Dear Editor,
Several times I have been told that I had mentioned certain things several times in my letters to you. Sometimes I jokingly answer. As long it is well meant, as with prayers, that’s all right.
I repeat different things for several reasons. For instance, if a letter was written to you in July or August, these are school vacation months and low season in which several parents and children are off-island, so to make sure they get a chance to read it, I repeat it.
Another reason is that it makes a difference whether you read a book at 12 years old, at 16 or as an adult. The perception is different in all three periods. This is because of life’s experiences along with objective and subjective perception.
So yes, I sometimes intentionally repeat myself.
I also believe that constant dropping wears a stone. That is why I know that someone will regret acting “at will” by not dealing appropriately with our public transportation.
In your Editorial “The rule of law” I read, “When frequent infractions, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant, are tolerated too often by society, they tend to become common practice.” This part of the reason for this letter.
Someone (who, I still believe, thinks that I have D.T. symptoms) wanted to know the difference between talking on the phone while driving (using phone while operating a vehicle) and driving a vehicle with illegal tint? Both are traffic violations. He then wanted to know what the difference is between selling firearms without a permit and making a business out of putting illegal tint on cars?
In my first month in the police training school we were admonished not to embark on hypotheses while studying because that would distort the facts. The elements of the law should never be distorted. Being well grounded in the elements of the law and sticking to the facts limits the guessing game, which saves time.
Getting back to “becoming common practice”, I met a man who was here for Carnival and he told me that I should write about the way they just throw down traffic material all over the road which is confusing to people who don’t live in St. Maarten.
My answer to that is because when I say A, I should also say B, that is the responsibility of VROMI, but when I see who is carrying out those works and I know how accurate those traffic detours are laid out with the necessary signage in Holland, it strengthens what I have said on several occasions about the way we are perceived, and considered felt free to be treated. “We zullen een beetje knutselen.”
I am not a football enthusiast, but in reading the sport pages I assume that the World Cup is just around the corner. Yes, because of the way Minister Giterson was pursued after that accident, I would like to know if special patrols will be kept in the vicinity of those places of business where the games are televised and alcohol is being served.
By now we know who are the football fanatics (these days it’s cricket, Caribbean people) and how much alcohol is consumed by the supporters of the teams of their different countries, during those 90-odd minutes. Do they appoint designated drivers?
Russell A. Simmons
