Dear Editor,
I can remember at 18 years old in 1964 during my interview to become a police officer one of the three men conducting that interview asked me in Dutch if I knew what “Het zijn sterke benen die de weelde kunnen dragen”, meant. I answered him and then he asked me how would you say that in English? I could not answer and he told me I should look it up and challenge my English speaking friends. I looked it up and the English translation is “It takes strong legs to carry luxury”. When I explained to my father about that interview he wanted to make sure that I had realised what that person was insinuating and we had a man-to-man conversation about that. On the 17th of August I received a video concerning news that was repeating itself in the papers. That reminded me of that saying.
My parents had 14 children of which 11 were boys and 3 girls, During my tenure as a police officer 2 of my brothers got themselves involved in the use of illegal substances. In the beginning I heard umpteen times how people would suggest that I should pick up my brothers just like I did with the other substance users. Let me first state clearly that I cannot remember arresting anyone for the use of illegal substances. I have arrested drug users who were caught stealing, but not for using drugs. I have also arrested persons in the possession of illegal drugs, but again not for the illegal use of drugs. On approaching known marijuana users I have gotten the scent of the smoke but on reaching them some of them had already gotten rid of it or even swallowed the joint.
My brothers know what kind of treatment they got from me. Not because of my job, but because they did not take the embarrassment that their behavior caused my parents into consideration. Did that stop me from doing my job ? No. Can anyone say that they felt that I have acted against them because of what I know they said about me? No. Did that stop me from being me during the carnival parades? No. My brothers’ behavior was offensive to the community, just like any other person who committed an offense.
And yes they will always remain my brothers and I will not give up on them but I will never feel offended and go so far as to give others the impression that they are wrong with me because they associate my position in government with the behavior of my relatives. I will always say it Everything that happens on St. Maarten is the responsibility of the government. Point in case. The Justice Minister said no to a request for a jump up and the Council of Ministers got together and said yes, because they are responsible for the consequences. Did they take responsibility for the consequences? On the contrary, I was told that a report was made against the police, for not handling an altercation the way certain people expected it to be handled.
The other saying that came to me while listening to that tape is “Doe wel en zie niet om”. One should not look for praise or compensation when one does well. I do not believe that that is why our people in government were put there. Absorbing criticism comes with the territory. My brothers found out that they had to straighten up and fly right, and they did. A minister of government does not defend one’s relatives because of an offense. That is not what that position is for?
There is another tape of a Dutch politician openly mentioning the names of political convicts, ex political convicts, soon-to-be-locked-up political leaders. This kind of behavior is what empowers the Dutch to spew all kind of garbage our way. It is time to exercise maturity.
Russell A. Simmons
