11 Months After Natalee Holloway disappears and Now Arubans fear negative impact of Holloway case

“We’re concerned about the negative publicity,” said Myrna Jansen-Feliciano of the Aruba Tourist Authority.

Takes its toll on Aruba, huh? Ever wonder why the story of Natalee Holloway has never gone away Aruba? Ever wonder why after all this time that so many people care about Natalee Holloway and her family? In America our children are our greatest national treasure. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. Worse yet, never know what harm came to them so they never get closure. It is exactly this mentality that this case is about how Aruba feels is exactly the reason why many are so upset and not traveling to your island. The interest in this case is not going away. It takes very little to ramp up the public’s interest in Natalee Holloway as people have adopted Natalee Holloway as their very own.

In most news coverage, and certainly here in the Buzz, 11 months like that usually translates to a nosedive in public interest.

But this case is not like most. And though searches for Natalee Holloway have wavered since her story first gained national attention, it doesn’t take much to boost her back into our top overall movers.
(Yahoo Buzz)

It isn’t about you Aruba. We have been stating this from the very beginning of this case. It’s about Natalee Holloway and how the investigation has been mishandled and how a family of a missing person has been mistreated. You do not insult a family of a missing person. You do not try and “shut her up“. You do not blame a victim who is most likely dead for her disappearance. For some reason Aruban officials, some in Aruba and in the US think that the Natalee Holloway case is different from other missing person cases. Since when do police officials or prosecutors blame the victim or the family for the cause of a disappearance when they were no where near the the location where an individual went missing? If the powers that be in Aruba ever comprehended the idea of compassion and that it is inappropriate to string a family along on an 11 month roller coaster ride, maybe today things might be different.

Now Aruba worries about the negative impact of the Natalee Holloway case? 11 months after the Alabama teen disappearance? One thinks that maybe they should have been concerned when the two black security guards were falsely arrested, the three prime suspects were allowed to go ten days without being arrested, the Van der Sloot property not 100% searched or the day that all three suspects were released from jail. All this time goes by and now this is a concern for Aruba, although it is too bad that they do not seem to think its a concern that Natalee Holloway vanished.

With the case still unsolved, islanders now fear that Aruba, which gets 70 percent of its gross domestic product from tourism, will be permanently scarred by the mystery.

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Army Spc. Robert Hornbeck still Missing after weekend in Savannah, GA

Specialist Robert Hornbeck of the US Military Third ID was last seen in downtown Savannah, GA the weekend of April 16, 2006. Hornbeck’s father had made a call to his son and the line went dead.

Robert Hornbeck, who returned to Fort Benning in January after a year in Iraq only to vanish during a weekend getaway to Savannah.

(Read more at Missing & Exploited)

Aruba – Natalee Holloway Comment Post 25

Having a hardware problem with the Scared Monkeys Forum. Forums posters and all free to post here for the time being. The comments are being moderated but we are trying to get them done, but your patience is appreciated.

Tom & Red

Diario: Natalee’s case is truly becoming like a cakià ±a

Diario Aruba; April 26, 2006: CASO DI NATALEE DI BERDAD BIRANDO MANERA UN CAKIÃ’A Tambe peor cu un Telenovela!

Natalee’s case is truly becoming like a cakià ±a [?]
Also worse than a soap opera!

ORANJESTAD (AAN): Different reactions have come in with the claim of how the young Geoffrey van Cromvoirt was able to sleep with his pillow and blanket at the police station, while other Arubans…when they are locked up…have to sleep on a cement bed.

Meanwhile, the American press now continues to camp out in the direct area of Geoffrey’s home. Every one is trying to obtain an image of the family. However, from the US, producers of big programs such as the Today Show, as well as Good Morning America are looking for them in every corner to try to obtain an exclusive interview.
(Full translation at Getagrip)

Beth Twitty Speaks at Victims’ Rights Rally in KY

Beth Twitty spoke to a captive Kentucky “victims rights” crowd regarding the safety of their children traveling abroad and at home.

Twitty told reporters it’s been a long search trying to find her daughter and the people responsible for her disappearance. She spoke Wednesday to other crime victims about coping with the aftermath of a family tragedy.

Many do not understand people’s fascination with the Natalee Holloway disappearance, or are bitter that other cases do not get the same attention. These people look at the Natalee Holloway coverage in a myopic manner. They think that the attention that the MSM has given one case hurts other cases when in fact it is just the opposite.
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