BREAKING: Pretty Blonde/Blue Eyed White Woman Missing in Aruba!

[Atman]

CRANK UP THE DISTRACTION MACHINE! She's hot. In Aruba, no less, which means there will pretty scenery and maybe even some bikini shots! This ought to be good for a week's worth of distraction from CNN! WHEW! Just in time.

[Oreo]

1. I saw that on MSNBC last night

and said here we go again! They'll always be able to find a story that will mask the real things that matter

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Atman]

7. "...a new kidnap mob in Aruba."

Uh...'kay.

Welcome to DU, sigmund.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tavalon]

19. Got any citations for that one Sigmund?

And Rush doesn't count.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tavalon]

22. Snopes is a reliable source in my opinion

but the citation you gave doesn't support what you said, IMO. A single example does not "fairly regularly" make. Now, in fact, many women in Thailand and surrounding countries are often lured to nearby countries with offers of work only to end up enslaved in brothels. But it's still quite different from what seems to have happened here.

[DemBeans]

26. correction

but the citation you gave doesn't support what you said, IMO. A single example does not "fairly regularly" make.

Actually, the poster said it was farely regularly, so I think his point was that when these sizzling hot blondes are kidnapped in tourist destinations, it's often a known fact that killer sharks pay their air fare (after attacking, of course) to whisk them away to foreign brothels. I think CNN would probably confirm this as well, as they are, after all, the experts on sharks and their sneaky ways.

I'm glad we cleared that up.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

25. Funny, it doesn't mention kidnap mobs in Aruba. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. And what do fraudulent contracts have to do with kids partying

in Aruba?

"The island has a reputation of being all but free of crime for tourists.

Last year, there was one murder and six rapes, this year two murders and three rapes on the island of 72,000 off the coast of Venezuela. All of the rapes were committed by local men against local women. The two murders involved drug addicts who died in knife fights."

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[prolesunited]

49. LOL!

C'mon, you must be able to do better than this.

[RaleighNCDUer]

53. And my bet is

1) A jealous male classmate.
2) A late night swim and a shark, a la 'Jaws'.

Both are of a much higher probability than dusky strangers stealin our wimmin.

[Al-CIAda]

12. okey-dokey.

:silly: :crazy:

[ClassWarrior]

16. I'm sure the relatives and friends of all the hundreds of thousands of...

...missing people find their tragedies very important, even if they're not pretty, blonde, and female. The point is, Katie Couric doesn't.

NGU.

[RetroLounge]

31. "new kidnap mob in Aruba"

:rofl:

RL

[Robeson]

37. ""new kidnap mob in Aruba""....

...:spray: :rofl:

[Skittles]

57. sigmund, if this lady was black the press would not give a damn

not at ALL

[Robeson]

68. Bingo.

[whistle]

2. Aruba is not far from Venezuela is it?

[elehhhhna]

11. You can see it from shore. 15 miles, maybe.

[chelsea0011]

4. We all hope she is safe and sound, but you are right

Forget death and destruction in the Middle East, this is an easy story to cover and the weather is great.

[SmokingJacket]

5. High school graduation trip... to Aruba???

Wow. We thought we were lucky to go to Six Flags...

Hope she's okay. But I also hope this doesn't turn into another festival of fake news...

[Demoiselle]

64. Exactly, SmokingJacket

I don't think I'd allow my 18 year old high school kid to go to Aruba with a passel of other 18 year old high school kids! (And I'm generally considered pretty cool!) According to the report I heard, she was last seen "leaving a club..and climbing into a blue car with some locals.." ....so, we have teenagers clubbing and drinking and goodness knows what else in another country and with so little supervision over same that one of the sweet young things can just walk away and climb into a strange car. The local PTA supported this trip? Sheeeesh!

[LaurenG]

6. Maybe some brave soul can sit atop a crain

and not come down until the media starts telling Americans the truth about the minutes! Media loves distraction.

[Connie_Corleone]

9. The sad part is...

that might actually work. Any volunteers to sit on a crane??

[RUMPLEMINTZ]

14. I might

volunteer if the crane is in Aruba. :)

[Guckert]

8. is this in giant red letters with the siren blazing on Drudge yet???

I've got to know that she is O.K. :puke: I wont sleep at night. forget about the downing street memo, Iraqi freedom fighters kicking our asses, Sudan, Nukes floating around what is left of Russia, Osama still breathing, Bush trying to destroy S.S., skyrocketing deficits, CAFTA, etc... WHERE IS THE GIRL FROM ARUBA?????:puke:

[elehhhhna]

23. Not yet :D.A. PLAYS 'VASELINE' CARD IN JACKO FINALE is

todays topper.

[MsTryska]

13. And the added thrill

of hijinks perpetrated by a big brawny man of color.


*sigh*

[AspenRose]

29. Hell, an island FULL of big brawny men of color!

Oh, the HORROR!

:sarcasm:

"Where are all the white women at?" --Blazing Saddles

[elehhhhna]

34. Aruban guys are generally not too tall. The Dutch Navymen there, however,

are a differnt story!

[MsTryska]

45. it doesn't matter.....

when we're playing the White Woman abducted by a Man of Color storyline, the man invariably grows to mythic proportions.

[peacetalksforall]

15. Aruba is quite close to Venezuela....Chavez did it! We're Going In! n/t

[flordehinojos]

17. would the meanstream media be making the same hullabaloo if,

the woman were cinnamon-toast color instead of white, if her eyes were black like onyx and almond shaped?

Was the woman scuba-diving in aruba?

Did she get pulled in by a shark?

o, the dear meanstream media press, anything to keep the focus off of the nazification of this country by their adoring, jackbooted stumping fretard!

[Neshanic]

18. Are sharks kidnapping now? That would be MSM wet dream.

[NewJeffCT]

67. actually sharks are almost unheard of in Aruba...

the hotels there dump there foodstuff garbage on the unswimmable ocean side, away from the touristy Caribbean side. So, the sharks stay on that side.

at least that is what I've heard several times over the years.

[Blue_Roses]

21. I don't give a damn if she's blond or brunette

if I was her parents I would be beside myself with worry and callous remarks being made about this are disheartening.

[devilgrrl]

30. Yeah, this so plays a major role in the scheme of things...

and the entire country needs to have it shoved down their throats! :sarcasm:

[LizW]

33. It's being shoved down the throats of the country?

I had no idea.

I cringe at some of the comments made here in response to the tragedy of others. Is our compassion so limited? This is someone's child.

[devilgrrl]

35. Is distraction so limited?

Donuts to dollars this story is headline news for the next few weeks the same way the "run away bride" bullshit. You watch! After all she is the only missing person there is.

How much compassion are supposed to have for all these "cry wolf" stories?

[LizW]

36. How much compassion?

As much as I would want people to have for me if it was my child.

YMMV.

[CTyankee]

46. Of course. But that's not the point

How many young girls of color, poor, Hispanic, disappear every day with no hullaballoo in the press? Aren't we lacking in compassion by not covering their stories?

[Eloriel]

70. No, it actually IS the point

There is NO DOUBT that the point that women of color would probably not be covered, but that doesn't mean that THIS case isn't important.

Geeze, people are behaving about this woman just exactly the same: Ohh, the media won't cover women of color, so this one doesn't deserve to be covered because she ISN'T brown.

ALL missing children, of whatever age, sex, color, deserve to be covered. All missing PEOPLE of whatever age, sex, color, deserve to be covered.

I'm really hating the callousness and disregard for her. SHE can't help she's not brown or black, or how the media overcovers such a story, ya know?

[CTyankee]

72. Think harder

The corporate press is deliberately CHOOSING this story because they believe it will "play well". When that choice is made over stories of girls of color going missing, something is terribly wrong. I don't lack compassion for the girl or her family, but this story illustrates a kind of cynicism by the corporate media that disgusts me. It shows no real compassion for the white girl while dissing all of the other missing, exploited and suffering girls that are ignored.

[Blue_Roses]

54. if it brings the girl home

then so the fuck what if it burns up the airwaves. The girl is missing. I don't see this as being another runaway bride. This same thing happen to another girl a few years back and they never found her.

[devilgrrl]

62. I'm not making light of the situation, it's the media coverage!

There's a big difference! Besides, what can I do about it in out in California but hope she's found alive? Puh-leeze! :mad:

[okieinpain]

66. and they are probably not going to find this one either. I just

don't get why people go to these places and forget the rules.

[David Zephyr]

60. Yep. Run-away-bride, Gary Condit, and the phony Filibuster Fight.

Anything to distract Americans away from Iraq, the national debt, lack of health care and an imploding prison population.

[devilgrrl]

63. but Dude, you're so cold hearted!

;-)

[Eloriel]

69. I'm having a SERIOUS problem with this thread

I understand VERY well -- and sympathize greatly -- the fact that young women of color and older women of any skin color or perhaps women not as attractive as this one would be ignored by the media.

I also sympathasize with the frustration of the media overdose on such things and use it as a "distraction."

But the callousness displayed, the objectification of this young woman, the total disregard for her welfare is very ugly.

HER LIFE IS WORTH NO LESS just because she's young, or attractive, or white, or better off or being seized on by the media. Some of you are making her much less so. EVERY WOMAN is and should be of equal value, and that means this one isn't any LESS so.

I've seen more sympathy and compassion and concern expressed here at DU for dumb animals than for this young woman. The comments are truly disturbing.

I'm ashamed of DU tonight. Actually, I'm horrified by DU tonight.

[CTyankee]

73. I agree with your basic sentiment

I have 2 daughters and 3 granddaughters, all white and several blue eyed blondes. But I truly don't think that this issue at DU on this thread is the way you have characterized it. People are being dismissive of the cyncism of the media. It is cold hearted, ratings inspired, competition with other networks, beauty contest driven "news" and that is upsetting to me and should be to you, too.
No disrespect for this girl from me, just the lizards in the media.

[watercolors]

61. Thank you, I was about to say the same

20 yrs ago today some very dear friends of mine recieved the news their daughter was raped and murdered on the island of Bonaire. She love SCUBA diving and worked at the Flamingo Hotel in the dive shop.Boniare is part of the dutch antiles as is Aruba. I won't go into the details of it all, but it was a tragic and horrible time for the family and friends. Made several trips to the island with the parents, last trip, 5yrs later to finally get her remains. Today I talked with the mother and her thoughts are with the family in Alabama. I think we are sometimes very heartless in our thinking of others.

[spooky3]

24. Nancy Grace showed her photo, complete with ominous music

in the background.

And the public eats it up.

[paineinthearse]

27. This post itself is a distraction

Is everyone current on John Conyers' activities?

Has eveyone signed the petition and forwarded to freinds?

Has everyone read the Hartman/Galloway interview?

Has everyine read the Downing Street memo?

All are posted in GDP, the Conyers group and Editorials.

[Frederik]

32. Kerry bringing up the Downing Street Minutes

on Monday...

[chrisbur]

38. This was my morning rant to my wife.

(I don't know how much more she can take.) I asked her why they don't hop over a couple of islands to Haiti. I'm sure there are lots of missing black girls involving machetes and lots of mud.

[AspenRose]

39. Yep

Where's the compassion for THEM?

And why isn't Darfur on our TV sets 24/7?

I don't think anyone here is arguing that what has happened is awful; what the point is, however, is how the MSM deems who/what is awful and should demand our attention, and who/what isn't.

I have yet to see any person's missing child of color on TV a la Elizabeth Smart. And it isn't because children of color don't go missing.

[paula777]

40. Poor thing. I hope she hasn't been kidnapped. Her poor parents must

be sick about this ....

[elehhhhna]

41. MSM: her pals saw her leave Carlos & Charlie's at 1 a.m. with some

local guys.

[paula777]

42. That is not good news - I don't even want to think about what they did

[elehhhhna]

43. they've been questioned and cleared. This NEVER would have

happened when the big drug Lord (don't know his name) from Columbia lived there maybe 10 years ago. No crime, no negative attention.
One Happy Island.

Further, a 17 year old left a bar at 1 with 3 guys, several friends saw her go, and nobody noticed her abcense 'til she didn't show up for the flight? This kid probably shared a room with at least one person (probably 3.)

Innocents abroad.

[elehhhhna]

44. Pic from day she disappeared:

[paula777]

47. Yah, I saw the following on CNN about how safe it is there .....

The island of 72,000 off the coast of Venezuela has a reputation of being all but free of crime for tourists.

There was one murder and six rapes last year and two murders and three rapes this year. But all the rapes were committed by local men against local women. The two murders involved drug addicts who died in knife fights.

"Aruba is a happy island and a safe island," said Janssen, the attorney general. "We're looking everywhere."

Didn't say anything about kidnappings though ....

[elehhhhna]

55. Those stats probably come from the tourism office.

Assaults & robbery are very high. Riots occasionally.
But that sounds like LA.

[cobaindrain]

50. somewhere, Greta Van Tabloid is smiling

[CottonBear]

51. Links: CIA world fact book Aruba entry & official Aruba website:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/aa.html

http://www.aruba.com/

[CottonBear]

52. Link to the official Aruba statement on the missing girl:

http://www.aruba.com/news/index.html

You can down load a PDF of the daily paper and read online news here too!

[elehhhhna]

56. any daily paper in ENglish on Aruba will NOT give you crime info.

Papiamento & Dutch languauge local papers, yes.http://www.diarioaruba.com/diabierna/noticia/index.html

[Atman]

58. Wow, what happened to Sigmund?

He was obviously a freeper troll, but I didn't see what happened. Anyone know what finally earned him a tombstone?

[OzarkDem]

59. Its not a very big island

How difficult could it be to find her?

[elehhhhna]

71. the windward side is like rocky moon terrain--a desert--

no buildings, barely roads, with caverns, caves, old mines, etc.

[okieinpain]

65. ok, somebody explain to me. who doesn't know that you're not

suppose to get into a car with strangers.

[Enraged_Ape]

74. I am so tired of the "blue-eyed, blond hair" missing girl story

If Eva Longoria disappeared mysteriously, NONE of the mainstream media would care. But I would.

[ariesgem]

75. Heres a story/editorial that pretty much describes the media's choices on

who gets coverage -

FORGET MEDIA ATTENTION IF YOU'RE POOR, BLACK, UGLY OR OLD By Cynthia Tucker
Sat May 7, 8:05 PM ET

A year ago, May 7, Stacy-Ann Sappleton took a taxi to Queens, N.Y., from LaGuardia, bound for the home of her future in-laws. She had flown in from Detroit to complete a few tasks for her planned September wedding. She never made it. Her fiance, Damion Blair, his parents and Sappleton's mother spent a frantic weekend searching before they learned of her tragic demise. Never heard of her? Neither has most of America.

Like runaway Georgia bride Jennifer Wilbanks, Sappleton was missing for three days. Like Wilbanks, Sappleton was young (26), middle-class and planning a wedding. Unlike Wilbanks, Sappleton's disappearance didn't receive 24-hour cable news coverage, complete with breathless speculation by celebrity pundits, or banner newspaper headlines. Unlike Wilbanks, Sappleton was black.

The frenzy surrounding Wilbanks' disappearance once again highlights a peculiar feature of early 21st-century American culture: a fixation on pretty, young, middle-class white women. While tens of thousands of American adults disappear every year -- some eventually turn up, safe and sound; some are never heard from again; some are recovered as corpses -- only a small sliver get the Wilbanks/ Laci Peterson/Lori Hacking treatment.

After Sappleton's battered, bullet-riddled body was found in a Dumpster in Queens, about five miles from the home of her future in-laws, her fiance angrily refused to talk to reporters. "When she first disappeared, we tried to contact the media, and they wouldn't help us," Blair told The New York Times.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/s/ucas/20050508/cm_ucas/forgetmediaattentionifyourepoorblackuglyorold/nc:1345