Dear Editor,
Some thirty years ago I was living on Marigot Hill. My neighbour was mister Roumou, an amiable policeman, keeping order in St. Maarten. He had a few very nice daughters. One year I played Sinterklaas and Judith was one of my Zwarte Pieten. I remember that she painted her face and hands even blacker with charcoal.
Well, nowadays Judith is still playing Zwarte Piet, only with one difference – she is painting the faces of our politicians even blacker than they already are. She relentlessly criticises their incompetence and greed. Her reward … jail! Why? Because she exaggerates nonsensically. I absolutely do not understand that. Nonsensical exaggeration is an art form!
Our own politicians are masters in nonsensical exaggerations; they give themselves, without permission of the people they “serve” 10,000 per month for a part-time job. The “crime” of Judith is innocent compared to what our politicians do. Compared to our politicians, Judith is a saint.
Ship-jumping (betraying hundreds of people who voted for you) is a much bigger crime than the writing of Judith. Jail? No, we just have to keep paying 10,000 dollars per month to the one who betrayed us.
So, here is my unpaid advice to our parliamentarians and ministers; take off 20 per cent of a month’s salary for one month and use that money for a statue of Judith Roumou. Where to put it? In front of our never used empty government building.
Gerard Bijnsdorp, unpaid advisor to brave crazy girls.
