Dear Editor,
I believe that we all heard of the common phrase “have to laugh so I don’t cry”, especially in tough situations such as hardships, grief and any other inconveniences that one might face in life. However, I’ve found myself saying this phrase on a daily basis, multiple times a day in reference to the day-to-day life in Sint Maarten.
It has been an easy cop-out lately to respond to the news of the country by simply saying “buh this place jokey mehson” and chuckle to myself. On reflection, this is truly telling on the state of affairs of the country. If it is so easy for me, and others, to laugh off the consistent back-and-forth amongst public figures; the consistent news of corruption amongst public figures and major business partners; and the destruction of the country’s public-owned companies, what does it really mean for the state and the direction of country Sint Maarten.
My answer is the dark cloud that randomly hovers over Mount William Hill on an extremely sunny, hot day. If pressured too much, it will eventually burst and let out a stream of heavy showers, interrupting someone’s decent day. But here is the answer, it means that there isn’t any hope left in this place. For the country has been rocked with decades of corruption, government malpractice, bad policy decisions and implementation practices; the future doesn’t look bleak, it looks nonexistent.
As a person who was involved a lot as a youth, the statement that people of power and influence were quick to state is that “you’re going to come and fix the country.” Why does the burden have to be consistently put on the backs of the young people, generation after generation? Why do the adults in charge not work to fix the issues? The reasoning is simple. It’s because they don’t want to.
In this current global climate where many small island developing states (SIDS) and colonized or formerly colonized nations (especially in the Caribbean) are having serious and intense conversations about reparations and the roles these systems have had on our nations, it is also important to realize and acknowledge that a lot of the stagnation in this country has been due to officials, old and new, utilizing the broken-down and unstable systems within our nation to support and uplift themselves. It is only when they aren’t in a position to exploit it when you hear the complaints of it being broken.
So to say I am hopeful for the future of Sint Maarten would be me saying I hope that today isn’t hot. A plausible occurrence, but one that isn’t likely to happen. With the people who work hard day in and out within the communities, helping as much as they can, they can only do so much to erase decades of destruction. If the system isn’t destroyed and a new one isn't built, we will continue to live in a loop of trying to find hope in this hopeless place.
Tired of everything,
Kamilah Gumbs
Dear Editor,
In the wake of the Sacred Heart School’s “Safety” Officer being fired last week for inappropriate behavior, I wish to not focus on the symptom, but rather the cause. Our community has a way of always blaming the victim, but I beg to ask, what has the school done or is doing?
I am writing this letter, hoping that it starts a conversation, because there has been none, not with the people in the high positions that can make a difference anyway. Also, no communication to the parents and no counselling for the many children that had a relationship with the former employee. The irony of hiring a safety officer that turns out to be the most unsafe thing this school has done to date.
Who is taking responsibility for this? Or will the message continue to be: blame someone who is no longer on the island? Last time I checked, the former board (which included the Island Governor), current board and executive director – the real people who are responsible for making decisions – are all still here, all still walking around as though they have done no wrong, playing God with the lives of our children.
A weekend-long scandal disappeared on Monday morning, but the effects will remain with our children and if we are in fact making the issue bigger than it needs to be by asking that attention be paid to our children, then why did the school see the need to fire the individual?
You see, an incident cannot be bad enough to fire someone but not bad enough to conduct a proper investigation, accept responsibility and give help to those who need it. Or are we afraid of uncovering Saba’s very own “me too” movement.
Saba Comprehensive School, you are not excluded, it’s always Cinco de Mayo everyday for your students. Let’s remember that the babies at Laura Linzey Daycare will be exposed to this sooner or later, if we don’t fix the problem. With all the “expertise professionals” at EC2-education care, what are you doing to show that you care?
It takes teamwork to fix a problem, but it also takes teamwork to ignore it.
And then we wonder why our children hate school or why we want to leave the island so that they can be educated somewhere else.
A concerned parent
Name withheld at author’s request
Dear Editor,
All countries in the world have recognized that their governments must regulate financial institutions. They differ, however, in the extent to which they guarantee the effective regulation of financial institutions so that the citizens are always guaranteed that they will never be disadvantaged in the areas like pension or bank deposits, medical insurance or life insurance.
So when you hear voices in the community that suggest that the government should take no responsibility for such losses you get to wonder. If those voices are of the opinion that the government bears no responsibility then you wonder why they have not objected to the high cost which St. Maarten pays to the Central Bank to perform those functions. If they think a financial free-for-all would be better for the country an explanation of that thought would be interesting.
In the case of the ENNIA problem, there are in fact two problems. The first is that many hard-working people will lose their pension and the second is that we have been paying a financial regulator huge amounts of money and this regulator has not managed to effectively regulate a critical financial entity.
Robbie Ferron
Dear Editor,
When she started her tenure, it was if I was watching someone who does not understand her role, nor the art of effective communication. And, if I did not know the individual, I would have viewed her as someone who is educationally challenged. But as she settled in her function, she has learnt to overcome some shortcomings, and seemed encouraged to restore the image of her ministry, in the benefit of the country.
In the meantime, there are so many unresolved issues plaguing her ministry, that it is difficult to squeeze them into one article. For starters: What is Justice Minister Anna Richardson’s position on motorists with jet-black tinted windows? Is this a reflection of appropriate conduct, or is it not a violation of the traffic ordinance, which outlines the degree of tint that is considered acceptable?
Does the minister realise that the increase in extremely dark windows has quadrupled since the Council of Ministers decided to engage in this mal-practice? If this habit is displayed, with absolutely no regard for the public, then how can she expect other drivers to respect the police, when they instruct motorists to remove the tint from their vehicles? It’s not going to work, Minister Richardson.
This is a major issue. The impression created is that ministers could do what they please, but other drivers have to comply with the request of law enforcement. No, it does not work that way Minister Richardson. If you want law and order to be the standard by which you require the people to live by, then be the change that you wish to see.
On the other side of this increasing problem, what message are you sending to the police force? In my view, they have given up on fighting this growing dilemma, because the more they tackle this crisis, the more the public dares them to remove their tint. So, what’s the solution, Minister Anna Richardson? Would you continue to take a hands-off approach, or assert your role and be a partner with the entity that is authorised to maintain law and order?
Minister Anna Richardson, Attorney Roland Duncan is my favourite Minister of Justice. Do know why? He knew the law and so he had control over his ministry. Besides that, he educated the public, not in an academic way, but in a language that the people understood. That is why he wasn’t an easy walk over. Now, one can argue that being an attorney gave him the edge. But how many useless lawyers there are with the same knowledge?
Case in point: If Minister Richardson had pursued an interest in understanding her ministry, she could have been the most productive minister within the Council of Ministers. But because she has allowed her ego to get the better of her sometimes, and has also chosen to join her colleague ministers in ignoring the plights of the people, this trend has really stagnated her performance.
Let’s face it. The minister started out her term in office with an extremely cocky and don’t care attitude, especially, towards the police union, when she said that she didn’t need the job. But over the course of time, she tried to enhance her communication with them, even though she has failed to gain their trust and that of law enforcement in general.
Despite some serious drawbacks, in my view, Minister Anna Richardson is only minister who speaks well, and seems to know a little bit about her ministry. This opinion can be determined during her elucidations, when she is asked to expound on certain issues that relate to her portfolio. I truly wished that she had nurtured this skill and utilise it whenever she communicates with the unions and the general public.
So, in order to affect change, Minister Anna Richardson, it behooves you to be the change that you wish to see, as your ministry is like the compass that guides this country.
Joslyn Morton
Dear Editor,
When I first started writing my thoughts down and expressing myself to others by way of the media, I found myself to be outspoken at times, accusatory and demanding of those with power within the public, private and corporate sectors. Always thought that was what a citizen who cared about his community would do.
One day I asked an editor why many of my letters were not published? I was told that many of my ideas would be concerning and possibly unacceptable to those who give the media outlet investment, funds and largesse. Particularly political parties who maybe in power would find accusatory articles of their organization and their public actions questionable.
I understand the point being made. The media have been on survival mode for years, and those in power have always known how to silence some forms of opposition, have they not? The media search for the truth, what has been and will be happening presently and in the future.
The message given by this particularly clever and wise editor has been etched into my mind. The “truth” can be revealed, discussed and expressed in so many ways. A carrot instead of a hammer, a quiet suggestion instead of a loud accusation. A few precise words placed in a paragraph and what could be litigious become astute and cleverly revealing. A suggestion here, a written word there and verbal eye risen can lead a reader to what appears to be hidden, but is visible for all who read.
The media are the most powerful human tool there is, a creator, persuader, lifter of the human spirit , a destroyer and liar. A message-making propaganda machine, or a tool of human excellence, a forum for debate and speculation. Prove the truth of it, and even tyrants have to take you seriously.
Undue influence in the media. In many nations the local, state or federal governments, or private organizations or individuals invest in, hand out public and private funds to local and national media alike. Smaller media outlets have come to depend upon this largesse to survive and carry on reporting. In 2023 California gave over $25 million to local media, a state where 152 local media outlets have disappeared in two years. Since the beginning of the pandemic 2,500 local news operations have gone out of operation in America.
Not surprisingly the average American has spent only $3.16 annually on public media, in Germany that rises to $142.00, in Botswana they spend $18.38. Priorities eh? Does the truth come from public media or from media giants like NBC, ABC, you know the alphabet monopoly. One is powered by journalistic integrity and searching for the truth, while the other focuses upon ways to generate profits.
In the past 15 years 70 dailies and over 2,000 weekly news operations have gone out of business in America. 78 million Americans live in a news desert, where local news has vanished or is under control of monopolistic organizations. The Canadian Federal Government spends $1.5 billion on what is called public relations activities, much of that going into advertising messaging within CBC and local news operations.
National and local governments advertise in local news media operations, messaging the importance of local media by investing in it both indirectly and directly. The importance of government largesse cannot be ignored, and also the influence and power these organizations have upon news media who are reliant upon these funds. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation receives over a billion dollars from the federal government, its lion’s share of investment to stay operational. Various politicians attempt to stop this investment, seeing the CBC as a propaganda wing of the Liberal Party. Conservatives partner with private broadcasting, and see public airways as a means to a profitable ends.
To a Conservative, Republican or Nationalist Political Organization, local media are something to be manipulated and used, while the Alphabet Media something to assist and praise. Big Media are Big Business. Big Business is not democratic, as it reaches for one thing, and one thing only – profitable popularity. Public media and local media operations live and work within the communities they serve. In a world where the large absorb the small, where the speculative is held above the power of the truth, your local media are essentially the most valuable tool democracy has to survive in a world of tyrants, abusers and users of fake news.
Small town media have been the historical backbone of democracies planet-wide. Who gives a hoot about little Albert hitting a home run in the finals or Andre’s packaging business being in the dumper? How can you get information on where to get a vaccination, discuss the need for new local infrastructure or find out when the local fair is happening? Local media have you and appreciate your needs. What do your fellow citizens think about this issue, or that? The Alphabet Media don't care, in fact they see media as a form of entertainment these days.
Local media struggle to pay their mostly-part-time employees, often forcing media labor discussions like with TVO to lead to strikes. Who reports on the needs of those on strike, those who have not received pay raises for many years, those who endure like you the increasing costs of our marketplace? Local media give the little person a voice! That is what it is all about.
Oscar Wilde said, “In America, the president reigns for 4 years, and journalism governs forever and ever.” Newspapers are sacred artifacts of historic importance. Technology has begun changing the way you get your news, but that news leads you on a sacred quest to view, consume, think about and then opinionate your right to express yourself.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
