[BinasiDombrs]

What could possibly be the motivation and purpose of this article from today's New York Daily News? DR should just shut down? Ay, yo no creo..........

Haiti earthquake aftermath: Sun, rum and fun on Dominican side of island

[exiceJetLip]

That's messed up and really uncalled for. Tourism apart from drugs is the second largest money maker for the country. They can't expect us to shut down like that!

[GooogleGuy]

That's messed up and really uncalled for. Tourism apart from drugs is the second largest money maker for the country. They can't expect us to shut down like that!

So write to the author at The NY Daily news and report back!

knelson@nydailynews.com

None of my friends have cancelled their winter trips to DR.

[Poreponko]

If the DR wouldn't have tourism to help the economy the country wouldn't have been able to help Haiti the way it has in these last few days.

I have also heard so many friends and people in the DR say that many parties and Patronales have been cancelled because of the Haiti catastrophe. The people of the DR are hurting and grieving with Haiti. The DR has done so much for Haiti but of course there are those who will come and try to bad mouth it.

Blessed be the DR now and always!!!!

[exiceJetLip]

So write to the author at The NY Daily news and report back!

knelson@nydailynews.com

None of my friends have cancelled their winter trips to DR.

Thanks for the email address.

[GooogleGuy]

Thanks for the email address.

It is in the article, please let us know her reponse to you.

[THOUTHCAW]

Perhaps she could be encouraged to write an article regarding the good works of the DR in assisting Haiti ?

Of course that assumes she will believe it could be worthwhile enough to sell papers.

[bromgeksan]

People have their head in a box and aren't interested in the truth.

Yeah lets close down the resorts and somehow it'll make it all better.

I can virtually guantee if it had been them who had planned and paid six months for a vacation and taken time off from work we know where they would be - and no it wouldn't be NY.

[Affiltavajefe]

They are using the guilt card.

I'm very proud of this country's response, and I'm proud of what folks on DR1 have done.

[Metalhead]

What could possibly be the motivation and purpose of this article from today's New York Daily News? DR should just shut down? Ay, yo no creo..........

Haiti earthquake aftermath: Sun, rum and fun on Dominican side of island

i do not find anything to take offense at... this seems an accurate story

yes there are still tourist in the A! and yes the DR is still treating them well...

why do you take offense?

[DumnEuronoumn]

I wrote her right away. I totally agree with Cobraboy on this!!

Low blow...
This is what I said:

"Your back-handed slap at the Dominican Republic for attending to its tourism business was a low blow, even for the Daily News.

Like Las Vagas or NYC or Atlantic City shut down after Katrina or Andrew??? Gimme a break!

Know you that the Dominican Republic was the first nation to send relief into Haiti: more than half a dozen mobile kitchens with personnel and supplies. They are still there at places that the Haitian government wants them to be.
They sent in 8 mobile hospitals, staffed and equipped. They are still there saving lives. Our civil defense workers and emergency electricity and telephone crews are digging and restoring basic services. Damn but you made me mad...

Be fair in your reporting, at least!"

HB

[BinasiDombrs]

i do not find anything to take offense at... this seems an accurate story

yes there are still tourist in the A! and yes the DR is still treating them well...

why do you take offense?

Look at the title of the story and why even write a story about it in the first place? It's almost like the tone is how can people go out and party in DR when people in another country are recovering from a natural disaster.

[delnisfernan]

...Blessed be the DR now and always!!!!

The reality is that the DR is full of people with great big hearts.

[PerfectCreditForYou]

Maybe they got the idea from this article:

Royal Caribbean's decision to dock ships at Haitian resort creates controversy

[spaxiaroorbes]

I posted 12.14 & 12.18 (there's obviously a word limit!): When Ms. Pearson & Ms. Nelson interviewed Mrs Karb, the tourist who said she thought she would encounter people taking collections, did they, the journalists, pursue this further? Did they ask at the reception desk what the arrangements were for people wanting to donate? Or did they ask Mrs. Karb if she had done this?

I just wondered how much what appears to be 'indignation' translates into taking corrective action?

Ms Pearson & Ms Nelson missed a great opportunity. They could have come & visited me (I live 5 mins drive from Playa Dorada) and I would have told them about the magnificent response to the Haiti tragedy by the Dominican government & the Dominican people. And......I'm not that hard to find in Puerto Plata. But perhaps the journalists were too busy to leave the all inclusive hotel and get into the town and find some real residents, Dominican or expat, who could have helped them add balance to their story and flesh it out a bit?

And if they DID want to focus solely on tourist guilt, could they have done a little research and offered psychological explanations as to why this might be? Too much like hard work? Might get in the way of 'rum, rum, rum -no ice'?

NY Daily News - Discussions - Sun, rum and fun on Dominican side of ...

[Bvghbopz]

As per my understanding of the article, the author has nothing against Dominicans or our ex-pats. She is shocked only by some tourists who come here to dance, drink and skrew practically next to quarter million dead bodies.

But in general the article is not hostile at all. Mostly philosophical. Soul searching.

*************************************

I posted 12.14 & 12.18 (there's obviously a word limit!): When Ms. Pearson & Ms. Nelson interviewed Mrs Karb, the tourist who said she thought she would encounter people taking collections, did they, the journalists, pursue this further? Did they ask at the reception desk what the arrangements were for people wanting to donate? Or did they ask Mrs. Karb if she had done this?

I just wondered how much what appears to be 'indignation' translates into taking corrective action?

Ms Pearson & Ms Nelson missed a great opportunity. They could have come & visited me (I live 5 mins drive from Playa Dorada) and I would have told them about the magnificent response to the Haiti tragedy by the Dominican government & the Dominican people. And......I'm not that hard to find in Puerto Plata. But perhaps the journalists were too busy to leave the all inclusive hotel and get into the town and find some real residents, Dominican or expat, who could have helped them add balance to their story and flesh it out a bit?

And if they DID want to focus solely on tourist guilt, could they have done a little research and offered psychological explanations as to why this might be? Too much like hard work? Might get in the way of 'rum, rum, rum -no ice'?

NY Daily News - Discussions - Sun, rum and fun on Dominican side of ...

[spaxiaroorbes]

Mostly philosophical. Soul searching.

Really? Could you show me where? I found it superficial to be honest. It was neither a searching exposé of why tourists might feel conflicted nor an examination of the potential contrasts between the reactions of guests at the hotel and staff at the same hotel. There was so much more they could have done with this theme.

[cigsstorenick]

I have just emailed the paper - thanks for the link.

I have been watching the events from the UK and have been, like many many others, on the heart-brake roller-coaster with the occasional wonderful news when another survivor is found alive.

My wife is in Santo Domingo and since the quake has been physically ill with worry for these poor poor people in Haiti. She knows so many people who are collecting food and whatever they can to help.

I took this article as an attempt by the reporter to get a 'headline' in amongst so many more deserving headline stories and to say it was a 'cheap shot' really doesn't go far enough.

Where in the world, after any disaster does EVERYTHING stop, that just cannot happen. But to chose the Dominican Republic in this instance is just deplorable. The reporter obviously doesn't have the first idea how the people of this island feel about what has happenned.

Just wasn't needed at all, is all I can say.
I urge everyone who feels likewise to get emailing right now.

Paul

[justashonglefan]

Trust me ,I worked for a major newspaper in NYC for almost 40 years and they're not knocking the DR. People are hesitant to fly into the DR after this tragedy,just like they stayed away from NYC after the events of 9-11. It'll take time for everything to get back to normal and the DR is going to take a hit until then.
Right now,the DR needs to step up to the plate to help their neighbors in Haiti and to keep the party going in their own country and let the world see it.

[jq0AFTTC]

I see nothing wrong with the article, its just highlighting the juxtaposition of destruction on one side and partying on the other. However if the one side economy relies on tourism you just can't turn if off. The world might not like carbon emissions but you don't see the Saudi's turning off their oil industry.

The DR's first priority is to look after itself and its own economy and tourism is a big part of that so the DR needs to press on. Cuba and Jamaica are not that far away from Haiti, simply separated by water, are they expected to tone down the partying too? Everyone needs to do what they need to do.