St. Maarten Private Eye

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the absurd, backtracking, sophomoric editorial in today’s Today (Saturday, April 15, 2006) is that while it was obviously written by the same homophobic editor who produced last Tuesday’s egregious, foaming-at-the-mouth screed, he apparently neglected to consult what he’d written previously. One will recall that this concerned the cowardly assault on two tourists in Beacon Hill, an attack that could have easily led to the death of both men. The writer demonstrated his empathy and understanding of the situation by blaming the victims. In today’s paper he begins his confusing, erratic column with these words: “Our editorial of Tuesday, April 11, in which we stated that it was unfair to St. Maarten that one of the victims of the unfortunate beating in Beacon Hill has called for a boycott of the island, has generated quite a bit of angry response.”

Say what? Where did last week’s editorial mention a possible boycott of the island? Nowhere, unless there were two different versions of the paper published on that Tuesday. The writer goes on to say, “This newspaper simply put forward on opinion suggesting that the island was being unfairly maligned because of an isolated incident.” Is this a reference to last Tuesday’s editorial’s final paragraph? It states, “This is a sorry case, and we hope the police find the attackers. But it is made much worse when silly homosexuals use their power in the New York media to trash a friendly island for a one of a kind incident. The homosexual community should be ashamed.”

Today paper, why can’t you get it through your head that while the main point is of course about the savage, unacceptable, outrageous assault on two tourists, the real problem you should be shouting to the skies in your pages is that the police and government response was initially zero. Now many days have passed, and there are still no arrests. This is what needs strong, repeated mention.

The Today newspaper is continuing to stir up trouble for our island with its homophobic, inhumane rhetoric. Local politicians as well as ordinary citizens should firmly point this out to Today’s management. In the meantime, it’s very clear that the newspaper and its staff just don’t get it!