Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to address my friends in the National Alliance.
My friends, it certainly is a privilege to me that an opinion or statement coming from an insignificant "character" like me has gotten "under your esteemed skin."
Notwithstanding the fact that you are now in charge of all the three seats in the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles for St. Maarten; that you, on Sunday, February 28 last, had a great "bash" in which you celebrated your landslide victory over the DP party during the last Federal elections; that you have always neglected, and continue to neglect "silly" people like me, and that you know it all – still, and still again, without the slightest of intention thereto, "little me" managed to overshadow all of that great joy of you finally becoming the most powerful political party on the "Friendly Island."
Wattating!
Certainly you know exactly what I am talking or rather writing about, because we live in a very small little "village" with "country ambitions."
It is about the fact that there are "those" in your party who are very upset, to say the least, with the fact that I commended and expressed support for Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams, Island Councilwoman and DP leader, for recently having publicly stated that, as one of the "outstanding issues," the rights of indigenous St. Maarteners still needed to be guaranteed in the new constitution for "Country" St. Maarten, to protect them against being marginalised.
While I did not know that, as president of an independent, non-partisan, grassroots St. Maarten movement, my statements had to be "vetted" by the NA or by any other party for that matter, let me inform you that I reserve the rights to commend and support any politician of any party, who makes any statement in favour of the native St. Maarten people, without the slightest of apologies to any politician!
If those within the NA, or within any other party, feel offended that I made use of my democratic right to commend Sarah Wescot-Williams for speaking out on behalf of St. Maarten people, then that begs a number of questions.
For one, those politicians should tell the St. Maarten people why they disagree or oppose having the protection of the rights of the native-indigenous people anchored in the constitution.
And if they feel that the DP is "playing politics," which, by the way, is hardly any surprise to even a kid, why has the NA itself never, ever, publicly stated what Sarah proposed, that the rights of native-indigenous St. Maarteners should be protected in "Country" St. Maarten?
In ending, I say to my many good friends in the NA party that I will be the very first to also commend, support and even endorse the NA, the day that party goes further than Sarah.
How, you wonder?
Simple.
Just stop complaining, but "beat Sarah to the punch," and have the protection of the rights of the native-indigenous St. Maarteners formulated in the constitution, so that, minority or not, they will always be the host and protected in their own home-land. That provision in the constitution will finally render your so-called Country "St. Maarten" really more than just a name or a "jingle," but truly St. Maarten to the "core and soul."
If you can possibly humble yourself to just ask us, we are able, willing and ready to help you, because such really requires vision and genuine passion to be adequately formulated.
Have a great day.
Leopold James,
President SNBF/L'Esprit de Concordia
