Dear Editor,

  With over 80 decades of an ardent industrious life one should not go quietly into the sunset without public acknowledgment of their prolific productivity and contributions.

The life of this productive compatriot of St. Eustatius is best described in the words of the famous quote from the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

  There are many more Statians whose successful and productive careers are worth highlighting for the greater good of our learning. Many remained regrettably untapped. The rise of successful productive men and women of Statia are worth our time of study. Our leaders should examine and apply much of their insights, ideas and projections that could aid in giving deeper insights for the development of Statia. Some are still alive to tell their story, such as the one of whom this article is written.

  Mr. Alvin Courtar has devoted his entire life to Statia from family man, cultivator, fisherman, builder, job creator, contractor to aviator which became the peak of his successful career. In addition to the aforementioned attributes, he is one Statia’s most esteemed philanthropists who has given altruistically to organizations. He has helped numerous families in need, employees whose earnings were below socio-economic level. His self-sacrificing giving has touched many lives in significant and exemplary ways.

  Mr. Courtar fathered 11 children from his wife and 1 stepson and others. He was married for 45 years to his wife who died in August 2004.

  During his early childhood he told his parents that he would one day fly a plane. They thought he was dreaming. Little did they know, that dream would become a reality.

  He pursued a course in aviation and successfully earned a private pilot license at the age of 47. The words of C. S. Lewis “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” must have infused his desire to fulfill this dream. He never limits himself because of others.

  He was the second of the locals to have earned a pilot license, Henky Rivers being the first to have earned private and commercial pilot licenses. Subsequently others followed the ranks of piloting, making Statia proud of their daring adventure.

  Mr. Courtar owned a private one-engine aircraft. He made numerous chartered flights to the neighboring islands and flew as far as Haiti. His flying career became quite demanding and was driven to purchase a twin-engine aircraft named Aztec. During this time, he extended his flights to as far as Trinidad. He has flown to many places doing charters and favors for many. He made some daring adventures in going places in weather conditions where other pilots would not dare to venture.

  Besides his piloting career he was a contractor of no mean caliber. He listened to the talks of many who saw potential in Statia. Many shared ideas for future developments. Mr. Courtar not only listened to the ideas and potential developments but he acted on them. There were times where folks became quite concerned with some of his actions. For example, he bought heavy equipment when nothing was happening on Statia.

  He was very persistent in what he did. Once he sets focus on something, he makes it a reality. But in all his outstanding achievements he gave the credit to his wife who was his backbone in his success.

  What remains admirable about Mr. Courtar, though he has attained a successful career he maintained a humble disposition. He is noted for having the providential gift of giving. During his sustained period as an employer, he took good care of employees.

  One that is always determined to achieve his goals. His life is characterized as industrious, hard-working, active, diligent in his pursuits. He was never seen in a bar or on street corners hanging out with friends, though he has many friends both local and abroad whom he procured throughout his laborious years and from the places he traveled.

  He was blessed with fortune that he acquired over the years. This was gained from his honest labour. He was reliable in his labour, magnanimous in his goodwill toward humanity and unpretentious in his benevolence. A large number of the inhabitants of Statia can bear evidence of being benefactors from his benevolent heart. His willingness to help where help is needed is granted without reservation, he would expect nothing in return. He has given substantial financial contribution to all the religious organizations on the island. He has sold scores of lands for reasonable cost to the inhabitants for building houses in Cherry Tree and Mansions which amounted to approximately 38 acres of land.

  Amidst a busy industrious life, he took time to care for the wellbeing of his wife and children. Mr. Courtar was by no means perfect in all his doings. But the good he did for his family, the community and for humanity at large outweighed the bad. We do not take pride in some of his actions. But all and in all, the ample achievements of this compatriot have helped to make Statia a better place today.

  Mr. Courtar presently lives a life of solitude while expressing gratitude to God for His countless blessings in achieving what he achieved in his life. “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love and wellbeing. ” (James E. Faust)

  This is part and parcel, with credit to his daughter Joslyn Courtar who assisted in objectively defining the qualities of a man who gives of his time and resources to help just about anyone in need. He would criticize his friends constructively but at the same moment, in the twinkling of an eye privately or publicly would help them out with no strings attached.

  It is with much optimism that if Statia’s leadership and other leaders adapt some of the qualities and characteristics of Mr. Courtar there could be a move to the desired direction for a better community.

Virgil Sams

Honourable Minister Samuel,

  Despite the unfortunate circumstance of COVID-19, many lives have been forced to change, some significantly, some slightly. While we adjust to this new change, we still have to maintain a certain level of humanity with and among each other and take the interest and health of others into deep consideration.

  As teachers of the Catholic School Board, we don’t believe our lives and the lives of the children are being taking into any consideration whatsoever. While education must continue, there are ways to ensure those involved are considered. Amongst the staff there are persons with underlying considerations, as well as families with underlying conditions that they have to go home to. Beside all that, the fear that teachers have hanging over their heads of keeping 20-plus children safe as well as themselves is already a task on its own. Still, our wellbeing doesn’t count.

  While other schools are taking their teachers’ and students’ lives at heart, this is not happening with the said school board. Teachers are confused, scared, overwhelmed and the list goes on because of the uncertainties of our reality.

  The board has decided to take all students back in full, classes of over 20 students; even though we are told to social distance and stay away from large gatherings. We have children from over 300 different homes with different backgrounds.

  How do we do this in a small room with this much persons?

  How do we properly ensure that all students’ temperatures are being taken upon entry of the school, when over 300 children are coming through the gates?

How do we ensure all students are properly sanitized before heading to class?

  How do we ensure safety in playgrounds?

  There has been a significant rise in COVID-19 cases since the schools have re-opened. There are many other options that we see fit as many other schools are using these methods as a way to maintain the safety of teachers and students. We are, however, concerned why this is not happening with our Catholic schools? Some members of our staff are in fear for their lives.

Name withheld at author’s request.

Dear Editor,

  Martin Heidegger, in trying to uncover the ground for the possibilities of everyday human existence, said there are two ways in which humans can take up existence in the world: authentic (their own; someone choosing their lifestyle) and inauthentic (not their own; someone fulfilling pre-designed roles in society). Expounding further, Heidegger espoused that both authentic and inauthentic ways of existence exist and both have existence of their own but the former involves an element of choice.

  When we survey the landscape of human beings, which of the two ways of existence observed ostensibly forms the general structure in which humans exist? During our wanderings and periods of psycho-geographic drift, frantically searching for ourselves, how often do we encounter a pocket of individual consciousness that has been separated and remains uncontaminated from the ways and banalities of the herd and collective? What does the ratio of authenticity to inauthenticity computed from our survey tell us about our enduring struggles and pain to be unique? Evidentially, we seem to have and often display an aversion to having our spirit’s malleability remain independent and free from the influence of others.

  To be an individual, to go out on a limb, requires courage, a fearlessness to confront its biggest and only rival, that of the original life movement of social and political power (State, bureaucratic, business, technological). The prevalence of inauthenticity is an instrument of social control that commands a sort of statis often accompanied by boredom and perpetual repetitions, which fiercely resist the presence of anything original, new or fresh. But how can we live an authentic life while we are still in ignorance and pursuit of who we are? How do we spot or discover the uniqueness of our individual selves in the absence of meaningful tools such as Foucault's archaeological shovel with which we can unearth all the layers of morals, values and psychological burdens that have been weighing upon our actual self?

  Maybe we ought to transcend all the values and interests that have been imposed and bequeathed to us thus far. We probably need to explore the transvaluation of the very values that has hitherto stripped us of our individuality, ejecting from us the creative artistic brilliance that nourishes our “I” and keeps at bay that dreaded state of inertia and recurrence that characterises inauthenticity. Our authenticness ought to have the visceral sensations of bravery devoid of timidness. The strength to be an individual and to feign and scoff at the disinterested nature of conformity should be such that it hastens our creativity to invoke its powers of self-formation, self-realisation and autonomy.

  As individuals we become masters of our journey having removed ourselves from the flock, becoming our own shepherds, mastering the whole spectrum of human potential both good and evil. Our talents and powers are no longer in the employ and furtherance of the dreams and pursuits of others; we now choose what form we are going to assume independent of external influences. This newfound state of self-mastery and self-discovery together with our heightened sense of self-consciousness enables us to shift our gaze and recuse ourselves from the illusory comfort and security of the crowd. Our spirit now rejoices more than ever in its once dormant inner strength and creativity, so much so, that it welcomes life in its entirety on earth.

  In us no longer exists the life diminishing need to be members of the herd, as individuals our awakened originality revels in the defiance and non-conformity to the laws of collective motion. We now ascribe greater value to the particular and private instead of the communal. Our spiritual muscles are now enviably toned and fortified bursting with infinite joules of latent energy enhancing our intestinal fortitude to the point where we can willingly will the whole gamut of our past suffering all over again; this is how strong we have become as individuals. Our self-reliance is so vibrant and alive now that our spiritual sustenance is no longer at the mercy and discretion of the whole.

  The huge returns on the mental and spiritual labours we have invested to acquire our distinctive selves is so pleasurable and blissful that it overwhelms and ousts the presence of the imitative, dull and monotonous nature of inauthenticity. As victor the individual is now equipped to embark on an odyssey fully aware of the freedom to leave original footprints along the way.

Orlando Patterson

Dear Editor,

  It is early evening in Sandy Ground in the mid-50s; inside the little house, before she retires for the night, Miss Francis is smoking her clay pipe. A sweet pungent scent is coming through the cracks around the closed door behind us; it is oozing out, into the air, onto the steps where my friend and I are seated. It is early evening in Sandy Ground, long ago, in the innocence and ignorance of youth.

  I can’t speak for my old friend Michel Augusty who I last ran into a while back; we were shuffling along in Kooyman, strangers, and then our eyes met; he is grey – like I am, but that smile of his is just as warm as it was way back then. There at Kooyman, it was neither the place nor the time for revisiting, for reminiscing. And besides, my old friend would, most likely, be surprised to learn that the scent of tobacco from his Granny’s clay pipe is stowed away in my brain.

  The aroma cannot be experienced at will on recall, with the scenery; it is not there when I go back in thoughts to us sitting on the steps. The sharp sweet scent oozes back, seemingly, only to usher in relief, some reassurance, consolation or comfort in rare times of intense anguish or great stress, like the one I’ve been wrestling lately: my concerns over liberty, democracy in the USA. Last night, while I was back on the steps with Michel, the aroma from the old clay pipe oozed forth, sweet and pungent, uplifting like a great sunrise when it clears the hill and spreads its rays on Sandy Ground.

  Somewhat invigorated, I decided to go online in search of some more sunlight. I discovered four mighty dragon slayers: one of them, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Mr. William McSwain, cannot speak of any ongoing investigation his office is involved in, but he is the person who is now leading the identification and prosecution of Democratic vote frauds in the Philadelphia area before the votes are certified.

  He has some experience and success in investigating politicians: on July 23, 2020, he accused a Democrat, Michael (“Ozzie”) Myers of “… conspiring to violate voting rights by fraudulently stuffing the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Pennsylvania primary elections (Justice News, Thursday, July 23, 2020). But this was election fraud among fellow Democrats, a common occurrence that got minimum press coverage.

  The three other mighty dragon slayers are very outspoken and convinced that they have the proof which they are marshalling (preparing for presentation to the courts and the public); they declare that there was massive fraud in the presidential election, that President Trump is the real winner of the election. These are three individuals, each one of them with a great professional reputation.

  There is Rudy Giuliani, a former US Attorney who busted New York City mafia bosses and, later, cleaned up New York when he was mayor of that city.

  There is Attorney Lucian Lincoln (“Lin”) Wood Jr., a very famous, highly respected and successful lawyer; he is well known for having successfully represented Richard Jewell, the security guard who was accused in the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. Over the years since that exploit, Attorney Lin Wood has successfully defended a great number of clients who have won hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

  And there is Attorney Sidney K. Powell, maybe the mightiest of these four dragon slayers; she appears to be very familiar with the game that is being played, as well as with all of the players involved. And everyone, everywhere (including in the media) is careful, very careful not to tangle with her – that is strange, very strange, indeed. Attorney Powell served 10 years as an Assistant US Attorney; she is quite familiar with the US Department of Justice for having also researched it for her two important and influential books – Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice (2014), and Conviction Machine: Standing Up to Federal Prosecutorial Abuse (2020).

  All of this makes Attorney Powell very well prepared to deal with the crocs in the deep swamp that is Washington and the US Department of Justice particularly. A few days ago, she stated that she will soon “release the kraken,” the giant squid: a deep sea monster that dwells in the cold depths of the sea off the coast of Norway. Reportedly, the kraken surfaces sometimes and attacks vessels in that area: it wraps its giant tentacles around the vessel, and pulls it down under, deep down onto the bottom of the ocean.

Gérard M. Hunt