Not do, what we ask, but at least...
At least, listen to our voices and listen to our cries.....
Listen to our concerns, listen to our fears.....
Listen as well to our proposals to contribute towards a more equitable society.
Alas, all in vain.
A 'wall' of arrogance-, of refusal and of exclusion was firmly erected by you against the grass roots St. Martin people.
After all, weren't we just a small-, insignificant minority compared to the exploding numbers of immigrants and naturalized citizens on the 'Friendly island' ?
At every step of the way, you pushed their constitutional agenda 'down our throats', which did not even take our very existence, let alone our rights as a native St. Martin people into consideration.
In the 'best case scenario', you were proud, simply to INFORM us about our future, but NEVER willing to allow us meaningful INPUT in shaping the future of ourselves, based on our in-alienable right to self determination as a St. Martin people.
We are now in charge, we have your votes, so we will decide for you, and you simply have to accept whatever we decide for you, your children, your grand-, your great-, great-great grand children and all those coming after.........
We and our selected group of educated 'elitists', void of any sense of their identity, will decide even on all matters without your input.
Even on matters of 'life or death' of you as a people.
'To hell' with your justified desire- and rights to ratify, what have decided for you and for your generations upon generations to come.
But, lo- and behold.
Now, after having received the 'blessing' from the colonial masters for YOUR 'Country St. Maarten status', you, under the proud leadership of William MARLIN and Sarah WESCOTT WILLIAMS, suddenly seem to realize, what we have always told you.
After your 'euphoric and ecstatic' experience and 'honey-moon' on 'cloud-9', you must sooner or later descend to 'ground-zero'.
Your 'return-ticket' will eventually take you right back to the land of harsh reality, with real people, hungry-, homeless and frustrated people.
You will have to drive-, or walk through the 'valleys and alleys' of 'ground-0', with its own codes, its own justice-system-, educational system governed by its own 'Consensus street-laws'.
Now, all of a sudden you realize that the most important 'blessing' for any politiciand and government is the one coming from the people of the land, especially from those whose ancestors, shed blood sweat and tears to create the hospitable and attractive foundation for its development.
The 'Friendly island' with all its incentives for investors and others was the result.
Now, only AFTER you have signed away our 'birth-rights' and have denied us our rights to ratify what you negotiated, Mr. MARLIN now says ; 'It is now up to us'.
Now, let this message to our political leaders and Government, therefore be very loud and clear.
When WE (St. Martiners) needed your ear and heart and soul, you denied the very existence of us.
OUR kind of 'us' is not even defined in any shape of form in YOUR constitution.
So, it is simply hypocritical to put it politely, to now try to appeal on the 'us' who never existed for you, to help make YOUR new status work on 'ground zero' and to protect YOUR 'derriere'.
You did not deem us worthy then when it really mattered to ratify the outcome of your negotiations, so logically we should now be equally 'unworthy' to share in the 'blows' you can expect, when your 'chickens come home to roost'.
The prize and consequences for you having sold out our birth-rights and having abandoned and betrayed us as a people, for your nice and lucrative positions in 'Country St. Maarten' are exclusively for your account.
While the 'window of opportunity' for making the necessary corrections of the draft-constitution, may a very last resort to get some 'blessing' from us, knowing your arrogance, we will not exactly hold our breath on that one.
Meanwhile, we wish you God's richest blessings and wisdom.
But as far as we are concerned, since we do not exist for you, 'thanks, but no thanks'.
Our kind of 'us' can not be in solidarity with you, when your 'chickens come home to roost on ground-0'.
You wanted to make up your bed by yourself, without our input, no problem.
Now, the privilege is yours to sleep in it by yourself as well.
Sleep tight.
Leopold JAMES
Proud, native-indigenous St. Martiner with no apologies or compromise that 'St. Martiners should come first on St.Maarten/St. Martin and all others after'
