AL Teen Missing in Aruba - Page 3

sugar and spice · #31 06-11-2005, 01:35 PM

From what I'd read, it's not like she just met the guys that night -- she'd been hanging out with them all week. Thus, her classmates probably wouldn't be too alarmed by her leaving with them. Furthermore, it is not her classmates' responsibility to take care of her drunk ass. For all we know, they could have been just as drunk or drunker than she was -- or she could have disappeared while their backs were turned for a split-second. Any of you who have ever tried to watch out for a drunk 18-year-old will understand how tricky they can be. Hell, I've been that drunk 18-year-old. And even if she had gone somewhere with a friend, I doubt that would have prevented ANYTHING -- you'd probably just be looking at two dead teenage girls instead of one. Yeah, great idea.

Holding the chaperones liable is equally stupid -- unless, of course, they didn't do their job. But did any of you actually go on high school trips? It's not like sneaking out after room check is unheard of. I also don't think that leaving the country when one of your kids is missing is that weird. I don't know how many people were on this trip, but can you imagine forcing them all to pay for new tickets home just because one kid went missing? I can see -- maybe -- one chaperone staying behind, but that's it, and even that's a stretch. When I went on high school trips, we signed contracts to the effect of, "If I'm not there when the transportation leaves, it is not the school's fault and I will have to find my own way home, etc." I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case here. You can't hold up a whole trip worth of high school kids -- at their financial loss -- because one of the kids was being irresponsible and didn't show up.

At the end, there is no one to blame but Natalee. (I was going to say "and her parents for not realizing that she wasn't mature enough to be on a trip like this," but the girl was 18 -- they couldn't have stopped her from going.) Does that mean I don't feel for her? Of course not. I don't go home with random men, but I've still done plenty of stupid shit while drunk that could have gotten me into equal amounts of trouble, and let's face it -- if you drink regularly, you probably have too, regardless of whether or not you go home with strange men. Like James said, it's pretty naive to say this is a horrible decision when plenty of women do it all the time with no thought to the consequences. So it was in a foreign country? How does that make a difference? I don't think the streets of Pittsburgh are inherently safer than those in Aruba . . .

To sum up -- it's not her friends' fault. It's not the chaperones' fault. It's not her parents' fault. It's her own damn fault. She made a mistake, and she paid dearly for it. A nice little moral lesson for everyone tied up in a neat little bow.

starryeyed · #32 06-11-2005, 01:56 PM

I don't think it was necessarily HER fault. Who knows if those guys drugged her drinks? I don't think anyone can say until they find out what happened.

I feel so badly for her family.... I saw her mom and dad on 2020 last night, and I have to say I really admire their perseverance. Also they said wonderful things about the Arubian people despite this whole ordeal. I don't think I would be that big of a person in the same situation....

33girl · #33 06-11-2005, 02:11 PM

Oh, I agree it's ultimately her fault - I just am stating that (although kids do sneak out and such) I wouldn't trust my kid with someone who's not used to taking care of large groups of high school kids on such a trip. Then again, if my kid asked to go to Aruba for senior trip, I would probably say "you're going to Kennywood and you'll like it. Now STFU."

PM_Mama00 · #34 06-11-2005, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sugar and spice
. Any of you who have ever tried to watch out for a drunk 18-year-old will understand how tricky they can be. Hell, I've been that drunk 18-year-old.

18 year olds? Shit I have enough trouble trying to watch out for my 21, 22 and 23 year old friends when they're drunk! People say "They're adults let them be" but I'm not that friend who says "Go get some ass" unless it's someone we know and it'd be worth it. I'm that friend sneaking the keys away and pulling her arm away.

honeychile · #35 06-11-2005, 03:09 PM

I agree that anyone who doesn't think that anything that happened to Natalee was ultimately her fault is terribly naive - but I do think that there are going to be a lot of people who are going to say, "If only I had stopped her," for the rest of their lives. When someone one knows is a victim of a crime, and you are even remotely involved (seeing them go off with someone, not answering their text message, etc), one can't help but feel even worse about it.

The contracts we signed at my school said that we would be at wherever the bus to the airport would be waiting, or we would be responsible for holding up the whole trip. In other words, if one person was late, the whole tour would be held up, and the guilty party would suffer the consequences. Different schools do things differently, and at this time, none of us know what was in Natalee's contract.

As for a foreign country, I could have easily said a different city. No matter what anyone thinks, only people who have worked for Mapquest or Rand McNally or such know every neighborhood, even in their own hometown. What was she there, a week? I doubt very much that she knew Aruba so freaking well that she knew where she'd be safe and where she wouldn't. Yes, her guard should have been up the entire time she was there - I find it incredible that someone would think I thought otherwise!

Dedante · #36 06-12-2005, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by starryeyed
[Also they said wonderful things about the Arubian people despite this whole ordeal. I don't think I would be that big of a person in the same situation.... [/B]

OK, this really rubbed me the wrong way.... You can't possibly blame an entire island because of what a few individuals did.
That is the same as Europe holding the entire USA, or the entire state of Florida responsible, for the European tourists that were killed there in the early/mid nineties. (I think they were mainly Germans).

Like I said earlier. The island is truly feeling for her family and friends, and why wouldn't they? Wouldn't you feel terrible if anyone from out of town disappeared, and is feared dead where you live?

starryeyed · #37 06-12-2005, 10:22 AM

If my daughter went a a foreign country and was probably murdered, and then the govt. was more worried about what it would do to their tourism then getting down to the investigation, and then govt. officials kept releasing information and retracting everything they said, yeah I'd probably hate that country. I'm sorry if that angers you, but at least I am honest.

Dedante · #38 06-12-2005, 11:04 AM

That is completely bogus, especially since the parents of the girl are NOT having any problems with the authorities on Aruba so your point is completely besides the issue!

#39 06-12-2005, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by starryeyed
If my daughter went a a foreign country and was probably murdered, and then the govt. was more worried about what it would do to their tourism then getting down to the investigation, and then govt. officials kept releasing information and retracting everything they said, yeah I'd probably hate that country. I'm sorry if that angers you, but at least I am honest.

Are you seriously making shit up and pulling it outta your ass and then posting it onto GC?

I don't think I've ever heard her parents, family, friends, and loved ones talk bad about the Dutch government at all. All I keep hearing is that they were "working closely" to get some answers.

I also can't recall a time when any reporter, be it CNN, MSNBC, the AP, mentioned that the Dutch government was just trying to save their asses to protect their industry.

Keep in mind that we're most definitely not hearing the whole story...but that doesn't mean the same for the Holloways. They probably know more than we do because the Dutch government's disclosing more info to them in order to protect the progress of the case.

Unless you can provide us with some proof, I'd suggest that you not make shit up. Just because you'd go apeshit and you don't agree with how things are being handled, you really don't have the authority to assume that the Dutch government (not the Aruban government, because there IS non) isn't doing everything they can to assist the Holloways just so they can protect their tourism.

The people of Aruba will continue to enjoy a profitable tourism industry for many more years, regardless of the outcome of the Holloway case.

starryeyed · #40 06-12-2005, 12:25 PM

Okay hold up! I'm not trying to "make things up" or make anyone mad. It was MY perception that the the Aruban govt was downplaying the seriousness of her dissappearance when the reports first surfaced. My perception is not fact, and I am sorry if I made anyone angry. I won't post about it anymore, period.

AlphaSigOU · #41 06-12-2005, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OTW
... the Dutch government (not the Aruban government, because there IS non) isn't doing everything they can to assist the Holloways just so they can protect their tourism...

Only partially correct. Aruba is still part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands but is allowed to exercise its own autonomy in its internal affairs; they've done so since 1986 when they separated from the colony of the Netherlands Antilles.

Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/aa.html

#42 06-12-2005, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Only partially correct. Aruba is still part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands but is allowed to exercise its own autonomy in its internal affairs; they've done so since 1986 when they separated from the colony of the Netherlands Antilles.

Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/aa.html

I am well aware of Aruba's government structure.

I know I erred when I said there was no Aruban government. What I SHOULD have said was that the Dutch government stepped in and it handling matters because this is considered a "foreign" matter.

You like pointing out my mistakes, don't you? It seems like it's becoming a habit, for real.

RedHot · #43 06-12-2005, 07:48 PM

Prime Minister Nelson Oduber said on national radio Friday that if something happened to Holloway, it would damage the reputation of this island of 97,000 people, which depends on tourism and is considered one of the safest spots in the Caribbean

Unlike other Dutch Caribbean islands that are part of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba fought and won the right to be independent a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 80s. They have an independent local government with Holland responsible for defense and foreign affairs.

The case appeared close to being solved Saturday after one of three young men in custody said "something bad happened" to Natalee Holloway, 18, when they took her to a beach, according to a police official. But prosecutors later refused to confirm or deny that information, and the investigation into Holloway's disappearance seemed to be back at square one.
The reported admission by one of the three young detainees fueled rumors of the young woman's demise, and family members later rebutted them by saying Holloway's body had not been found.

I agree with Starryeyed. She wasn't trying to stir up trouble-just giving her true opinion. She didn't deserve anyone jumping down her throat. She's just saying how she feels.

DeltAlum · #44 06-13-2005, 09:39 AM

While I don't think that the administration there is any less dedicated to bringing this situation to the best conclusion possible under terrible circumstances, I think that it was an unfortunate comment about hurting the tourism industry.

It is easy to see how that could be taken wrong.

AnonAlumna · #45 06-13-2005, 09:56 PM

This is a very unfortunate matter. And, I'm very anxious to see what details come of it. I do think it's curious that they haven't found her body yet. It's NOT a very big place, and didn't they let everyone out of work JUST to look for her. I don't know if we can trust anything that's happening, simply because one of the main suspects involved is the nephew of a high ranking judge! I wonder how that affects things?

Also, one thing that pisses me off is how her parents and friends are making her out to be a saint! "She's such a good person. She never drank or anything. It's so not like her." Um, what did she think she was going to do in Aruba, hang out and make friendship bracelets?