Dear Editor,
This is three times in a very short period that I find myself having to write to you concerning what I consider not-so-becoming behavior of those from whom one should not expect it.
Even though it should be discreet when done privately, our people in public office and in government whether past or present should never think it is alright to publicly discredit or demean others. I do not know if this one is a case of copycat, but this is still St. Maarten where everybody is due to respect. St. Maarten is not one of those countries where women are treated like a floor cloth.
I am aware that matters of the people are public, But publicly letting everyone know what kind of involvement a woman had with how many men and how many children she has for how many men is far below anybody’s standard, much more so for this rhetoric to be carried out by a minister of government. Yes, I believe that the present Minister of VROMI is on his way to creating a precedent. I believe if I do not address this I will be contributing in creating a tolerated policy.
When I read what was written between quotation marks about what the Minister said, I, a citizen of St. Maarten who for years (even before that Minister was born) has been trying in my way to enlighten the people in matters of life, I feel disappointed to know that a Minister of government in Sint Maarten could be so radical with his language.
What could actually trigger such behavior? What I know from experience is that people react with anger when they cannot talk their way out of a situation. I am suggesting that the council of ministers (even Parliament) address this situation as soon as possible because the next thing is for a civilian to demonstrate the same behavior and when he/she is reprimanded for such behavior he/she will feel free to respond, “How come the Minister can do it, but we can’t do it?”
I believe even the Governor should intervene in this situation because this is not good propaganda for St. Maarten. I still hear about women fighting for man, but this is like what we used to call fish market quarrel, but coming from a minister of government this should never be accepted. Especially if done publicly.
This situation must be addressed straightaway. St. Maarten Quo Vadis?
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
There are certain things even though I do not agree with them, that I do not readily voice my opinion about. One of them is gender preference. But when I read a letter written to you in which the writer ended with “I will continue to denounce ignorance and the hate from the pulpit every Sunday,” I thought that was going too far.
Let me first continue by saying that I honestly do not know that writer even though he made sure that everyone should know who he is by the way he described himself along with all his achievements. Having been a Minister of Economic Affairs, even though he sure was not economical with those accolades, he could be standing next to me I would not know, because I do not know the person. So my reaction to that letter is solely on what was black on white, which I believe after seeing all those accolades was to make sure that we know how educated he is.
By making sure of mentioning all those titles, led one to believe that he does not feel recognized with just a simple Alex Rosario. On the other hand, he might be trying to let us know that his titles entitle him to know everything.
What I know is that a whole lot more people who listen to the hate and ignorance coming from those pulpits know how to be humble throughout this life even without titles and accolades. If he is so well versed in theology he would know that God hates the sin, but He loves the sinner.
This is not meant as a joke, but if God wanted homosexuality I believe He would just make another Adam and let them have their way. The problem with that would be the multiplying of the world, so He created the appropriate species Eve.
I can remember my aunt and her brother (my father) having a discussion about a pair is two. My father told her a pair is two of the same objects though complementing each other. When none would accept, my father told my aunt, “Ask Noah then.”
I personally believe that because language is living and continually grows, plenty of original words which had one meaning adopt additional meaning according to the country which adopts them. This I believe is the case with “pair” and “couple”.
Is it because of hate and ignorance that millions of people ask for a priest or a pastor to precede the funeral of a loved one?
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
I have called St. Martin home for 27 years and have grown to love this little island, its people and even its politics. It is cute politics. I often marvel at the simple approaches and arguments. Please don’t get me wrong I am not diminishing the island’s politics and issues. They are just so silly at times.
Very recently we saw the President of the Parliament in Dutch St. Maarten call one of his fellow MPs [Members of Parliament – Ed.] lazy. This was strange to me because the MP in question, Emmanuel, seems to be creating all of the news on the island this entire year. In many countries opposition MPs do exactly what Emmanuel does on a daily basis. They hold the government accountable. How else would any population anywhere in the world discover what their government is doing? You cannot depend on any government to volunteer information.
Let me remind you of some of the things Emmanuel, in my opinion, has brought to light for being “lazy”: The disclosure of the COHO stipulations, the cut to the income of public workers, the cabal at the airport and false claims of good corporate governance, the attempted hiring of an Australian to run your hospital, warning of impending property taxes, the garbage contracts controversy, the trust fund strange selection of projects instead of focusing on more schools, homes and the like, the rundown event village and its vanishing insurance money, the blatant lies of the island’s liquidity, the relocation of vendors in your capital, the joke that is the integrity chamber, the lack of a recovery plan post-COVID and now lately keeping your government on its toes with tax reforms.
Now your first question might be how do I recall all of this? Simple, GOOGLE! The good gentleman has trended the entire year. His activity has either completely changed the trajectory of whatever the government was attempting, stopped it cold or at the least gave the government pause and forced them to do the right thing or reconsider their course of action. His predictions have also borne fruit.
This, good sirs, is the definition of good and powerful and effective representation. It is also the kind of representation that governments all over the world can criticize using only one old line: “the MP is only complaining.” Well, hear, hear! for the complaints!
If the good MP is lazy, then I say we need more lazy MPs. If that is what laziness looks like, then I’ll take it! Finally, considering the above dubbed “laziness”, how exactly then, would one classify the complete inactivity of the same President of Parliament (save for the controversies he keeps creating)?
Name withheld at author’s request.
By Alex Rosaria
In Curaçao, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons face increased discrimination, especially since Christian churches have escalated their opposition to equal rights for this group. Of all people, you would think that we should know that discrimination, prejudice and bigotry is a deadly poison. Our fight against injustice goes way back to the dark days of slavery, racism and sexism. Yet, the tables have turned. Many who used to be (descendants of) victims of discrimination are now doing the discrimination. I doubt that this was the intention of the likes of Dr. Da Costa Gomez, Tula and ‘Damanan di Djarason’.
Last’s week’s Court’s decision that determined Curaçao is violating the Constitution by excluding same-sex couples from marriage gives hope. Fortunately, the Courts have shown to care about the Constitution which cannot be said for the Staten and Fòrti.
Marriage should not be a heterosexual privilege for if we are created equal, then the love we commit to another human being must be equal as well. We must realize, however, that there will not be a magic day when we wake up to a country without discrimination and prejudice, but it’s a starting point. I stand with you, LGBTQ. I will continue to denounce ignorance and the hate from the pulpits every Sunday.
Alex David Rosaria (53) is a freelance consultant active in Asia & Pacific. He is a former Member of Parliament, Minister of Economic Affairs, State Secretary of Finance and UN Implementation Officer in Africa and Central America. He’s from Curaçao and has an MBA from University of Iowa. (USA).
Dear Editor,
St. Maarten parliamentarians, government and State Secretary Raymond Knops, more funds are urgently needed for the K1 team food programme to keep proceeding with providing groceries to the people that are in need. This situation is very serious and more funds are urgently needed.
Prime Minister of St. Maarten Silveria Jacobs must put her act together and get more money as soon as possible for the next three to six months.
We have suffered with a low minimum wage and lack of justice for so long on this island, even the hurricane and coronavirus put the poor men into a situation of great need.
Many are waiting for this great help and appreciate the help they got from Red Cross and the K1 team food programme.
Cuthbert Bannis
