Rammstein's opinions

In the past few weeks we have been discussing this issue at some depth here on BFN and on Michelle's blog. There had been rumors for a bit longer that some people seriously disliked Debbie's choices in people she allowed posting on the board. There was MIP6, Reality, Gagirl and my own little person who seemed to be the "offending items" on BFN.

Things went from bad to worse (unfortunately) when Robin Holloway (in all her innocence and out of nothing but the kindness of her heart) stood up for Reality, MIP6, Gagirl and myself in a now infamous post. Instead of clearing the air it sadly has caused more discourse, something that Robin, I am sure, never dreamed of would happen after her words.

Now I am not going to talk about the other people at this point. MIP6 made his opinion known on BFN about the hatred, Reality can and will defend himself and I already took a stand for the integrity of Debbie and all the other mods on BFN.


Now for myself? Well it seems that a few people have made this into a state/country thing. Something that is not only dumb IMHO but also very dishonest. The tragedy of what happened to Natalee has nothing to do with countries (the Netherlands and the US that is) or about the nationality of the main suspect. What is at an issue is the deplorable work of the Aruban LE in the first week after Natalee's disappearance and how that has hindered finding the truth about what happened that fateful night.

In one of the "not so nice" posts on Michelle's blog I read this post:

I quietly stopped posting at Blogs for Natalee close to a month ago. It was becoming increasingly clear to me that Robin and Dave were being scammed by the moderator into believing that rammstein was a supporter of the family and; many sincere members of this forum, who researched and posted on behalf of the family, were being used as a front in a masterful scheme to impress these vulnerable parents. Unsuspecting members who were loyal to the family of Natalee provided credibility to the forum in order for this pretender to acquire trust and obtain confidential information. Why else would Robin and Dave utilize the services of the enemy for translating crucial documents and statements?

unfortunately this person did not have the decency to post this under their own name (instead they used "anonymous") or the decency to say this to my face. For you discerning people out there.

1. I am not a pretender
2. Debbie did not scam anyone, least of all Robin and Dave
3. nobody was used as a front for anything. A lot of people worked their hearts out because they felt it was the "right thing to do".
4. there was/is no masterful scheme to impress anyone
5. Dave and Robin are not vulnerable. They have been hurt terribly by this tragedy but, just like Beth has become a strong person through this tragedy, so have Robin and Dave. Stop selling these wonderful people short, they are fighters who are fighting for the truth and justice for Natalee and who will stop at nothing to achieve that.
6. I AM NOT THE ENEMY

Has it come so far in this ridiculous war of "who is the best supporter of the family" that people who happen to be Dutch are the enemy? Or people who will do anything to help the cause but feel that boycotts always hurt the wrong people the enemy?

So here goes. I am Dutch. I am not going to apologize for that. The Dutch are a wonderful people though be it complicated. We have a very liberal society but still have a political party in parliament who's members largely don't own TV's or radios and who deny their children the protection of vaccines because they feel vaccines are evil. We are the country where a minister of a church makes a bomb threat to stop Madonna from performing in the Amsterdam Arena. We are a very complex people just like the Americans are, just a little more liberal that is all.

The Dutch are not to blame for anything Joran van der Sloot may or may not have done (I believe he has but my motto is "innocent until proven otherwise"). The Dutch are not to blame for the bungling of this case by the Aruban police force, our police makes enough mistakes for which we are responsible and these mistakes (unlike on Aruba) are dealt with accordingly/properly. We are good allies and the American people are our friends. Our men and women in the armed forces have risked their lives standing side by side by our American friends. The US and the Netherlands are almost always on the same side of a issue. Just like the US we stand for free trade, helping friends, supporting democracies all over the world, fighting dictatorial regimes and promoting justice and prosperity. I don't think I have anything to be shameful about in that regard.

I am not a supporter of boycotts although I must say the Aruban government is mostly to blame themselves for a boycott being started (a tourism boycott). But anybody who does want to boycott Aruba by not visiting there as a tourist are free to do so, as said, the arubans must accept their responsibility in this. But my issue with any boycott is that usually it is only effective when governments get behind it and it usually hurts not the people you want to punish/motivate but the innocent working poor in a country. But again, feel free to boycott. Every is free to make that choice for themselves.

But that does not mean that I am "the enemy" of "the family". I am Rammstein, I will work my behind of to find justice but I am not going to be unfairly insulted and if that happens then yes, sometimes I will respond to those accusations (some people feel I respond unkindly when attacked, strange isn't it, being testy when attacked insulted, I must be actually human).

And about my moral code. I have never mistranslated a single thing (the refugees Dutch would have my and Debbie's hide if I would translate things incorrectly). I am translating all this stuff (and the hours and hours it takes to get right) for the quest for truth and justice, nothing else. And I am not going to apologize for my desire in wanting Beth, Jug, Dave, Robin, all Natalee's brother's/sister's, Natalee's friends and family and all the people who support them, to find out the truth, get Natalee home and put the guilty ones in a jail cell.

I am pro-family and to those who feel differently I can only say this, I couldn't care less how you feel about me or what I think. The people who I think matter know the truth, that is all I need to know.