Minster of Education, Sports & Culture,
Honorable Minister,
First of all, let me once more express my pride in you as a former student of mine, having bypassed any position/office ever held by me.
I truly believe, that when the next generation of St. Martiners overtakes any achievements of their elders, that such is a legitimate reason for any country to have a sense of pride and hope.
Although the people of this island are facing challenges to their very existence as a people, you are a very powerful example, not only of hope-, but more-so of expectation.
From the media, we have learned of your efforts to have July 1, officially become a national holiday for 'Country St. Maarten'.
On behalf of the grassroots St. Martin nation building- and unification movement, I highly recommend you for working towards this end.
However, I do hope you will have an open mind, in terms of taking the following into consideration as well.
It all has to do, with our conviction that anything we do, labeled 'St. Maarten' and/or 'St. Martin', such should, at its very core, relate to the PEOPLE of this land.
To be very specific, there must be a very clear correlation with those who people inherited this land, through the blood, sweat and tears shed by our ancestors.
People, we refer to as native, indigenous St. Martin people and others refer to as 'St. Martiners of Heritage'.
For us, this is a 'sacred' obligation to our ancestors memory and for their sacrifices made for us to be better off, such as you achieving your PhD.
In addition, by nurturing, preserving and protecting the St. Martin People and their cultural-heritage, a strong basis/foundation will be established for inclusion of others, as integral part of the St. Martin nation building - and unification process.
This is a most critical function we as St. Martin people can play to create a genuine and sustainable overall development of this country and it should be the foremost priority of every elected official on both sides of the island.
Failing to make use of this opportunity, will not only prolong unnecessary concerns, mutual resentments between the various groups of people, but will result in further escalation.
From the feedback, we constantly receive from naturalized citizens and from conscious immigrants, that they too agree that unless 'charity starts' at home for St. Martiners, eventually their own 'born-here' children will face the same results, upon arrival of other 'new-comers'.
Therefore, we are of the opinion, that celebrating 'Emancipation Day' for St. Maarten, without recognizing the St. Martiners, without protecting and preserving them in the Constitution of Country 'St. Maarten' will not be complete, or worse yet, will ring hollow-, and hypocritical.
We certainly would like to believe, that this is definitely not your intention, since you are too intelligent and conscious a St. Martiner yourself.
Now, that we have almost a year, before a possibly St. Maarten Emancipation-Day, becomes a national holiday, we recommend you try to convince your fellow Ministers and members of Parliament to make sure that the Constitution is duly amended to contain the historical importance of Emancipation-Day, as well as the recognition, protection and preservation of the St. Martin people.
Clearly, Emancipation day for St. Maarten, can not historically, morally and meaningfully be separated from these other issues - they are inseparable as are the native, indigenous St. Martin People carrying different nationailties.
We thank you or your kind attention and look forward to your response.
Meanwhile, as we have always done, we as a grassroots St. martin nation building - and unification movement will continue championing the rights of the St. Martin people, with or without cooperation from our elected officials.
Eventually, even those elected officials will benefit from our work, once they are no longer in office.
So, from that point of view, securing the rights of St. Martiners in the Constitution in, and of itself, is a future investment for security and survival of those St. Martiners now holding public office as Ministers, Members of Parliament, the President and Councilors of the Collectivite Saint Martin !
Drs. Leopold JAMES,
President grassroots St. Martin nation building- and unification movement and
Proud native, indigenous St. Martiner, without apologies.