Dear Editor,
I was shocked by the actions of the post-hurricane looters 22 years ago after Hurricane Luis, but I was even more shocked by the number and boldness of the looters after Hurricane Irma. I was told by a witness that a large number of them had begun looting CostULess during the eye of the storm, that is, before the storm was over. This action was clearly planned in advance. They certainly cast a very dark, irremovable blemish on our beloved island that may take generations to go away.
What does this say about our multi-national population? Some looters were certainly born here, but the majority are obviously from the surrounding English- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. Since St. Maarteners are outnumbered by at least seven to one, if not by a bigger quantity, it is safe to assume that the vast majority were not local St. Maarteners, but belong to the multitudes of undesirable aliens our government allows to freely enter our country; enter and stay, that is.
A couple of years ago, the Census Office published information about the many different nationalities residing on St. Maarten. It was mentioned that the Spanish-speaking population – 8,000 plus at the time – had surprisingly surpassed the number of Haitians on the island. They have become the biggest non-Dutch nationality on St. Maarten.
One lady called in to Laser 101 to report that there were people stealing brand-new cars from a car dealer in Cole Bay. She saw and heard the looters in action and remarked, “All I could hear was Spanish.”
Similar words were expressed by a volunteer who was helping to distribute food. He was overheard saying, “I can count the St. Maarten people on my fingers. All I hear is Spanish.”
I think it is safe to assume that a large number of foreigners residing on this tiny island are unskilled and therefore unemployed. Those who are employed are mostly self-employed. I wonder how many, if any, of those self-employed foreigners pay taxes? It has always amazed me how a 37-square-mile half-an-island can support tens of thousands of non-Dutch people, many of whom are undocumented and unemployed. This is no undoubtedly a huge burden on the economy of our island.
The entire burden of running this island lies squarely on the shoulders of St. Maarteners and those who are living and working here legally. How much longer can this go on? Isn’t it high time for those in authority to get serious about cleaning up the chaos we are in? It seems all they ever do is talk. Much talk and little or no action translate into a non-functioning, ineffective government.
The looting in Philipsburg could have easily been prevented had our government learned from the aftermath of Hurricane Luis. I don’t remember hearing about any looters being arrested at that time. Consequently, a much larger and bolder number rose up against the community this time around. This time our police officers, with the help of their colleagues, have done a remarkable job by arresting a large number of them.
However, after all the unspeakable damage they have done to their host country, they are set free and given a few hours of community service. Worse yet, they have been told “to be remorseful and bring back the stolen goods and ‘we won’t search your homes.’” Unbelievable! The Prosecutor might as well have told them, “Just go home and behave yourselves until the next major hurricane comes along.”
If I could have things my way, I would publish and distribute a booklet with the pictures and full names of all those arrested for looting, and also mention the districts where they live. Our people have the right to know who the thieves among us are. The illegals who are not from here should be unceremoniously kicked off the island, put on a black list and never be allowed to re-enter the country. Maybe those who are from here would be so utterly ashamed of being exposed as a thief that even they might leave the island.
But, of course, this is not going to happen. Our lawmakers would rather hide behind the foolishness they call political correctness than muster up the courage to deal with the sad reality. It’s not as if the thousands of undocumented and the now unemployed documented aliens can vote for them.
How far should a country go to protect its citizens from unproductive, non-taxpaying, non-contributing and therefore undesirable “guest workers” who come out of the woodwork during and after each hurricane?
Some years ago, a former co-worker told me about a trip he and his wife had made a trip to a South American country. The immigration officer at the airport asked him, in the hearing range of the other arriving passengers, where he would be staying, how long he was planning to stay, and ... if he had enough money to support himself during his stay. He was caught totally off-guard by the last question.
He told the officer how much money he had on him and was even more humiliated when the officer growled in a not-so-friendly tone, “let me see the money!” He actually had to take the money from his wallet to show the officer. “I felt so embarrassed, Mr. Hodge, I will never again go back there.”
I would never agree with such humiliating treatment by an immigration officer. However, I do think our government is extremely careless when it comes to the admission and expulsion of aliens. This carelessness comes at a very high cost to our local people, our economy, and yes, even our reputation abroad.
Suitable foreigners - those who invest their money here, have a job (that cannot be done by locals) waiting for them here, or have services to offer that are not (sufficiently) available on the island should be welcomed and embraced. However, not all aliens are created equal. It takes a catastrophe to distinguish the good from the bad. If only our government would learn from and appropriately act on lessons from the past.
Clive Hodge
