Dear Editor,
In my letter to you “Stop it”, I ended it by suggesting that Anna and Grisha should come together for the good of the country.
I was not addressing the President of Parliament and the Minister of Justice, I was offering fatherly advice to them. Even though I am very aware of my sense of decorum, I took them out of the government for that moment and brought them back together on the Friendly Island. I am writing this in response to the way in which the letter to you, “Hypocrisy in Immigration”, was written concerning the handling of blacks as opposed to whites.
Let me first say this: We can blame all kinds of things on our parents and our environment when we were growing up. But when we become adults and know better then we should accept to be responsible for our deeds. Let me also state this: On my mother’s side my grandfather was white and on my father’s my great-grandfather was a white. I know it’s maternal and paternal but in this case leh we stay here.
The name was withheld on request of the author so judging from the contents of the letter I will assume that this is a cowardly white person who is trying to stigmatise St. Maarten. “That coward” wrote, “Let’s make that clear Madame Justice Minister Anna, Hypocrisy, Racist. That’s what you are.” To that I say “It takes one to know one.” And if Minister Richardson is a racist by carrying out the law, then history would show that those laws were originally written and ratified by white people.
Those are very strong words from someone who, because of the claim one would think that that person would affirm it with a name. Instead that coward chose to throw stones and hide his/her hand. I believe that it takes one to know one.
Not me, it is worldwide known that Trump used social media to perpetrate lies. So, don’t even go there.
I would like to caution “that coward” that this is not North America and that our laws are not the same as in America. Immigration of this country is not in the hands of America and everyone who intends to come here either on vacation or for work is handled according to the provisions and conditions in the laws of Admission and Expulsion. Regardless of the color of your eyes, hair or skin or whatever “that coward” wants to apply color to.
By the way I believe that the history of black and white relationships in St. Maarten is very clear. I also know that all over the world it has been proven that white people are the racists, so that should not even be the point anymore. What should be the point is that the one with the better qualification (and that does not always pertain to higher education) should be given preference.
St. Maarten is still known to be The Friendly Island. Again not me, our guests constantly let us hear that, but this can run the risk of changing if we permit people like “that coward” to openly and clearly accuse our Minister of Justice who is merely enforcing and carrying out the laws which were, like I mentioned before, spearheaded and written by white people.
“That coward” singled out America and also accentuated that education is obviously lacking by individuals who consistently blame the white man for all the problems. (Could “that coward” mean like lynching a black man for jogging on the public road in America?)
.About the education, Does anybody know the statistics of who is the best one-on-one with equal education and age between the white man and the black man? That would be a little difficult to find out, but what about who officially invented the majority of everything that made life easier for everybody all over the world. That can be Googled, “coward”.
My intention is not to write a book, but I must write this. “That coward” is clearly making a distinction between how blacks and whites are treated here, so I do not think that it would be mischievous of me to write the following of a white traveller to St. Maarten.
I am sitting in my office at the airport on a Saturday afternoon observing the handling of the visitors by the Immigration officers. I had just finished trying to get something that was irritating my eye out, when one of the officers entered the office with a napkin in her hand. She obviously noticed my watery eyes. So, one can imagine the comical scenario. She with a napkin in her hand, seeing me with water in my eyes and asking me why I am crying. When I told her that I was not crying but that I will accept the napkin, she said to me, “Read it,” as she handed it to me.
Written on that napkin, which was from a restaurant at the airport in Puerto Rico, was the name, address and the rest of the personal information of that passenger signed by a notary who we were told was at the airport in San Juan. On speaking to that passenger, I gathered that that passenger had discovered at the airport in San Juan that drivers’ license and credit card were missing.
For the information of “that coward” I must add that in those days US citizens were permitted to travel to St. Maarten with a valid US ID and were not obliged to show any kind of money at the Immigration, as opposed to the people of the Caribbean who were obliged to have a passport and also were obliged to show that they were in possession of at least 600 US dollars on entering St. Maarten. I took the decision and sent back that passenger on the next AA flight to San Juan and Monday morning I was called to the boss’s office and told that I would be transferred from the Immigration at the airport to the Immigration in town.
That was only one episode. I can write a lot more, but unlike some people that I know, I believe in keeping the dirty wash inside.
“That coward” should not believe that because the name was withheld, everything is cool. I am a strong believer in Luke 12:2-3. That is why I always add my name to my letter and I always write the truth, because I cannot erase what is black on white. “That coward” should go and tell the Minister of Justice that she is a racist to her face so that “that coward” could experience what it is not to be a coward.
Don’t bring that to St. Maarten. Do not openly call anyone in St. Maarten a racist. That is not who we are.
Russell A. Simmons
