From the beginning of time

Ever since Rock of ages

Was ah pebble

And the Devil was just a boy

Men has always find ways

Te dominate and take

Advantage of one another:

The weak

The Unfortunate and

The disable

We turn against each other,

Man killing he own brother,

Fighting amongst the

Children of one Mother

And we let jealousy

Envy and hate

We mind dominate

Fighting the world to gain

control

While we own greed

Running loose and out

On a stroll

That we even can't control

We feel so Amused

When ill befall we brother

Forgetting that teday

 Fo he

Tomorrow tez ah other

Every hog got he Saturday

They say

But sun don't shine

On rainy day

And what's a joke for the Butcher

Is death for the Animal

Who got cocaobay

ain't afraid ah yarze

For when they take we watchdog

There is No one left te watch

 The Gate

And while we ah sleep

They will clean we clock

And take back every thing

we GOT

Raymond Helligar aka “Big Ray”

Dear Editor,

  What is it all about? What part of the Bible do not we understand? I often find myself in discussion with people who lean more towards science than the Word of God. This letter, however, is not about the controversy, but I’m just wondering why when over and over we see things happening as predicted, we blatantly ignore them or even do contrary to what is predicted? 

  We then want to blame others or want others to side with us. I was explained that that is logical. It stems from the way you are, you expect others to be. Titus 1:7 says: For since a church leader is in charge of God 's work, he should be without fault; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunk or greedy for money.

  I Timothy 3:3 adds that he should not be a violent man but gentle and peaceful, he must be able to manage his own family well and make his children obey him with respect and also, he must not love money.

  1 Timothy 6:6-10 continues to say: What did we bring into this world? Nothing! What can we take out of this world? Nothing!  So then if we have food and clothes that should be enough for us (A livable wage). But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which will pull them down to ruin and destruction.

   For the love of money is the source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered astray from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.  I am writing this because on Wednesday morning, I got a call from Aruba and was told: "We are fighting Maduro down here and all you are fighting the RST. The person went on to say: "But that is nothing new for Sint Maarten".

  And that got to me. When I paused to respond, the person continued: “By now one would think that they have learned, but that has become a way of life for Sint Maarten politicians. My response to that was to explain what I had heard a popular reporter in the USA, Willard Scott, who was well versed in American politics and was asked if he was interested in vying for office, answered " I am too straight for that".

  If we are going to continue referring to the behavior of our young people, we will have to behave ourselves in a manner for which we will not be arrested, in order to be a different kind of example for them. 

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

  Again because of lack of transparency of government there are normal things which could be made known, are not. Reason mentioned is the complicated and secretive way in which the moneys involved with the projects are handled.

  I do not know if there is anything complicated about the public transportation. What I assume is that the permits were not issued in accordance with the conditions of the law, but that should be the easiest part of the solution. If one was not entitled to a permit, revoke it. The ongoing infraction has to be stopped.

  I touched on the public transportation again because I am convinced that if the public transportation is regulated and supervised along with the strategically implementing of routes and laying out the bus stops, the traffic congestion will decrease about 50 percent. The gypsies would go back to doing what they got residency to do and, best of all, the crime rate, believe it or not, will decrease.

  But as I picked up the paper from Wednesday, February 20, 2019, the first thing I read that Toyota’s CEO visited St. Maarten. My first reaction was, “Oh no, not more cars!”

  It was as if St. Angelo was pinched, because he was careful to say that they won’t go crazy and try to grow too fast. But fact remains that they are here to grow. We also know that there is not much space left to enhance the road infrastructure.

  What I have heard is also not encouraging, because it was said by someone who could know that no one in government wants to touch public transportation. This again is proof that we are dealing with a set of insecure people who are getting government money without doing anything for it.

  I also am looking at the Prime Minister for not engaging the Dutch in a conversation concerning assisting us with regulating our public transportation. They have been number one in the world.

  Government has to be ready to deal with the difficulties. Every journey begins with the first step. A transition period, when necessary, should also be implemented and, if necessary, all permits which were issued not in accordance with the public traffic ordinance should be revoked. Clean up and reorganize the whole system.

  If they start by doing things the right way, I am sure that that will help decrease those talks about St. Maarten politicians being corrupt.

  By the way, during the last campaign that was my cry: “Out with the old and in with the new.”

  The record will also show that since 10-10-’10 very little to nothing has been done to improve life for the people of Sint Maarten. So, the politicians themselves have to do it right to help themselves because the Dutch are not hesitating to accuse them and even lay waiting to arrest them. This did not come from me, the proof is in the newspaper to read.

  Someone told me that the amount of old, secondhand and new cars which are in the car lots to be sold would take up about one-tenth of the paved roads of St. Maarten, not counting the school buses, the dump trucks and the backhoes and excavators, etc. Do we really need more cars? 

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

  Statia has always produced great storytellers like the late Charlie Arnaud, the late  Clifford Gibbs, now retired politician Eric Henriquez and the owner of Lyn’s Dream Bakery, Lynette Anson-Leerdam.

  Storytelling is used to teach important lessons of life, to hold on to one’s culture and traditions, for the purpose of healing and the upliftment of a people.

  Nowadays, media houses serve as storytelling agencies. Many, many stories are published about the political, social, cultural and economic ‘reality’ in Statia. But unlike our true storytellers, the stories told about my island of birth are one-sided, hence incomplete stories.

  It is important for our children to know that there are many different stories about Statia. True storytellers always create a balance of stories. They never tell just one story about a place or a people.

  It is important for Statian storytelling to become more visible in order to weaken the one-sided storytelling told by the media.

  So, I challenge my Statian storytellers to tell all of our stories, not just some of our stories. When we do this, we give our people, those who have passed on, those living and those not yet born, the dignity we deserve.

Xiomara Balentina