I have to contradict you. I live in Birmingham, AL. I produce a radio show and I am a news anchor. I am almost sick of talking about it, however, it's my job. I'm white. I feel sorry for the girl and her family. I want to see her come home.
You need to know the background of this case a little more I think...
Natalee Holloway is from an expensive area of town called Mountain Brook. You can see on my own blog (http://weeklyview.blogspot.com) one of the first pieces I wrote on her was about a bubble of safety over Mountain Brook. It's true still. The town is naive. Residents are born green with money there. They stay in Mountain Brook and surrounding communities, only to go on vacation or shop at the largest malls in the area. They retreat back home to count their dollars and enjoy TV. These parents let their kids go party without even thinking of danger because "it doesn't happen in Mountain Brook."
Here's my point: the Holloways and the Twittys have enough money to take care of getting her home no matter what it takes. Residents in Mountain Brook with kids at the highschool who know Natalee or went to church with Natalee, have the money to donate to this cause.
And believe me, they have...(just call Amsouth Bank and ask about the Natalee Holloway fund)
Money gets you places and in this case their money and the efforts of others in the Birmingham-metro area are giving this girl the publicity she has.
It is not because she is white!
If it were me, a young, white, newlywed, missing, I would never be found...my family and friends don't have funds like that. They would search, put out fliers, and beg with authorities to do more: end of story.
Why not focus your attention on why Aruban authorities don't stop acting like they are investigating and let the FBI contribute, not take over, in interrogations and searches instead of brushing them off. The feds are only there anyway because the family call Jeff Sessions and begged him to do something. That's why he called...he knows they have money and they are voters. Not because she is white. If it were more obvious that Aruban authorities were searching for this girl then maybe you won't have your "missing pretty girl syndrome."
Stephanie Kaplan-Daniels, Birmingham, AL
Money talks! You're not really contradicting me. In my post I blog "There have been other "Natalee Holloways" whose stories never got picked up in the media past their hometowns."
It's the conservative blodgers who seem to be smitten with the White Girl thing!
Where were her escorts, why did her parents not discourage her from going? Why are we making such a big deal out of this story? Tragic as it is, why do I have to know so much about this girl?
I am not in favor of the war in Iraq, but I would rather hear a daily bio of a soldier killed in Iraq - that deserves more attention than a story of some blonde hair, blue eyed, princess from Alabama, who clearly travelled far from home with no street smarts. Maybe they should do more news stories on the girls who run off to the big city, here in the U.S. and don't ever come back and are never heard from again....
Just a thought.
Hey Steff you sound more then jaded.
I have friends that live there and they wernt "born" with money neither are they green. Can you link me to the stats that show they only shop at the "largest malls" in the area? I think if your going to make statements like that you should show your anonymous authority so we can all see it's not just a personal issue, i.e. Ad hominem type arugements. There are several malls close to and in Mnt.Brook. Why go eles where?
Speaking for myself, young, white and married or not would not keep a lot of us from helping you Steff in a time of need like that. I know many people here in Alabama that would be outraged if something like this happened to anyone here, even you Steff and yes we would be in their faces just like the current issue. The Holloway family wasn't the only ones that called or emailed Jeff Sessions, a lot of us did. Lots of others have voluteered their services and gone to aruba of their own accord (without any monetary gain from the Holloways or anyone else). I don't agree with your conclusion that "money" is the reason this is happening nor could I dissagree with you more that you or anyone else not being found in such cases because they do or don't have money.
Natalee may never be found.
I've been a part of the northern alabama search and rescue team for several years up until recently.
Do you really believe that the first thing searchers say at a moment like that is "how much money do they have"? or how attractive are they"? How crass is that?
wonder why no one ever mentions these kids - http://www.dps.state.al.us/publi...ng/
children.asp
Okay Stephanie, here's an opinion outside of your area. I think you are jaded and I just can't believe that someone with your stature in your community could be allowed by the public to hold sway on community opinions while having such a divisive and bigoted view of this tragedy. I think you have "money envy". I also think you are wrong.
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the last year we have had two young boys go missing in the wilderness. We cried when 11-year-old Garrett Bardsley disappeared on a Boy Scout outing and was presumed dead after weeks of searching. The community turned out in the thousands in the first weeks and then hundreds turned out to help for many weeks afterward. We didn't care about how much money his family made, where he went shopping, or if he was cute.
Then again, just this week 11-year-old Brennan Hawkins was lost in the same area. 4000 people volunteered the first day to help search! So many that people had to be sent home. He was found alive and well after five days. We celebrated the good fortune as a community and laughed and cried with the family. We didn't care how much money the family made, what mall they shop at, or if Brennan were cute or blonde or blue eyed.
But, you know what? We have had our own beautiful, blonde haired, blue eyed girl, story here too. Elizabeth Smart went missing and we turned out in the thousands to help her family find her. We cried as a community when we lost hope and thought we would never see her again. Then, almost a year later, she was found and we celebrated as a community with her family and we stuck with them even when some of the outside world had nothing good to say. Yes, Stephanie, the Smarts are rich by most standards, but we didn't care. We, as a community, just wanted to help those in need and I hope it stays that way here and where you live too.
Stephanie, I hope you are never put in a position that would allow you to require a person in your community to provide a net worth statement to prove they aren't too "rich" to get help when in need. I can only imagine your version of an EMT in your community; required to have a degree in finance and able to read a P&L statement before giving life saving assistance. I hope your community has the where-with-all to show the world that you do not represent who they are and are willing to stand up and tell you to just shut up and crawl back under that bigoted rock where you were born.
In the meanwhile, I'm going to go out and by a "Hope For Natalee" bracelet, because Natalee Holloway's parents need our support in this terrible time. Stephanie, its about community, compassion, empathy, love, and really caring for your neighbors. Here's a flash for you: It's not about the money, stupid!
Natalee Holloway is missing, and the nation wants to either find her or know what happened to her. Your article above, which criticizes the coverage this case has received, will do nothing to further either of these ends. At worst, you are distracting people from what matters, and that is finding Natalee. The space wasted above could have been put to better use publicizing this national tragedy and mustering more resources for the effort ahead.
Did anyone consider looking for her in Venezuela? A mere skip from Oranjestad?
Please go to this website and purchase a "Hope for Natalee" Bracelet. We have set up also a PayPal way to donate any size of money to the Fund. We are located in Birmingham (Cox Radio WZZK) and would thank you for any support that you can give!
Marcie Matte
Webmaster
WZZK-FM
http://wzzk.com/event_guide/
nata...ybracelets.html
Those bracelets are offensive!
VERY well said Dan!!!
I am praying for the family and that they find Natalee!
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