The demand is across all political party-lines-, and includes St. Martiners of all walks of life.
This is an indication that there is an awakening-, if you will even a resurrection of a hitherto dormant awareness of St. Martiners of their identity-, heritage and genealogy.
Within short-, interested persons will be able to apply for the card.
This ID-card will allow for native St. Martiners, residing anywhere in the world, to be able share their common ancestral identity with each other- too renew their ancestral bonds-, and to make sure they remain connected to their native St. Martin land.
This process indeed is one of inclusion, because it certainly does not exclude St. Martiners, like many other organizations on the island, so blatantly do.
What we are planning, as European resident recently pointed out to us, can be compared to the fact that 'a Jew is a Jew-, regardless, his orher place of birth-, nationality and/or residence'.
They all feel bonded by a common ancestry-,history-, norms&values-, isreal as their home-land, which regardless where they live they will take up arms and travel to defend.
Mr. Hilbert HAAR does not label the Jews, the way he labels us, for doing just the same; renewing- and maintaining our common bonds with each other as St. Martiners in order to preserve ourselves as any other people.
So, in that regard, the initiative of the St. Martin cultural-ancestral ID-card is nothing out of the ordinary.
In addition, no-one is forced to apply for one-, and no-one has to agree with it as well.
As a matter of fact, any St. Martiner who opposes the idea, is free to express such- and can be assured that we will be more than privileged to record such rejection for the record as well.
Consequently-, there is no need for any long winded debate on talk-shows and in newspapers on the issue and parties can agree to disagree.
Meanwhile, we will make use of our human right- and freedom of association as well-, and continue with the preparation of the registration process of people with a common ancestral identity-, whose destiny certainly is firmly interlocked.
In ending we also would like to add, that indeed it is our intention to honor- and recognize those who can not demonstrate their St. Martin cultural- ancestral heritage, but have made a tremendous contribution to our country- and people, with an honorary ID as well.
And finally-, for the smart 'Back-yard Alec's, we say 'wise up'.
Our cultural-ancestral St. Martin ID needs NO approval from any Government, because it is not a legal document, so it is completely out of the authority of any government.
So, just have fun-, relax- and settle down, because no-one gets excited when on the 'Friendly island' every nation is allowed to make use of the freedom of association, even if they exclude St. Martiners in the process.
That is great !.
Alas, when ST. MARTINERS, after being excluding by everyone on St. Maarten/St. Martin decide to do exactly the same....Oh my God, 'The skies come a tumblin' down'
Double standards ?
Hypocrisy ?
Simply ignorance ?
Make your pick.
Any which way, it simply matters not to us.
Quite to the contrary...it only inspires us even more.
Leopold James
President SNBF & L'Esprit de Concordia
