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

Dear Editor,

  It’s hard to imagine how some people cherish life without going to a library and enjoying reading good books, magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals. This is essentially important to an affluent society. A library reflects the educational qualities of great leaders. We shouldn’t play politics with this public access educational institution, because it helps to develop excellent reading habits, independent research, and bring people together in the community.

  A public library is a treasure for community reading, and a piece of history to society.  Public Jubilee Library has served the citizens of St. Maarten for over 75 years. It’s sad to see the public access centre close its door to teachers, students, adults, tourists, and the general public at large. The area has now become a parking lot for automobiles. Hurricane Irma destroyed the building one year and few months ago.

  The structure is still in a state of shock. Saddened by the disappearance! Its parking lot is overrun by cars, and children sitting on the entrance side wall, hoping that one day, it will reopen. I cannot understand why a library should be in so much political tensions. It’s a sad and dismal day for children, parents, teachers, tourists, and other readers. If our elected officials are interested in the future of our children, a library would be a priority choice to them. Negligence will have serious reading defects among the youths in the community, and will lead to a delinquent society.

  Hard-working and struggling parents who are trying to make ends meet, would like to have the library open to host their children in the afternoon school programme. If the officials are educationally conscious, a library will be a high priority. Some can afford to purchase a cell phone, and go online to access reading and materials, while others cannot afford to do so. This is why a public library is important to the community for children to access free or affordable reading materials. This public access centre should not have anything to do with politics.

  If members of the operational board are not functioning, get rid of them and install a new board. The public desperately needs to have the library reopened or rebuilt soon. I cannot understand why a library should be caught up in politics. The children are in need of a place to study quietly for their tests, examinations, home work, and general reading. Teachers depend on it for research and knowledge purposes. We need a state-of-the-art public library where students could access help in their homework, get world news online, do research, and access reading materials online.

  The establishment of the new institution would be of great benefit for students, teachers, and adults. A public library is the ideal choice for everyone in search of historical events and information. It is a symbol of a cultural icon, and a place of knowledge acquisition and a research centre, and also a place for learning, and an attraction for visitors. Without a library, is like going back to the days of cave men searching for information for future development.

  The purpose of a library: It is a place to access reading materials, and enjoy reading quietly. Reading develops mental effectiveness. Our education system requires reading and writing, and a place to study these skills in a quiet setting, such as a library. I am appealing to the general public at large to help finance a state-of-the-art public library on St. Maarten for the students, teachers, parents and visitors.

In summary; I will be happy to see everyone involved in getting the library project off the ground.

Joseph Harvey

Dear Editor,

  In November 2017 our constitution has been amended whereby the status of Public Entities for the three islands Saba, Bonaire and St. Eustatius has been embedded in the constitution. (art 132a)

  This embedding made another important change possible, which has eliminated an important democratic deficit. It makes it possible that after eight years of public entity status the Dutch inhabitants on the islands finally can vote (indirectly) for the members of the First Chamber like our European Dutch counterparts. The first time in history!

  In the Netherlands the voting for the First Chamber is done by the members of the 12 so-called “Provincial Councils”. Their election is on March 20^th. Since the three islands do not fall under a province, for each island an Electoral College will be elected. The first time ever that voters on Statia can go to the polls for this is the same as for the elections of the “Provincial  Councils”, also on March 20^th.

  It is important to understand that when, as a voter, you cast your vote on a candidate on the list for the electoral college, you will not elect this individual in the First Chamber. However, once this local candidate is elected he or she is the one who will vote, on your behalf, for his or her candidate of choice for the First Chamber.

  How important is this?

  I think it is important. First and foremost, it gives us, the people of Statia, exactly the same right to vote as the people in any other part of the Netherlands. Secondly, with our right to vote we will have representation in the First Chamber.

  I guess you might have noticed that there are people who downgrade this right and call this election a waste of time. This, they are basing on the fact that the impact of the voters of the three islands combined is a little bit more than one-tenth of a seat. For Statia alone it is one percent. It seems small, for true, but it still can also make the difference. If you, however, calculate this impact based on the number of inhabitants then it is the same and equal to the impact of any other voter in the Netherlands.

  It is unrealistic to think that our people will be allowed a greater influence in the elections of the First Chamber than any other voter in the Netherlands.

  Remember, those who claim that your democratic right to vote has been taken away after the intervention by The Hague are the same ones now who are saying not to make use of your democratic right to vote in this election.

  Come out to vote March 20^th.

Koos Sneek

Democratic Party St. Eustatius

Dear Editor,

  Postulation day for two of the three former Netherlands Antilles, the present BES Islands and still Dutch colonies, was on February 6, in preparation for March 20, Island Council elections. For clarity sake, let me explain. Elections should have been held on the 3 islands namely, Saba St. Eustatius and Bonaire. However, we all know what happened to St. Eustatius. The democratically-elected representatives of the people of St. Eustatius were removed on February 7, 2018, amongst several allegations which have yet to be explained or proven.

  St. Eustatius contested the matter in court, but on December 11, 2018, the claim made by the ousted government was rejected. A democratic process? I say this sarcastically. The Democratic Deficit is what is reigning. A reference is made to the referendum held in 2014 and the low turnout and results. Then what is wrong with the Dutch allowing democracy to rule by allowing the people of St. Eustatius to decide who they want as their representatives on March 20?

  Did the leader Clyde van Putten make too much noise about the Statia Oil terminal? How much revenue can it generate? The Saba Bank how rich is it? How is Bonaire doing? What was the population of Bonaire prior to them becoming a BES Island and what is the population as to date? How many are allochtonen (foreigners), here I am referring to European Dutch, and how many are autochtonen (native inhabitants?)

  The Dutch are responsible for Defence, Nationality and Foreign Affairs. The Venezuelan crisis that is affecting the ABC islands is an internal matter according to foreign Minister Stef Blok, but they are willing to get involved in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. There are fighter jets on the island of Curaçao.

  Let me clarify unless am misunderstood. I am totally against what is happening in Venezuela, where people are suffering under inhumane conditions and a solution must be found.  But stating that what is happening with the influx of Venezuelans on the ABC islands is an internal matter is hypocritical.

  What is the present condition of the BES Islands? An investigation by Bureau Regioplan proved that more than half of the population of the BES islands (Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire) live below and some lower than the poverty line. So, what have the Dutch done for these islands except remove a democratically-elected government in St. Eustatius and bind a yet-to-be-elected island council in Bonaire to an agreement even before the elections are held.

  And this process apparently is legal, based on their laws. One would have thought that one of the richest countries in the world with its expertise, its financial resources and its hundreds of years as an independent country has what it takes to take the people of the BES islands out of poverty. St. Eustatius still has water shortages. But they talk about the Constitution of the Netherlands with which all the Dutch territories have to comply. A Democratic process?

George Pantophlet