Dear Editor,
The picture in The Daily Herald of Monday, October 19, featuring Theo Heyliger on the front page following his release from prison, speaks volumes and raises an important question: What message are we sending?
Yes, his release is newsworthy and deserves to be reported. However, there is a difference between reporting the news and presenting it in a manner that can be perceived as a celebration or a hero’s welcome.
What message are we sending to our young people, who are being taught that choices have consequences? What message are we sending to the honest public servants who serve their country with integrity? And what message are we sending to potential investors and the international community about St. Maarten’s commitment to integrity, good governance and accountability?
The Daily Herald is a private newspaper, and the public can not dictate how it manages its publication. However, a newspaper also carries tremendous influence. What is placed on the front page, and how it is presented, sends a message.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to move forward after serving their sentence. But there is a difference between giving someone a second chance and glorifying the circumstances surrounding their return.
This is bigger than Theo Heyliger. It is about the values and standards we choose to promote as a society and the image of St. Maarten that we present to our children, our community, potential investors and the wider world.
We should ask ourselves: Is this really the message we want our front page to send?
Alfred Bryan
Editor's note: The only celebration in that photo is of Theo Heyliger and his family. It has nothing to do with the newspaper's opinion on his case. There was no message except that a former Member of Parliament sentenced to prison for accepting bribes and money laundering had been released.
