My Dear People of St. Maarten,
On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten, I thank you once again, for the great privilege and honor of serving you as your representative. Together, we experienced the ups and downs of public life and have remained steadfast and hopeful in our determination to work together to improve the lives and standard of living of our people. I felt encouraged by your advice and by your constructive criticisms, and I thank you for your support and the prayers offered for me from time to time. There can be no better gift than the gift of prayer.
That is why on Sunday, December 6, 2009, we participated in the Annual Thanksgiving Service and the "switching on" of the lights for this festive season. At that time, I pointed out that it marked an opportunity to begin a process of national enlightenment as we as a people forge ahead in national consciousness and identity and assume our unique place among the autonomous nations of the Caribbean region.
As we all know, Christmas is and has always been the commemoration of the birth of a child, who was born to ordinary people, and who grew up very simply in his own small home town and was trained to be a carpenter. His life began in the humble surroundings of a stable, but he had a profound influence on the course of history, and on the lives of generations of his followers. This means that one does not have to be rich or powerful in order to change things for the better and each of us in our own way can make a contribution to our children, community, and country. This child was fortunate in one very important respect: His parents were loving and considerate. They did their utmost to protect him from harm. They left their own home and became refugees in order to save his life. But, little did they know that the child that they delivered would soon deliver them!
This year, we again came face to face with the harsh realities of crime and violence especially among our youth that we will continue to fight with common resolve. Although our Government has started to unveil a national plan for crime prevention, I do believe that many of our problems can be solved if there is peace in our homes and love in our hearts. We can all help by letting the spirit of Christmas fill our homes with love and care and by heeding the universal injunction to treat others as you would like them to treat you.
Let me join with our protective services to implore parents to be more careful where the danger of fires is concerned. I call on drivers to respect the traffic rules. Loss of life on the roads through drunk or reckless driving is a tragic waste. I beg you to exercise moderation and restraint. Do not indulge in excesses to the point where you become a danger to yourself and others. Avoid confrontational situations and allow good sense to prevail rather than resorting to violence as a means of conflict resolution. Remember the spirit of peace which Christmas has come to symbolize. After the festive season is over we will still need healthy citizens to build our new Country St. Maarten. I urge you to remember the poor and needy or less fortunate among us. Visit the sick whether at home or in the hospitals, and give them a measure of comfort and hope. Do not forget our senior citizens, and let us offer consolation to those who have lost loved ones. I also extend a warm "welcome home" to St. Maarteners visiting for the holidays, and those who have opted to greet the New Year in our homeland. Wherever we find ourselves we must remember, "St. Maarten is our home."
Moving forward, let us rally together around St. Maarten. I want to reassure you that, We Are With The People of St. Maarten, and that our National Team is committed to continue giving you the best representation possible: protecting, defending and promoting your interests. In 2010 we will double our efforts to provide the kind of representation and leadership that you have come to expect from us and deserve as we finalize all steps to become an autonomous Country before the end of next year.
Season Greetings to Everyone. Have a Merry Christmas, and may God Bless the People of St. Maarten.
