Editorials on the Aruban Boycott and Natalee Holloway from The Anniston Star

The following are some editorials from the Anniston Star. Reading the many editorials that are printed, they all seem to follow the same pattern. Those that support the boycott have been following the case from the beginning and are parents. They also are outraged by what has and has not happened in the investigation. The boycott is not looked upon as a state or US economic sanctioned boycott, but one of person choice at the outrage of how events were handled in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Then there are those that feel the family has the right, but the government should not be involved. Those that are against the boycott do so by seemingly blaming the victim, family and friends rather than a “criminal” element whoever that may be. There also seem to be other factors that skew one towards not only being against the boycott, but also against the family and thus the victim.

Those against the boycott also in many cases play the race card. As one of the individuals writing stated, “The blacks that are missing in the state of Alabama are never mentioned or cared about. This is the hypocrisy of Alabama officials. If you are not a socialite or have money in America, you are at the bottom on all lists of justice”. That is not entirely true as in the post-Natalee missing persons world, the media has paid much more attention to missing persons cases. Rest assured as well there are many white people that never get their names mentioned either. Keep in mind whether right or wrong only a select few missing persons cases make it to the level of constant media attention. That does not mean that the cases are not investigated. Also keep in mind when stating that blacks missing are not covered and its only about “pretty white females”, recently three of the most high profile cases have been about blacks, Olamide Adeyooye, Leslie Marva Adams, LaToyia Figueroa, and Aarone Thompson.

The other aspect of those who are against the boycott manage to use completely non-starter issues that literally make no sense and could never occur.

Would the honorable state of Alabama have allowed Aruba to bring in outside authorities, i.e. the FBI, the Dutch Air Force, the University of Florida Forensic Crime unit, all Aruban government employees, etc. (you do the translation from Aruban to Alabamian culture), in an attempt to solve the case?

This would be the equivalent of the best cancer hospital in the United States asking for medical help from the Aruban hospital. It would never happen. That is why many severe medical cases in Aruba are sent to Miami. It is no slight against the medical community in Aruba; it is just a case of medical expertize being better in another environment where they are exposed to better techniques, training, physicians and conditions.

Read the following letters to the editor:
Yes, we should
Illegal, hypocritical?
No, we shouldn’t