By Alex Rosaria
I still remember seeing our flag hoisted for the first time in 1984. The blue symbolising the sea and the sky, the yellow stroke representing the sun and the stars symbolising the five continents from which people have arrived on our island. The white colours of the stars standing for peace.
Do people still see the colours and what they represent? Or has the flag been stained beyond recognition?
The flag in my memory stood tall and proud. It celebrated the togetherness of all. Today, a minority group still lives in inequality under the law just because they want to be free to carry on their lives irrespective of their preferences.
I remember being able to freely sit on my parents’ balcony in Santa Rosa, walk outside, and see jovial faces. I can’t see them any more because they don’t leave their caged homes. I can’t hear them because they are afraid to speak out. The free and independent press incessantly questioning our choices and democratic deficits have been silenced by money and power. I remember us being proud of welcoming people looking for a bright future here. Today, we curse them, imprison them, take away their rights and bully them. If you care to listen, you’ll hear people speak about the appalling conditions in which they live, sometimes in hushed voices.
Were we not supposed to be born with the right to be free and equal with the same opportunities, no matter where we came from, what we believe in, and how we choose to live our lives? Were we not supposed to have capable and honest democratic leaders to look after our common interests?
I cannot recognise our flag any more. It is covered with ugly stains.
Alex David Rosaria (53) is a freelance consultant active in Asia & Pacific. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America. He’s from Curaçao and has an MBA from the University of Iowa (USA)
