Dear Editor,
Our status “Upper class and the rest”. Before the question arises let me state it this way: When 70 percent of any population is living just on or below the poverty line then there is no middle class. It is those who have and the rest.
Because I was busy cleaning up the yard, I did not have time to read the paper. But I got several phone calls and each person had the same question: “Indepenedence for whom?”
There is a saying that I have heard all over the Caribbean, I do not know about Africa because I have never been there. It is said in several ways but it boils down to “Run ’way from jumbie, end up in coffin”. I do not care much about St. Maarten becoming independent, because I believe that I have a thankful spirit or most probably because of my upbringing in the church.
I have lived in the Caribbean all my life and because of the kind of work I did I was privileged to hear a whole lot, and I mean a whole lot, of Caribbean people pour out their heart to me (the police). And the reason for leaving their country to immigrate and migrate was almost in every conversation.
We know how many islands are in the Caribbean and we also know how many different nationalities of foreigners have migrated to St. Maarten Aruba and Curaçao and for what reason, of which we know that the main reason was economic, whether to invest or to seek employment. We also know how many islands in the Caribbean have opted for independence and what we also know is that a whole lot of people from those islands who voted for and received independence for their country have left their independent country and migrated to St. Maarten for economic reasons.
When I look at the St. Maarten voters list I can see clearly that more than 70% of the voters are not originally from the Netherland Antilles, Holland or Suriname. Let me immediately continue by stating that this is entirely not personal. These are statistical facts and have nothing to do with who has what rights or not. It has to do with “Not rocking the boat and remaining loyal to those who (because of what I know) who in their concept helped them to get a passport.
It hurts me every time I hear people who have been on St. Maarten for more than 30 years are still saying, “If it was not for ‘such and such’ a person I wouldn’t have my Dutch passport today.” Nobody gives you a passport.
There are laws, rules and regulations stipulated on how to be able to become a citizen of the country and there are fees attached to that process. No one can help you get a passport, they can assist you with the petition and by explaining to you the process, but they cannot give you a passport. You being here and conducting and behaving yourself in a respectable and responsible manner and abiding by the laws of the land contribute towards you being able to obtain your passport.
Because I know this is the cause of many people who naturalised Dutch or through marriage and recognition got the Dutch nationality, continue to vote for a certain way, rather than vote to improve the situation, I have questioned them about it. and the majority of them would say, by calling certain politicians’ names, saying “So-and-so helped me so I gave him/her my vote. Me.”
“Does that make it better?”
“Maybe not, but it is better than back home.”
So, my question for those who continue to vue for independence for St. Maarten, what examples do they have to show the people that independence will work for us? What kind of economy, what kind of liveable wage, what about agriculture, what about border control, what about viable police protection?
In 12 years of Status Aparte toppled a record amount of governments, our people in government continue to put themselves in a position to be investigated for mainly fraud, we have to beg the people to cooperate with the census – yes, the census, which if not the most vital one of the most vital parts of determining what kind of people you have in your country.
What are we going to do about “under the table transactions”? One of the questions a young St. Maartener asked me not too long ago: “Mister Russell, only Chinese are allowed to have supermarkets on St. Maarten?” I told him to ask his teacher to help him in writing a letter to the department that issues permits in which he can formally ask that question.
Talking about supermarkets, let me ask this question that I think I have cited before. Why do not the supermarkets give the clients a receipt?
Who makes spot checks in the supermarkets to see if everything is really kosher in those places of business? Who really works roke? Are those vying for independence ready for a mass exodus? Who is in charge of the control on the food entering St. Maarten? Who are actually the big money (influential) people in St. Maarten?
Recently – to be exact, it was on Thursday last week – someone said to me, “Mr. Russell, what these independent people thinking? They can’t see that we can’t even find a St. Maartener to put as the president of the Parliament?” I told him the same way he noticed that he should take his time to formulate a nice letter and send it to the editor of the newspaper. It might get published. I also told him it only takes one letter to get him to see how it goes and from there he can continue to publicly voice his opinion in a respectable manner. Hopefully that would manifest itself into more young people getting involved in monitoring what is happening in their country by asking questions about it.
I hope that I am not stepping on anyone’s toes, but we have to start on the right foot and that is far from what I am seeing now. So, we have to clean up our mess first and I do not mean only the government, I mean every last one of us.
By the way, I do not believe that the police brass is in the office 24 hours a day. And even during the day, as Christmas is getting closer, more owners are adorning the front of their motor vehicles with what I call “Christmas lights”, which the drivers turn on even during the day.
On my way home this morning, two drivers almost ran into my car, using their cell phone, while driving. Unless a driver is texting, which I consider utterly stupid or willful, I do not understand why he/she cannot place the phone in the car in such a way that he/she can use the speaker. This kind of behavior also tells me that we are not ready for independence.
So again, independence for who?
Russell A. Simmons
