A shameful display by Sarah.

Dear Mr. Editor,

I wonder sometimes if politicians really wake up every day thinking that they lord over a community of fools. In some ways I understand why they could feel this way because the same “fools” keep electing them over and over again. But there are times when these politicians say and do things that literally make you feel ashamed for them.
Sarah Wescot-Williams put on a shameful and miserable display in defense of her Minister Emil Lee as he was being fired on Tuesday night during the budget debate. She got up and chastised members of Parliament for their “double standards.” I had to laugh at this point, and loudly. If there is anybody who should stay away from standing on the “double standards” soapbox it’s Sarah Wescot-Williams, she of the multiple breaks in government including the most recent William Marlin government in which she and her DP was a coalition partner.
You cannot be a politician of over 30 years and use the term “double standards” to disparage other politicians and then say this is the main problem in Parliament, as if you haven’t contributed vastly to such a reality. Really Sarah? Double standards are totally new to you? And you have never engaged in such behavior? Like….ever? Don’t insult us when your moral conscience appears to be largely dictated by your political loyalties, not your aversion to the double standard.
Even more shameful was her injection of race and xenophobia in her so call defense of Lee. She implied ever so slyly and indirectly that the MP’s voting to dismiss Lee was doing so with racial undertones. In other words, Lee was being fired in part because of his ethnicity. Sarah says this in defense of a man who has never associated himself with St. Maarten people via actions or initiatives.
Other than his business ventures and the luck of the devil to remain as Minister while Sarah maneuvered herself in every government, Emil Lee has always been about Emil Lee. He doesn’t attend local events, he doesn’t participate in anything cultural, and keeps to his people in his bubble. In five years as Minister of VSA we still have the same issues if not worse and he doesn’t have a single major accomplishment to show that benefits the people of St. Maarten. Not one.
And the best Sarah can come up with are double standards and accusing the MP’s, indirectly, of being racist. A Shameful performance from someone who should have said: “ok Minister, you had enough time, you failed my people, thanks for your service, next!”
She wrapped up her poor defense by saying that double standards in Parliament will “come back to bite us.” Well, yes. It finally bit you on Tuesday and now the DP has no Minister in the Council of Ministers. The better term to use is karma.


Raoul Nicholaas