Entire Island of Aruba Searches for Pretty Blonde Chick

[sui generis]

While Eric Hinnant of Dallas, missing since Memorial Day, is virtually ignored.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa050607_am_hinnant.2f1570b64.html

"While Hinnant's friends have gotten little help, the FBI has joined the search for an American student missing in Aruba. The television program America's Most Wanted will feature her story in an upcoming episode, and producers have told Hinnant's friends to write because they might mention his case as well."

Hinnant vanished on Memorial Day after checking out of his hotel in Mexico City. A taxi driver verified that Hinnant was dropped off at the airport, but he never boarded his flight home to Dallas.

Donald Solomon is among Hinnant's friends who fear the worst.

"It's been eight days, and we've had no contact - nothing," Solomon said. "We've checked the hospitals and we've checked the jails in Mexico City, and right now we still have no Eric Hinnant - which is really strange."

Dallas police and the FBI are powerless to investigate in Mexico, and so far there's no evidence of a crime or proof that Hinnant didn't just choose to disappear.

(snip)

So, let me get this "straight": When a pretty blonde chick's friends say she disappeared, the FBI takes them seriously. When a gay guy says his friend has disappeared, there's "no evidence of a crime".

Gotta love that double standard. FBI, you are a bunch of dumbfucks. It completely amazes me that some of you are even allowed to carry badges. Good luck with the pretty blonde chick.

[merwin]

1. Is that the actual title of the article?

If not, please change it per DU LBN rules.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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

[bicentennial_baby]

10. This isn't LBN, it's GD

[BiggJawn]

17. Doublecheck what forum you're in, merwin....n/t

[marshall]

2. Looks, age, race, etc.

I think it's not just looks and race that has everyone in an uproar about finding the girl, I think age is also a factor. If she had been a college student down for spring break it wouldn't have gotten all this attention.
That and the fact that Aruba is desperate to maintain its tourist base.

[Lori Price CLG]

3. Kick, and that *should* be the name of the article, if it's not. n/t

[moobu2]

4. Being white and having blue eye's helps

When's the last time national news covered a missing black or hispanic woman? I cant think of one time. Sure, you hear about it localy but never ever nationaly.

[Selatius]

8. I can't disagree with what you're saying

The last time a minority person garnered this much media attention for being abducted or murdered was, well, I can't remember.

[louis-t]

11. I agree in part with you on the race, gender thing

but READ the article. It says that the Dallas police and FBI have no jurisdiction in Mexico. I don't see anything in there that says FBI is not interested in the case.

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

13. Again-Bill Maher's comment was regarding "Runnaway Bride"-not this

These are two completely different situations.
I love "Real Time" but let's keep it in context.

We all here at DU understand already that the media more than occasionally chooses stories for entertainment and shock value over stories of merit.

But thanks anyway for trying to share your insight.

This story is being covered because an 18 year old American is missing from a famous tourist resort --the idea of race plays little in the coverage of this story.

So it's ok to have sympathy, empathy, and hope for the safe return of the missing girl.

It's ok.

[TeeYiYi]

27. Lori Hacking was Hispanic. . .

I'll bet you know who Lori Hacking was.

Why the vehement disdain for women of European descent?

TYY

[marlo]

47. Huh?

What "vehement disdain" are you talking about? I see someone asking a question about the press ignoring non-photogenic, poor people with dark skin. And men too for that matter. I wouldn't wish a situation like this on my worst enemy, but I am sick and fucking tired of these fair-skinned, affluent damsel in distress stories dominating the airwaves. There are a ton of missing people and I'm sorry but there are more important things going on in the world.

BTW in freeperville, you can see a lot of actual disdain for dark skinned people. There are a few wing-nuts ranting about a) how no "intelligent safety-minded" white women would dare cavort with the "natives" in these "third world hellholes" of the Caribbean b) the idiocy of brainwashing American children and teaching to be "color blind" c) the foolishness of leaving US territory post 9/11 and d) invading or boycotting Aruba until fair-haired Natalee is returned home or until someone is lynched. If you want to see real intolerance go there. The previous posters brought up a valid point.

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

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[sui generis]

79. what are you talking about

1. look up my posts if you know how to use the history function

2. don't use the word "freeper" in the same sentence with me

3. I wouldn't dare accuse you of being a troll since I don't know you well enough.

Good grief - do you really think I'm a freeper? Seriously. Explain yourself at length. Otherwise feel free to apologize whenever you're ready.

[Sparkle]

81. The deleted messenger was replying to marlo.

Not you. :-)

[sui generis]

82. thanks

I'm multitasking - badly

Wow - this thread has been an eye opener though.

:hi:

[moobu2]

71. Lori Hacking was pretty and the average white person could identify

with her

[TeeYiYi]

83. Moobu2 . . .

. . . by suggesting that the average white person could identify with Lori Hacking because she was pretty is to suggest that your average white person is pretty. Moobu2, I've got some bad news for you.

While we're chatting . . . so then, this isn't about race. It's about beauty? Are you suggesting that only pretty missing people make the news, regardless of race?

Seriously Moobu2, I understand the point that you're trying to make. I am well aware that this world is tainted by the ugliness of discrimination. But I get tired of reverse discrimination too. Every time a pretty woman goes missing, the same group of people packing broad brushes shows up to paint the same old tired shit about white women. Usually blonde-haired, blue-eyed white women. Pretty, blonde-haired, blue-eyed white women. Probaby really rich, elite and pretty, blonde blah blah . . . It gets old.

TYY

[AngryAmish]

37. Laci Peterson?

Hispanic.

[moobu2]

70. very Light skinned and very pretty

[Carni]

44. Can't say that I can disagree

You are certainly right I have never seen the news covering missing women of color...the only cases they cover seem to be cases of attractive white women.

[jeffrey_X]

74. Maybe, just maybe....

she really wants to be with an ethnic man, but there is no way that she can do it living in Alabama.

[Walt Starr]

6. Teh lesson I have taken away from these two incidents

Avoid going to Aruba like the plague.

[ohio_liberal]

12. I think you're right

Quite a few people are missing in and around Aruba.

http://www.visitaruba.com/facts/newsdesk/missing.html

[DrDebug]

33. Nobody will go looking for Bud or Gary, but...

...Natalee will be on every boy's mind (and she's worth $55,000)

[marshall]

20. Traveling to Aruba

I think you can still travel to Aruba, just don't be out in the wee hours of the morning with strangers.
I went to Belize a few months ago. Even though it is in Central America is is culturally like the Caribbean, and probably a little worse off economically than Aruba. I would not have felt comfortable out alone in the middle of the night, and I'm a man in my 40s.
I've traveled a lot and have not gotten into any trouble. You just have to use common sense, which comes with age and experience.

[Carni]

50. A tropical vacation certainly doesn't have the same appeal anymore

The Tsunami didn't exactly inspire me to want to book a beachfront hotel room and now all this depressing info about Aruba and the kid missing in Mexico.

Makes me want to stay in the house with the AC cranked all summer.

[undeterred]

7. I hope they find her alive and well.

My boyfriend's sister was a pretty young blond girl who was abducted, raped, and murdered.

[wicket]

9. that's horrible

I hope her murderer was caught :hug:

[undeterred]

15. he was caught many years later

after he had murdered or been associated with the disappearance of at least a half dozen young women. Very gruesome crimes.

She was a pretty young girl from a nice family and the media gave it a huge amount of attention. There were hundreds of searchers and 800 people came to her funeral mass. Her family was well aware that not every girl who disappears gets this kind of attention.

But the point is not that pretty blond girl from a nice family doesn't deserve care and concern, but that everyone who is in trouble does. Wherever one woman is not safe, all women are not safe.

[sui generis]

19. gosh I hope they find the gay guy too.

whenever they start looking.

[louis-t]

14. There is no evidence of a crime in either case

The only difference so far is the 'bloody mattress found near a dead dog' scenario in Aruba. Again, it's not that the FBI isn't interested, it's that they have no jurisdiction in Mexico. You're over-reacting.

[cthrumatrix]

16. I think teh media "picks and chooses" who to publish "missing"

there are many inner city children/parents missing...are they nt important to share?

Where are the faux news amber alerts for missing inncer city children?

[sui generis]

21. it's a missing person

perhaps the law should be changed.

Here's the rest of my overreaction: if it had been my partner coming back from a business trip and someone gave a stupid flippant answer like "we just don't know, he might have been voluntarily abducted by aliens" (what they said was close enough) I'd show you overreaction.

The fact is, her news story is loads more photogenic and "sexy" and scandalous. Buncha brothers mighta grabbed a white girl and raped her - oh the horror.

Some Mexicans kidnapped a gay dude and mighta killed him - yawn.

Sorry - still overreacting I guess.

[marshall]

28. Possibilities

My first thought when I heard about this was that she was dropped off at the hotel and decided to take a moonlight swim since it was her last night there, and drowned.

[Redstone]

18. OK, maybe it's not a "fair" situation, but do you have to use

such an insulting tone about the girl missing in Aruba?

It's not her fault that she's a "pretty blond chick."

Redstone

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

23. You said it a lot nicer than I would have n/t

[sui generis]

25. please speak your mind

again I remind you I wasn't criticing the "blonde white chick" for being blonde or white or a chick. :eyes: Or at all.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

30. No, you just diminished her value by calling her a chick

Just as referring to Eric Hinnant as a fag would diminish his worth.

Roll 'em all you like, but using the term "chick" in this context is implicit criticism of the victim, not the investigation.

[sui generis]

32. listen she

as a fag myself, and I use that word quite drolly and without rancor, I feel completely empowered to be as sarcastic as I like.

You can put whatever words you like in my mouth (just don't tell me that you have or it will get ugly), but the fact of the matter is Eric Hinnant has been diminished because he's not a blonde white "chick".

Sorry - I guess sarcasm is completely lost on some people here. I do not use "chick" in any way but in MadTV style, and because the title sounded funny (I believe there was a movie with "chicks" in the title recently), but I'm sorry if you are surrounded by people who do.

Hopefully that's not the case here on DU.

That having been said WHAT THE HELL DOES YOUR RESPONSE HAVE TO DO WITH MY POST?

that wasn't sarcastic.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

46. No need to apologize

I am surrounded by highly sarcastic people who know the difference between a funny movie and a story about a real, missing woman, and choose their words accordingly.

To answer your all-caps query, I was responding to your statement: "again I remind you I wasn't criticing the "blonde white chick" for being blonde or white"

In the context of your subject line, calling the victim a "chick" is a criticism; a value judgement. As such it detracts from the point you are trying to make about the investigation. Your being gay and sarcastic doesn't alter that.

If you want to paint my (and others') reaction as coming from humorless people who never use the word chick, that's your perogative. People who know me, know better.

[sui generis]

60. I guess you could take some of your own medicine:

People who know me, know better.

I guess I'll continue to exercise my perogative.

Anyway, this story was not about a real, missing woman. It was about missing coverage and unequal treatment of the two stories by both the media and law enforcement.

And, sweetheart, (yes, that was sarcastic, usually laughed at among friends as mocking someone who would actually use that term), I used the term "chick" as slang for the situation. I'm not apologizing for it. Period. Anyone who knows me knows that I am the last damn person on this planet who would belittle someone for being female or blonde. This is DU! Where the heck do you you people think you are, on Free Republic!? Guess what else, I also frequently use the term "and my fellow queers", and you do not get to tell me that I am being critical and issuing value judgements against gay people.

and by the way,

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381707/

also, humor.

[The Magistrate]

66. This One, Sir, The Women Get To Decide, Not The Men

Doubtless you do use terms like "fag" and "queer" in your own circles, but just as doubtless, those words in the mouth of someone wondering why the police department was spending so much time "looking for some queer" would be experienced by most of your friends as a slur and demeanment....

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

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

[Name removed]

84. Deleted message

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

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

67. "this story was not about a real, missing woman."

I'll give you this: you're funny.

[sui generis]

76. sorry my bad - I meant to say my thread

this thread was not about a missing woman. It was about inequity.

[Sparkle]

38. oh my, I use the term chick all the time (online).

I don't mean anything by it. Am I offending people?

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

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

[Dora]

80. with a chick chick here

and a chick chick there

here a chick

there a chick

everywhere a chick chick

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

45. I use the term dick all the time (online).

But not in the context of a serious story about some guy I know nothing about.

Are you offended?

[Sparkle]

51. dick can't be compared to chick

[Bunny]

52. Really? How so?

[Sparkle]

54. You're a Dick!

You're a Chick!

Imo, the first one is offensive.

[Bunny]

55. Dick is offensive, and chick isn't?

Okay...

[Sparkle]

58. I honestly didn't think it was.

But I will try and refrain from using chick since it offends. How about bunny? :-)

[Baclava]

85. Don't lettem fool you...NASCAR chicks are hot

[sui generis]

63. if you had used it in the context of a sarcastic phrase

I would certainly have "gotten" it, as many other people here have.

Anyway, I would have read your post rather than commenting on your lexical choices.

Again, we're so far off topic it doesn't bear further commentary.

[sui generis]

24. I assume you're being sarcastic

it's not the other guy's fault he's gay.

Anyway, I certainly was being sarcastic, not about the girl but about the choices and double standard.

[Redstone]

34. No, it's not the other guy's fault that he's gay, either.

However, I'm not the only one who read your post as absolutely dripping with contempt for the girl's race and looks--that's the message that your post conveys, much more than it does anger against the double standard.

Be as angry about this opinion as you want to, but that really is the way your post reads, whether it was what you intended that tone or not.

Redstone

[sui generis]

36. well, I just re-read my post and I have to disagree

I if I could agree with you I would -

I have nothing against "blonde white chicks" - I can't derive that from what I wrote any way I try. In contrast I believe that the misreading of my post is a result of your bias FOR, for exactly the reasons stated. Anyway for cryin' out loud I wasn't attacking you or her; I was commenting on how our society prioritizes what we give a damn about - and that's the final word on what I meant.

However, regarding my warmth to the postings here: I see that the real problem is that no one dares assault the public's perception of what's important in a case involving a disappeared human being, even here on DU, as evidenced by the fact that we're discussing blondes and not double standards.

[Carni]

57. I hope they find both the girl in Aruba alive and the guy in Mexico alive

I feel terrible for both families and I also understand what you are saying.

The media seems (at least from what I have seen) to only pick out "pretty white looking females" to highlight in these cases--
while joe blow family gets no help in finding their missing loved one.

I don't know if it's a race thing, or a who has money and influence thing...or what, but it does make me feel ill thinking there are families out there with missing kids or spouses or whoever that don't have a snowballs chance in hell of getting the word out nationally.

Aside from all that I am thinking of putting my kid in a bubble until I am either dead, or senile...because all this makes me totally paranoid!

This must be the most sick feeling in the world for any family.

[sui generis]

61. agreed - thanks for getting it

:hi:

[bloom]

39. That what I got out of it also.

As if we are supposed to hate or be indifferent to young women.

I don't think it does anything to help his cause, either.

[sui generis]

42. no no no we're supposed to treat everyone the same

wow.

treating a missing gay guy the same as a missing blonde woman is not the same thing as "supposed to hate or be indifferent" to young women.

I guess I just have to spell it out. Is everyone here really that insecure are are some of you just making it up as you go?

[bloom]

49. You might want to stop referring to young women as "chicks"...

or not - as I see in another reply you made.

In which you will continue to not be taken seriously.

You said it was just humor - so there you go.

I guess that is what you want.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

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

[bloom]

62. "culturally "with it"

I would say that you are culturally "not with it" - so perhaps we are living in different "cultures".

And if you don't want to know what I think - then that is certainly your prerogative.

[sui generis]

64. please go start a thread about whatever it is that you're talking about

'cause I have no idea why you're posting here, in this thread.

[Zenlitened]

68. "... that really is the way your post reads..."

I don't think it reads that way AT ALL. It was absolutely, obviously about the double-standard regarding interest in and investigations into the cases.

[northzax]

22. pardon me, but I believe the technical term is

"pretty, blonde, rich chick" you forgot one.

My question on this whole thing is simple. what kind of chaperones (and thre were chaperones) let 18 year old girls go out to a club on an island where people have a habit of vanishing and then get into a car with three strange men? does this stink to anyone else?

[ohio_liberal]

26. Well, sort of smells

But I know from experience that if there's the will, one can get past a chaperone. I was a chaperone for my son's high school trip to DC and man those kids were raising all kinds of hell the minute any adult turned their backs. And there was one adult for every 2 kids. I can imagine what it's like with only 7 chaperones and 100 kids.

[northzax]

29. indeed

I too have chaperoned trips, but I would never, even at 18, get into a car with three strange men from a club in the caribbean. and I'm a 6'5" male. And my friends, if I was too drunk to think, would never have let me do it.

[ohio_liberal]

31. That's part of the problem

Maybe even most of the problem. Some of these kids have no common sense and think they're indestructible.

[Carni]

59. At 18 -- I absolutely would have been that stupid

I can recall doing things that stupid!

You hit the nail on the head IMO

[Mike Daniels]

35. Well, the FBI was apparently invited by the authorities in Aruba

in part because Aruba doesn't have the police infrastructure to deal with this case.

Since it seems that this other person went missing in Mexico perhaps the greater portion of your wrath should be directed to the Mexican authorities for not busting their asses trying to solve this particular disappearance...

[sui generis]

43. wrath, I like that word

I'm off to smite the Mexican government . . . be right back.

There is an inequity here, regardless. You're right, crime like this happens frequently, and with Mexico particularly. If you write a hot check and cross into Mexico, I can have you extradited back here. If you disappear into Mexico on the way home from the airport, you're shit out of luck though. Unless you have hot checks.

I'm more disappointed than wrathful, actually.

[Ron Mexico]

41. Remember Jessica Lynch? Why is this a surprise?

Cute blonde chick gets twice the press as other POWs...

[grumpy old fart]

48. lotsa differences, obviously, but why notice when on a good rant,eh?

solo male gets lost in crime ridden city of several billion as opposed to a high school girl on a senior trip to small crime free tropical island...hmmm, where does the most chance of actually helping a probable victim lie?

[sui generis]

56. obviously

I didn't rant enough.

IT'S THE FUCKING FRONT PAGE OF CNN FOR THE PAST TWO DAYS.

How's that.

The other guy, who cares. oh, sarcasm by the way since that's lost here.

I'll bet you if it was a gay guy in Aruba and a photogenic young woman in Mexico City that she would still be on the front page of CNN.

I'm not ranting just to rant -

[grumpy old fart]

65. Over 3,000 kidnappings in Mexico in 2003....1 murder in Aruba........

Now you tell me which is the more "newsworthy" story?

In 2003 Mexico ranked number two in Latin America with 3,000 kidnappings, second only to Colombia where 4,000 such crimes were committed. He added that 50 percent of all kidnappings worldwide are in Latin America.

http://www.mexidata.info/id217.html

[sui generis]

78. gosh I agree now.

let me repeat. It is my belief that if she had been kidnapped in Mexico and the gay guy had disappeared in Aruba, she would still be front page news.

Didn't I make that clear in the last post?

[moobu2]

69. I'm sure

it's very hurtful for less fortunate families (who are poor, not white and maybe the wrong sex or sexuality) to see this non stop coverage of these missing pretty white girls and knowing the media is completely disinterested in their loved ones because of who they are, that's all that bothers me.

[natrat]

72. need to find out who controls this nconcerted media

and throw pies bat them. fucking traitors

[Lerkfish]

73. reminds me of when one of Dahmer's victims escaped..

and the police returned him to Dahmer, who claimed he was a gay lover. Instead of protecting the victim, that man was later killed.

Simply because the situation was described as a gay liason, the police promptly ignored a real plea for help from a victimized person.

[Moderator]

86. Locking

to stop deliberate flaming