Criticizing Aruba Won't Bring Back Natalee Holloway

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Criticizing Aruba Won't Bring Back Natalee Holloway

By Robert Paul Reyes
July 6, 2005

"Two suspects were released yesterday who were involved in a violent crime against my daughter," "These criminals are not only being allowed to walk around among the tourists and citizens of Aruba, but there were no limits where they could go."

Statement by Beth Holloway Twitty, Natalee's mother, upon release of brothers, Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Stish Kalpoe, 18, for lack of evidence.

This is the anguished cry of a mother who has witnessed six suspects in the disappearance of her daughter released for lack of evidence. Only Joran van der Sloot remains behind bars, and Beth Twitty is terrified that he might also be released, leaving no clues to the mystery of what happened to Natalee Holloway.

Although I empathize with Beth's tragic situation, I take umbrage with her statement. In our country, America, we treasure the principle of "innocent until proven guilty." The Kalpoe brothers deserve to be considered innocent until proven guilty. We should not second-guess the Aruban authorities, who are doing an excellent job, under very trying circumstances.

Twitty's statement also reveals latent racism,why does she refer to the dark-skinned Kalpoe brothers as "criminals", but fail to characterize the light-skinned main suspect, Joran van der Sloot, in the same way?

Hundreds of Arubans assembled outside the colonial courthouse in the capital of the Caribbean paradise to protest Twitty's statement. If I were in Aruba I would be protesting in solidarity with them.

I wince in shame when I see my fellow citizens display an "Ugly American" attitude, demanding that another sovereign country do things our way. We have no right to dictate to the law enforcement authorities in Aruba how to conduct their investigation of Natalee Holloway's disappearance.

Disparaging and criticizing Aruba won't do anything to bring back Natalee Holloway, it will only foster ill will toward Americans.

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About the author: Robert Paul Reyes is a columnist for the Lynchburg Ledger.

Email: rreyes4966@aol.com

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