NEWS: Alabama Governor Calls for Nationwide Boycott of Aruba

The governor of Alabama joined the parents of Natalee Holloway in calling for a boycott of the island nation of Aruba after the investigation into the high school girl's disappearance earlier this year seems to have stalled. The governor, Bob Riley, also asked other state governors to also call on their citizens to cancel plans to travel to the island. Some have even suggested the boycott should be extended to the Netherlands, since Aruba is part of the Dutch Realm.



I'm so sick of this story, but I guess the governor of a state calling for the boycott of a country is news. Sadly, I don't think anyone will ever figure out what happened to this girl and it's partially due to incompetence of the Aruban authorities, but such investigation botching goes on all the time here and no one calls for boycotts. And the suggestion that the Netherlands, which really doesn't have any power over Aruba anymore, is patently ridiculous.

Originally posted by djohnsto77
I'm so sick of this story, but I guess the governor of a state calling for the boycott of a country is news. Sadly, I don't think anyone will ever figure out what happened to this girl and it's partially due to incompetence of the Aruban authorities, but such investigation botching goes on all the time here and no one calls for boycotts. And the suggestion that the Netherlands, which really doesn't have any power over Aruba anymore, is patently ridiculous.

Agreed. Let's boycott Alabama. Not like I wasn't already.

This may be slighlty OT, but did anyone see Dr. Phil on Leno the other night? He stated quite directly that he has good reason to believe that the girl is still alive. This is quite a statement, seeing as he is pretty much funding the search for her with his fortune. Personally, I will be very surprised if they do find her. I think it's almost scummy of Dr. Phil to say what he did- but then these daytime TV folks revel in scumminess- it strikes me as no surprise that he chose this particular "cause celebre" to take up, as a shocking inside story of a rescue from the sex slave pipeline would be exactly the kind of thing his audience sucks up. I don't care much about this overhyped story or Dr. Phil, but if the girl is still alive and he helps find her, then I cant begrudge him that. Shame about the other 1000's of less attractive and less middle-American girls out there.

To quote from boycottdrphil.org:

Dr. Phil appeared on the Jay Leno show that was aired on november 2, 2005. On this show he claims the following:

“We have reasonable belief, without giving false hope, that Natalee is alive - we don’t know where.” …. “I just had to bring a group out of Mexico because things were getting pretty bad….maybe we were getting too hot.”



[edit on 8-11-2005 by koji_K]

Ditto...to all comments...

the girl is almost diffinatly NOT alive, due to the massive search.
If she was alive before, the attention the media is giving to her is making her a liability to stay that way...

dead (wo)men tell no tales... and every criminal mind knows this...
so unless a religious cult nabbed her, then we can probably assume the worst.
that she is no longer with us, and only god can administer the punishment.

I feel sure that the criminals who did this will regret it one day, but not until they are beyond earthly justice...

In this one I have to agree with the idea of boycott, US support this islands with tourism and the least thing they can do is to show more respect for the American people.

I only feel that it could have been my daughter the one that could be missing right now in Aruba and how would I feel if not even a body is found.

I would be boycotting too.

just my personal opinion as a mother.

Originally posted by djohnsto77

Bob Riley, also asked other state governors to also call on their citizens to cancel plans to travel to the island.

That is ridiculous.

It has been a great pleasure for me to attend a jewish congress in Aruba last year. I had a great time. What a happy Island, a genuinely happy place to be.

One should show solidarity and plan a trip.

Sorry to ask, but what is the story about the government and this missing girl?

[edit on 8-11-2005 by Riwka]

As a mother, I would hope you wouldn't allow your girl to go unescorted alone on a foreign countries beach at night... or to a beach party held by the locals...

The parents had far more ability to keep this from happening than a tourist island police force...

I feel for their loss, but the Aruban authorities did do some extensive detective work (with the US pushing the whole way) but we are lucky they even did that...

if it would have been Jamaica... then the police would have said... "shouldn't have lost track of her now should you have, ahh too bad mon..."

Wow, I didn't see this thread until just now. It kind of make you wonder why Dr. Phil would even risk his reputation in the slightest by giving even a glimmer of false hope about Natalee still being alive. The guy's got more money than God, so if he wants to fund a more thorough investigation, more power to him. It's still really, really strange though!

Peace

I'll wager a dollar to a donut that the risk of being killed in Aruba is a lot less than Alabama. In fact Iv'e got real green money that says anywhere in the USA is much more dangerous from just drunk drivers than Aruba.

This is such transparent posturing; it's comical. Gov. Bob should be ashamed!

The Natalee Holloway story was trumped up by Fox to look like a major story that we should care about, when in reality it was something that they gave airtime to so that they wouldn't have to address the president's and the GOP's recent failings.

It's the same reason that the Daniel Horowitz story was given any airtime.

These stories belong on local news stations, no one cares and it doesn't affect us in any significant way.

# Natalee Holloway...

[edit on 8-11-2005 by ShakyaHeir]

Originally posted by LazarusTheLong

As a mother, I would hope you wouldn't allow your girl to go unescorted alone on a foreign countries beach at night... or to a beach party held by the locals...

oyoyoy.

I think, Aruba is a safe and secure destination.

Of course you can attend a party held by the locals - you would find yourself in a much more comfortable environment than most well known tourist destinations and towns around the world.

While I think it's tragic what happened to this young girl and I also feel that the vandersluit men leave a lot to be desired (both father and son) but calling for a nation wide boycott because of one white girl, well that's ridiculous.

I for one am calling on a national and international boycott of alabama untill they find all these people:

www.missingkids.com...

It's an election year so I'm not suprised at this stunt, but it's like bill oreilly telling me to boycott french made products or asking for freedom fries at mcdonalds. It makes us look idiotic and juvenile.

IMO of course.

No offense intended toward the descent citizens of the fine state of Alabama.

Spiderj

The irony here is that the more Dr. Phil and Natalee's parents try to publicize and draw out the issue (and the more the media continues to cover it), the greater the chances are that whoever is keeping her (if she is still alive) will kill her. It's a sucky situation. I mean, how stupid is it to spend millions on trying to find her, and then let the whole world know on the Jay Leno show, of all things, BEFORE you actually have her found! I guess Dr. Phil needed the publicity pretty bad and just couldn't wait till his investigation actually succeeded. What a sick, twisted phony.







[edit on 8-11-2005 by koji_K]

Riwka:
for the record, aruba is usually safe, but it is never a good idea to go roaming any foreign country alone... especially at night, and especially to events that involve much inebriation...

and just a friendly warning... If you come to america... dont let your children or friends roam alone... especially under the above circumstances...
and especially in Alabama...

Has anyone told Bandit this yet? Stand clear!

In all seriousness I don't support this at all.

It's a tragic situation with the girl but calling for boycotts and tossing blame wherever you want isn't bringing anyone back. The case is an unfortunate one and due to many specific reasons I highly doubt we'll ever find out what actually happened.

Why boycott Aruba? Because they won't blindly just blame someone for someone vanishing just to make the public feel good? Maybe this girl is a slave in another country right now. Maybe she was murdered and her body dumped somewhere. Maybe she was drunk after partying and was swimming in the ocean and drowned and became shark food? But her family just wants someone blamed. I guess they are used to American style justice. Blame someone and lock them up just so you can feel better.

Originally posted by koji_K
Shame about the other 1000's of less attractive and less middle-American girls out there.[edit on 8-11-2005 by koji_K]

it's effin sad how true this statement is.

I agree with Dick Cheney on the torture thing. I think they should take the two Van der sloots and cattle prod their jewels until they spit out the truth. Just a thought.

Alabama boycotting Aruba is really beneath them...............................Alabama I mean.

Peace

Her looks certainly helped get this story going, but I think it's the mother that really kept it in the news.

She's been like a pitbull with this.

Indy,

Exactly !

For all we know she could have come across misfortune and found herself in a dire times, whose to say that the government had any involvment. This only shows the uneducated and highly unethical stance by this Governer. What will a boycott ascertain? Poor economic trade which will affect both sides, minute as it may be to one?

Luxifero