Dear Editor,
Nowadays there are three topics that dominate the news: Donald Trump's behavior, COVID-19 and the financial aid for St. Maarten as a consequence of COVID-19. And then there is what has become normal for several years now: the questioning, arrests and indictments with or without convictions of government employees and/or politicians.
I believe that I have mentioned this before also, but Dutch politicians in the highest offices for years now have also been accused of criminal wrongdoing and also convicted. A few months back someone showed me a list of the names of 21 members of a certain Dutch political party who between 2007 and 2015 were convicted for bribery, driving under the influence of alcohol, embezzlement, fraud, manhandling, money-laundering, tax evasion, tax fraud, and more So, yes, politicians from Holland also are known to be bandits and corrupt.
I will never say to anyone that he or she must not defend themselves.
The difference between the politicians in Holland and the Antillean politicians is that the politicians in Holland when they are caught, accept the fate and take French leave. Our politicians try to defend themselves up to the highest court in the Kingdom, and even leave themselves without an ace in the hole, even though the majority of them end up being convicted, so that most of the people who were not aware of what was happening in the beginning eventually read about the whole saga at the end.
All of this contributes to the fact that “Do what I say” is no longer effective while correcting children. Along with that as a consequence of modern technology (cell phones) more people physically see what is taking place as it is happening, so more and more the youth are following what they see. We take the bible out of our schools, but we go out of our way to engrave and print “God zij met ons” and “In God we trust” on our guilder and the US currency.
Why is that not hypocrisy? Children taking their parents to court for inappropriate scolding. When this is permitted by law, is this not also hypocrisy? Is not the government stopping the parents from loving their children? The last time I read Proverbs 13:24 in which it is written that he who loves his son disciplines him promptly and if you hate him you spare the rod. The GNT reads “If you do not punish your children, you don't love them. If you do love them you will correct them promptly.” In Dutch “Die zijn roede inhoudt haat zijn zoon, maar die hem liefheeft, zoekt hem vroeg met tuchtiging”.
So, can I come to the conclusion that the Dutch do not really care about us when for years they have employed “laat ze maar rotzooien”, which would coincide with “die zijn roede inhoudt, haat zijn zoon”?
I have been asked several times if I do not like the Dutch and my answer remains I do not condone wrongdoing and I have a problem with accepting hypocrisy. I believe that if one teaches me anything but solely wants me to use it to his/her benefit, then there is something wrong there. Which boils down to “voor wat hoort wat”. What happened to “Doe wel en zie niet om”? A lot of good can be done in this world, why do we go out of our way to do that which is not good?
Russell A. Simmons
