Found this on the Internet today and I am hoping that it will get posted. With so many negative "vibes' going around about the destination atmleast someone is staying objective. Hope this will get posted. Have been trying to get it posted on the N.H thread.
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Truth, verification and respect.



If the Aruba people can be blamed for one thing it’s being
accommodating, trustful, friendly and maybe naïve. An island famed for
its low crime rate, the people were outraged by the disappearance of
Natalee Holloway. The general support for the family in their immediate
search was genuine. A mostly Catholic population (81% practicing
Catholics), they assisted in searches, held vigils, attended dedicated
masses and showed a tremendous patience when the mother made statements
that portrayed the island as anything but the friendly island it is.
Even in this time when everybody possesses a camera phone, Aruba has
respected Mrs. Twitty privacy in her search and grief, not taking one
inappropriate shot even though opportunities to do so were amply
available, misuse of which would have made the mother look bad. This all
in the strong belief that the actions of the nation and its people would
be truthfully displayed and no one would make efforts to portray things
other than they are. How naïve.



Now the whole island is being punished with a call for a boycott from a
US Governor for the suspected actions of a government body: Hardly a
regular action from a democratic state, and there are words in the
English language that describe actions against innocent people in
punishment of a country, religion, belief or government they disapprove
of.



This case has gone far beyond the search for the truth, and whether it’s
political or financial motives (increased ratings) or plain vengeance:
it’s wrong.

Truth is more than the claims of one party: it’s hearing the claims and
looking for verification. It’s accepting an invitation from the
investigative team to send an Alabama state police official to
personally get briefed on the status of an investigation, professional
to professional. Only if verified the information becomes true.



It’s also having respect for a different system, chosen for by the
people of a democratic nation, a nation whose ties with the United
States of America go back many, many years. A nation who has soldiers
fighting in the US military in Iraq and whose Kingdom partner has been
one of the US’ allies in that fight against terrorism even as the
validity of the motives of that war are being questioned.



Boycotts should be called for when human rights are being tampered with
(China: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41640.htm, Russia:
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41704.htm ), when religious
freedoms are being broken (Saudi Arabia,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51609.htm) or for countries
where innocent people’s life are threatened by extremists of any sort,
even when a boycott has serious repercussions for the economy of the
boycotting nation. A boycott of a small friendly island state, where
crime is among lowest in the world, for the SUSPICION of a flawed
investigation into an unfortunate but single case of a missing person
with SUSPISION of crime without complying with a simple burden of proof
is ridiculous and very undemocratic.



All everybody wants is, or should want, is the truth, the real truth and
a show of respect. No Aruban has deliberately hurt Mrs. Twitty or her
family and no Aruban deserves being punished for it.



Aruba is still its friendly self, though a bit disappointed, and is
looking forward to greeting all US citizens who see through the motives
behind the witch-hunt and who want vacation in Aruba because it still is
one of the best places to vacation!

Is that why they are now harrassing their own citizens. They threatened and slit the tires of Beth's attorney. Shame on them.

Jeez, Pamela, someone's daughter was murdered there and the local government is all but refusing to help. What "witch hunt" are you talking about? Don't have any kids, Pammy, you don't have the heart for it.

BRASILIA, Brazil — A 17-year-old Oregon exchange student missing since last weekend was found safe Thursday in northeastern Brazil, ending an intense search by Brazilian authorities and the U.S. Embassy.

Mykensie Martin arrived at a police station in the coastal city of Salvador, about 690 miles northeast of Brazil's capital, Brasilia, said Lt. Alexandre Silva of the federal police in the state of Bahia.

She was accompanied to the police station by a young Brazilian from Salvador identified as Marcos Alves, a waiter at a beachside restaurant. The two arrived holding hands and stayed arm in arm at the police station as a swarm of photographers snapped pictures.

The high school senior from Bend, Ore., did not speak to reporters in Salvador. Federal police spokeswoman Monica Horta said Alves helped Martin escape being robbed and assaulted Tuesday at a Salvador beach after she arrived there from Brasilia on an overnight bus.

Martin then stayed at a vacant apartment arranged by Alves, although the two told police they were just friends. She eventually told him that she had left her host family in the central Brazilian state of Minas Gerais to head to Brasilia and Salvador.

They then decided she should go to the police station.

U.S. Embassy spokesman John Wilcock said her worried parents were notified she was safe just before they boarded a flight from Miami to Sao Paulo to join in the search.

"They were obviously relieved and wanted to express gratitude to Brazilian authorities and media for paying such close attention to this, which resulted in her being found safe," he said.

Horta said the parents and their daughter will be reunited in Brasilia on Friday.

After arriving at the police station, Martin seemed "stressed, but there's nothing physically wrong with her that we can tell," said Rodrigo Koble, an Interpol agent who was at the station.

Before showing up in Salvador, Martin was last seen Sunday evening hitchhiking in Unai, a city 80 miles from Brasilia.

The exchange student left her host city of Carmo do Paranaiba in the central state of Minas Gerais on Sunday to travel 40 miles by bus to Patos de Minas, where she regularly attended Mormon church services.

State police officer Nelson Garcia in Brasilia said officers interviewed workers at a small hotel in Brasilia who said she stayed there Sunday night and talked with them about places to visit in Brazil.

Kalina Ligia Saraiva, the owner of the hotel, told the local newspaper Correio Braziliense that Martin arrived at the hotel accompanied by a young Brazilian man who did not seem to know her very well.

The man checked Martin into the hotel and paid for the room, left and returned Monday about 7:30 a.m. to pick her up when she checked out, Saraiva said in a report on the newspaper's Web site.

"She seemed all right," Saraiva said. "It didn't look like it was a kidnapping."

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Tell me the story now about Natalee....

now that's a credible statement, maybe chester, nancy g., dr.phil can get together on Oprah and discuss....see ya HH in 16 mre days..whoohoooooo

Chester -

Great post. I totally agree.

Chester I am really tired of everyone saying that she was murdered.Do you have positive proof of this happening,because if you cannot back this up than I think that everyone making these comments including you should be quiet.The only people that know what happened have not confessed. I agree that the persons of interest have more information then they have told the authorities but till this happens we do not know what actually happened on the night in question.Why do you have to be so cruel in your remarks to this person all they are doing is giving their views about the people and island of aruba.We have been to the island 6 times and will continue to go back because as terrible as this event was the general population didn't have anything to do with it and should not be punished.

My slant: Dont you have any sons?
Dont usE the word murdered, killed etc. unless you know proof positive, that is what happened.
I agree with Pamela.
Unless they can absolutely prove that anyone, the 3 boys included did the crime with positive evidence, they need to leave these boys alone.

Blah-Blah-Blah if you have a daughter etc. etc.
How about if you have a son or sons? Would you want them to be held any longer than they have, (very unjustified long) if they claim their innocence of a homicide?
Lying etc. does not denote a homicide.

Yes the Holloways need a clousure so they can finally put this to rest, BUT not a clousure comdemming anyone, 3 boys etc. just to settle this case.
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY...AMEM

How uninformed are you? The government of Aruba has helped - they have searched, they have arrested, they have re-searched - they have re-arrested. Just because you don't agree with the procedures of their legal system, doesn't mean that they are not helping find the truth as to what happened to Natalie.
Half the world has searched for Natalie - no one has solved this mystery. Show a little respect for others - America is not the only country with a decent legal system.

we agree with you pamela 100%