Wednesday, June 08, 2005

One word: Rent-a-Dread!

That's all I have to say about the missing teenager Nathalee Holloway. I dun wid dat!

So I already spoke about how I'm tired of the mainstream media and their penchant for turning molehills into mountains and how I've been trying to avoid them. Well I've been pretty successful lately, I skim the newspaper, watch a bit of local news and if a story catches my interest I'll go online and see what some of the sources are saying, trying always to get some varied perspectives. Been doing a pretty good job of not being annoyed by the news channels and then yesterday ,while channel surfing instead of watching the pre-game shows before Game 7, I somehow ended up watching Nancy Grace on CNN discuss this missing 18 year old in Aruba and this show pissed me off.

Now I sincerely hope that they find this young lady alive and well and as the days go on the hope dwindles and I really feel for her parents. But still to put this in perspective I'm kind of curious as to why her specific story has been getting so much attention. Is she the only missing American out there? What's so compelling about her story? Is it that she is missing in the Caribbean, in a foreign country? Is it that she is a A student? Why is it that straight A students always seem to be the one's missing don't the dumb ass kids voted most likely to work at Mcdonalds for life get abducted, lost or disappear as well? Is it that Nathalee was last seen with three local men before her disappearance? What is it? Why does the media focus on only certain missing person's stories? Yea all those questions are rhetorical, I'm not that dense.

Ok and they paint this portrait of her as this good God fearing Alabama girl all righteous and virtuous, I believe someone on CNN even mentioned her going to Bible study. Now far be it for me to attack this portrayal seeing as I don't know the girl but wait a minute what was she doing leaving a bar late at night with three I repeat three men? Wasn't it a big class of teenagers that went down to Aruba for this seniors trip? What is she doing (1) all alone (2) in a foreign country (3) a female leaving a bar at night (4) with strange men. Hello! I mean its different to if she was traveling by herself but the report say that she was traveling with 100 other graduates and 7 chaperones. How is it that she ends up out at night all by herself when she was traveling with such a big group of people? Surely she had a friend or two in the group who would go out with her. Nope something doesn't sound right! Something wrong!

I mean I understand that when you are on vacation you tend to be a bit more laid back and you tend to hope that the place you are in isn't a spot where you'll run into any problems but does Immigration and Customs confiscate every last iota of common sense on arrival at the airport?

Immigration Officer:"Anything to declare?"
Tourist: "No."
Immigration Officer: "what's that you have there miss?"
Tourist: "Oh that's just some sound judgment and common sense that I take everywhere with me."
Immigration Office: "Well I'm sorry miss but local statute 5.1 sub-section 6 clearly states that under no circumstances is common sense allowed on the island so we'll have to take that from you but on departure we'll be happy to return it. Have a nice day and welcome to the island!"

And of course now with one American missing in a Caribbean country Aruba is going to be painted in a light worst than if it was Baghdad. Those evil Arubans preying on unsuspecting Americans. Look at how Aruba tourism going to dry up now because one silly teenager wouldn't use common sense.

They got the whole civil service beating the bush looking for the girl. Cuhdear but see me if the government did give me half day off I didn't spending it walking in the sand or going through all sorta gullies and getting plimplers and thorns juck in my hands, while de mosqitoes and sandflies trying to bite me to death, playing that I looking for somebody. Honest to God! Not that I wouldn't help find her but only if she pass by my house and knock on my door and I didn't too deep in sleep.

And I don't want to speculate on what she was doing cause I was not there but someone told me that they keep pushing this whole thing about the girl going to bible study and praying three times a day and all that trying to make her seem as this innocent young thing that was hoodwinked, bamboozled and led astray in Aruba. Now the way I see it aint no bar that I've been into nowhere in the world that duz have a sign saying "come enjoy our half priced wings and stay for our Bible Study Wednesdays." I neva see dat nowhere yet! So unless she walk with her bible and was going to testify and minister to some of the wicked heathens in the bar (wunnah know who I talking to) then she went to that bar for other purposes. True they could make a case that maybe she was lured there by some unscrupulous person or something so but for me I say if a young girl on vacation go out to a bar late at night, in a foreign country, by herself then odds are she didn't leave home with any bible study in mind.

And the two guys they arrested in connection with her disappearance are known to police for frequenting hotels and the like trying to pick up tourists. In other words in local terms they are probably Rent-A-Dreads and no you really don't have to have actual dreads to qualify. So this girl is missing and two rent-a-dreads are held in connection with the disappearance you do the math.

Anyway I truly hope she is found alive if its just because I will hate to see the bad rep that Aruba and the rest of the Caribbean gets if she isn't. Cause yes the rest of the Caribbean will soon be painted with whatever brush is used on Aruba. Cause many North Americans aint too smart on geography (no disrespect to my North American readers, I aint talking about wunnah). They will hear Aruba and ask which part of Jamaica that is or that in the Bahamas or something stupid so and next thing you know we all painted with the same brush and tourism is one industry where bad publicity is not good publicity.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I liked the wings and bible study comment. I hope they find her, but by now things are looking bleaky bleaky. Next Time I go to the airport I hope no one asks me to check my common sense.

Campfyah said...

Boye Jdid, I had some ah de same questions as you. My first thing was, was she trafficking or sumthing so. But yuh know the great US of A, she white girl from the bible belt of Alabama. Enuff sed. I hope that the outcome is a positive one, but Aruba is scared and gotta do some damage repair. Now if it was black girl from Bklyn, yuh think we would hear bout it on the news.

Anonymous said...

all true, all true. I remember when an English tourist got shot in a robbery in Buhbayduss a few years back and people in England get on like if Bajans was waitin for tourists to come and kill dem!

Nathalie said...

CNN is the worst. They make up stuff to spice up the news. Can't stand them.
You're absolutly right- why is her story getting so much attention. Bible studies or not, something funky with this story.

Amadeo said...

Trying to have adventures abroad...don't she know to have a fling with a classmate and then ignore him when they get home? Unless she needed a new flavor.

Abeni said...

I hope she is alive but Aruba can do without that negative publicity.Couple years back a white American woman was charged with killing a water taxi guy in the Grenadines and Ted Koppel painted SVG as a backwoods.Thankfully,we survivied it.

Mala said...

I too despice mainstream media. I could give a shit about the missing broad, really I could but that's just me. I don't watch t.v./read the paper because when I am foolish enough to do so we get front page stories from the New York Daily News about the cop who's life was saved (more's the pity) by his bullet proof vest. WTF!! They write about a bullet proof vest stopping bullets and saving a life? ISN'T THAT WHAT THE FUCK THEY'RE MADE FOR? Sheesh.

And what about the mini-ritz that made it on t.v. because she was getting a hair cut? So what if it's to give the hair to other cheese nips with cancer? The channel 7 news van didn't show up at my man Gunner's house when he cut his dreads to give to a project hoe with malignant melanoma. Gimme a fricken break.

As for the melanin deficient girl, she was old enough to travel and should be old enough to take care of herself. Doesn't make my heart bleed to have a vanilla wafer missing in the carribean. Sorry but that's my take on it.

Some would say what if it were your kid and I'd say it's in the hands of God...To each his on onus.

bitchdoctrine said...

You know if that was a black girl that went off with three rent-a-dreads, only BET News might cover it. I hate that Nancy Grace bitch too. What the hell does she know anyway?

Anonymous said...

Runnaway bride thats gonna make mill$$$ on movie & book deals I would NOT repeat NOT watch or read nothing the B---- is in! The young lady in aruba should still be in alabama or ga. where she is safe!--But has anyone thought of that this could have been an annitiation!Her best friend is Not cryin!Check out her friends maybe

Angry Dog said...

3 man leaving a bar with this little snowbunny late @ night and they wondering what happen to her?

Anonymous said...

and it's not like girls go missing in the u.s. on a daily basis, no sir...

Radmila said...

I think part of it is the medias love for fear mongering.
"Stay home, don't leave the country...because if you do, something will probably happen to you"
It's always a bigger deal when an american goes missing in another country. Especially if it isn't a European country..

Scratchie said...

Sometimes...scratch that...All the time the media just takes it too far....

Ananse's Web said...

Im bout sick of this story myself. This child is silly to have gone off with strangers... I dont care where you are, you just dont do shit like that. And since she has been missing for so long, its doubtfull at this point they will find her alive.

summer of sam said...

all the points you bring up are soooo on point.

good post, homie.

chrome said...

hahaha I love the convo with the imaginary immigration officer.

I hope they find the girl still.

dorna! said...

What all-a-you said! Some persons check their horse sense in at the ticket counter along with their luggage when they come visit our fair isles.

Don Tate II said...

One thing I've learned about working for the media, particularly newspapers is that when nothing else exciting is happening in the news, little stories get big play. They spice it up with a bit of sensationalism, and they've got major headlines and a story to follow-up on for days. That is until Michael Jacksons verdict hits the wires and this little girl will be forgotten about.

Jdid said...

@4panist - thanks
@camp - never thought of the trafficking angle but ya neva kno
@gunner - good point about the sistren in the dumpster i'd forgotten about that
@anon - yep, its that whole one person represents the collective mentality that folks like to use
@natty - yea CNN is terrible, I barely ever watch since 9/11
@amadeo - lol, I guess she didnt know
@abeni - didnt you know anyplace thats not the US is a backwoods lol
@yes,Iamobnoxious - you said it sis
@starfoxx - man BET news wouldnt have even covered it they too busy with spring bling lol
@Big N - someone should hire me indeed,
@anon - innitiation hmmm another interesting storyline
@angry dog - yea ya wonder eh?
@sunshine - its strange that she just happened to hop off all on her own aint it
@purfikt - no all girls are nice and safe in the US ,...unless strange foreigners kidnap them
@yingyang - yep, but they're not newsworthy cause they're not bible toting girls from alabama lost in the caribbean
@radmila - fear mongering indeed, deep fear of the unknown or something not the same as your reality
@scratchie - way too far
@slow met - someone needed to have sat her down and told her that
@summer - thanks
@obi - yea I hope so too
@dorna - I guess they think that since they have first world country smarts nothing can happen to them on vacation
@don tate - well with the advent of the 24-7 news shows , you must find something to fill air time. no such thing as a quiet news day.

Anonymous said...

Agree with nuff of what you say here rude yute. Like you, I was hoping that she would have been found alivve. CNN does make it seem like the world ended because of this story....people stilla dead in Iraq....

Remember Claudia Kirschok (not sure of the spelling of the last name)...US woman that went missing while on vacation here in Jamaica a few years back? Case cold as far as I know, I think circumstances similar.

I guess by now you heard that one of the three suspects confessed to killing the girl...no more details released as yet.

As for the Yanks and their knowledge of Geography...one asked me where in the Caribbean LAKE Jamaica was situated!? Sigh! Dr. D.

Anonymous said...

NOT ONLY IS NANCY GARCE UGLY, SHE IS RUDE AND ABNOXIOUS!!! I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL THAT DOWN SOUTH DIPSHIT. SHE IS AN EMBARASSEMENT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE SENSE THAT FOREIGNER THINK THAT ALL AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE AS RUDE AS SHE IS. IT'S DISGUSTING THAT AS AMERICANS WE ALLOW PEOPLE LIKE HER ON THE AIRWAVES. THAT SOUTHERN MENTALITY STINKS. YOU NEVER SEE NEWS NORTH EASTERN NEWS ANCHORS MAKING AN ASS OUTY OF THEMSELVES. YES, I'M A NEW YORKER AND PROUD TO BE ONE, BUT SOME ONE SHOULD POP THE BITCH IN THE MOUTH. WHO THE HELL GIVES HER THE RIGHT TO BAD MOUTH ARUBA. ARUBA IS MY HOME FOR 15 YEARS AND IT IS A SAFE PLACE THO LIVE. SAFER THAN ALABAMA, THEY ONLY LIKE WHITE PEOPLE. KKK STILL ALIVE AND KILLIN'. I AM A WHIUTE AMERICAN AND I HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE TRAILER TRASH THAT COMES FROM ALABAMA!!!