MY DEAR FRIEND GERARD,
There are many things in life you and I do not 'see eye to eye' on with each other.
Nothing exactly 'revealing' about that statement.
However, one thing for sure we both have in common.
We both are real men who dare stand up for, and dare say what we believe in.
Whenever we write critical articles, we do not hide in the 'comfort of dark anonymity', but we proudly sign with our own names, which both by now have become 'brand-names' good for guaranteeing a broad reading and/or listening audience.
Based on our well known track-record for being able to defend what we believe in ourselves, both you Gerard and myself do not need others to come to our 'rescue'.
Therefore, I appreciate it even more that you once again have shown to be a man, by publicly coming to my, albeit unsolicited defense by means of your letter to the editor yesterday, Monday August 31 in both papers entitled; 'Unpaid advisor in defense of Leopold James'.
I thank you for this gesture and for showing the public that one does not have to like another person, or agree with that person's views, in order to defend that person's democratic right to make use of his/her freedom of expression.
Obviously the Management of the TODAY news-paper believes in excluding opinions it does not like and/or dis-agrees with.
In doing so, the TODAY newspaper underestimates and disrespects the intelligence of the public to read what others have to say and to draw its own conclusions.
If the TODAY news-paper had published my letter and challenged me in an interview to defend myself, I would have admired that more, even if the paper had in the end disagreed with me.
Therefore, like many people, I am not angry at the TODAY-publication, because that would be very unfair on my part.
My 'pathos' for that paper, would be more appropriate.
Certainly I, Leopold will not exactly hold my precious breath, hoping that the TODAY-newspaper would acknowledge its blunder.
That might prove to be too tall an order.
Meanwhile, we will continue to make use of other more professional news-outlets, including our website www.stmartinnation.org as well as more surprises to come from us.
Once more Gerard, my due respect and thanks to you.
Leopold JAMES = (A proud + conscious native-indigenous St. Martiner) - minus any apologies