOL USE OR ABUSE, NO DRUGS USE OR ABUSE, NO ORAL SEX PERFORMED....ECT. BUT NOW ALL ANGELS ARE AT HOME LESS ONE THAT MAYBE , MAYBE , MAYBE

ONLY THE ABOVE IS A FACT, THE REST IS PURE BS, ALL OF YOU BS TING THE WHOLE DAY AND NIGHT AND KNOW NOTHING.....

sipping my pina colada under a palm tree, ..in paradise...!!
heard the latest , nancy asks the americans how come they continue to go to aruba, aswer is they are not stupid and who can stay out of ...paradise ..??? 007 ..james...

[nobody]

A bully always knows which little kid to pick on, until that bully gets another lesson in reality.

[lies]

Indiaredneck:

For your information my sister works for the Aruban version of the FAA and your information is incorrect. It is amazing how people believe everything they read.

There has been a little decline in American tourists, but a big part of the island's American visitors are repeat tourists, and they are still traveling to Aruba, and there has been an increase in European and South American visitors.
So much for boycott!!!

[Skye]

So much for boycott!!!

Posted by: lies | Friday, February 24, 2006 at 04:00 AM

That is really great to here. Now lets not hear anymore whinning and crying about how unfair the boycott is anymore. Something that did not work should not bother any of the Aruban people. Right?

[Die Aruba]

Of course, the repeat visitors are probably mainly liberals.

So who the hell wants to go there??