'Broad ethnic input marks point of no return'.
2014 is no more – albeit just another year in the history books.
Still there are those among us, motionless stuck in the annals of the past, with well intentioned, but outdated concepts for our society.
Those- who still cling to the notion that building the St. Martin nation should be a process excluding people of non-native St. Martin heritage.
Never mind that the current demographics on the island would make that hard- if not impossible- or even un-preferable to achieve.
Our St. Martin Grassroots Movement never believed in the exclusion of others in this process.
Rather- as the constitution of our articles of incorporation states – our concept of nation building is based on our St. Martin people- and on our cultural heritage being at the very core of the process, or at the very foundation, while including all others with an added value.
Although Governments in the South- and in the North, still have to officially do their parts towards the recognizing- protecting and preserving of the native St. Martin people – society in general, has come a very long way towards understanding that principle- and need.
Our movement feels proud to have been the un-disputable, long-term champion in the process of awareness and of general acceptance of that fundamental principle.
Therefore - unlike others - who have recently joined the process – our movement can - with great confidence and based on our proven track-record – move towards the next phase in the St. Martin nation building process.
Starting this year, our St. Martin Grassroots St. Martin People Movement – will once more set the tone for others to follow as has been the case many times before.
We will not only encourage- but we will strongly promote the participation of all voices - representing all ethnicities on the island in the process of St. Martin nation building in all its aspects.
While looking forward to the radio-stations and cable television networks to make slots available for these very timely and necessary discussions – we will make our own Facebook and other platforms available as well, to set a trend that will mark that point of no return in the St. Martin nation building process.
To those, still stuck in the isolationistic- and exclusionary concept of building the St. Martin nation, we say consider the following scenario.
How best for a driver to control/save a bus filled with people, that has lost breaks and from becoming a runaway calamity ?
Would you get out of the bus - run in front of it and try to stop it with your body ? Or, would you stay in the bus, stay calm, not panic, but use your intellectual faculties and at least try to steer the bus the best you can in the right direction ?
You can also replace the metaphor of the bus, with that of a tsunami, if you will.
Seems you have already make your pick.
And just for the record.
Our Grassroots movement made a different pick than you obviously.
We will not try to stop the bus - ni the tsunami – we prefer to ride- and steer them, as to get control.
In ending.
Those who have not been able to read our State of the St. Martin Nation Address 2014 – it can be viewed on our Facebook page; www.facebook.com/SXMGrassRootsMovement.
A blessed New Year to all.
Leopold James
President of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement