Aggression towards St. Maarten’s police is becoming a growing concern. In the latest such incident, stones were thrown at officers recovering two suspected stolen vehicles in Dutch Quarter (see last Thursday’s newspaper).
Nobody was hurt, but a nearby car suffered damage. This is not the first time inhabitants of that area have turned against authorities either.
United People’s (UP) Party leader Omar Ottley in the Friday/Saturday edition urged respect for law enforcement. He warned “young men engaging in battles with police” that their confrontational behaviour “only escalates tensions and can lead to lead to devastating outcomes.”
The opposition Member of Parliament (MP) acknowledged frustrations and challenges faced by local youth, but stressed that resorting to violence and crime is not the solution. His call on community leaders to get involved should not go unheeded.
There seems to be an increasing tendency among certain groups to defend whatever actions are taken by neighbourhood residents and relatives, and to consider authorities the enemy. This “them versus us” attitude is not only incorrect but downright dangerous.
To be sure, the term “unconditional support” is a fallacy. One simply cannot blindly back friends or even family if they commit serious offences that negatively affect others.
The latter starts with unruly children in school and continues with adults breaking basic rules to protect society. Ultimately everyone at some point depends on laws being enforced, even those now fighting with authorities.
Being “wrong and strong” is a dead-end street.
