Nation Talk

I saw your comment and response to this post last night, but it was too late and I was too tired to write my reply. I wanted to be able to spend time on it because I think these are important matters and I think it is respectful to do so.

I'm not a regular listener of your show, sometimes I catch it if I am out, but there was a time about 18 months ago when I listened to most of a few shows and even recorded some (unfortunately I can't find them at this moment). What I heard did border on inciting and encouraging dislike of certain groups of people like Haitians and no attempts were made to moderate or respond to callers who took it to extremes. Calling Haitians dirty and blaming them for the problems and state the island is in does create a form of racist or caste hatred, sorry, but it's true, and very misdirected.

In your response you ask me to show you any example of any group that came to this island, and that is as inclusive and inviting to the native-indigenous St. Martiners, they came and MET living here as a people with a collective set of norms and values and a shred history and ancestry.

First of all, I have a problem with the way you 'group' people, paint them with a brush. Are all Muslims terrorists? Are all Jews devious, or all Dutch Colonialists, all Haitians smelly? Are all young black men muggers, or all rednecks stupid? OK, most rednecks are, but I'm sure there are many who are not. I could go on but I think you and the readers get my point, that generalizing and painting any nationality or minority with the same brush is a dangerous path to follow. So no, I can't put forwards any 'group' who meet your requirements, but I can name many individuals who are good candidates.

Do you know what the word 'stagnant' is? That's what happens to an insular and closed society. Or perhaps you should look up Moral Zeitgeist.

I imagine you also have family members living and settled in other countries too, they have to deal with people like the KKK's, BNP's or Le Pens of where they are. What you want seem to want to create is first and second classes of citizenry, a divided society where citizenry is based on how much one conforms and adapts to a set of values you have created. SXM is traditionally a christian community, as an atheist must I start to go to church to qualify, or be looked down upon if I don't? Laveist and many others call cockfighting cultural, I consider it cruel and backward, but I will have to accept it right? I could even argue that corruption is cultural, a way of life, I should shut down this website or stop publishing articles and blogs about it.

The next thing you go on to say is "It is easy to accuse those who say the things others prefer not to hear, and consequently anonymously to respond by attempting to destroy the messenger. That does not show intelligence, style nor character to say the least."

From what I read, the Radio Station informed you that there had been complaints about the content of your radio show and that you were being asked to tone down and moderate it better. You, with indignation, responded that you won't be censored, instead of taking their concerns into account you demonstrated a deafness to things you don't want to hear. You and I have a responsibility as hosts of public forums, yours on the radio and me this one here, we need to be vigilant against extremist, slanderous, misleading and racist or nationalist hate speech, against any minority.

Anyway, I have to go, there is more I would like to say though. There are times when I agree with what you have to say and I sympathize with you on the immigration boom over the past 20 years or so, that 'barn here's' are now a minority. Immigrants are not to blame for that, your (our) government is, the one that SXM'ers voted into office year after year, who fed you lies of providing jobs (ie Westin - 450- Roy Marlin) and that unrestrained and free for all development was a good thing. They are the ones who have failed you.

Like I said, I have heard your show and I have heard comments and callers say things that in civilized countries would be considered incitement and hate speech and discrimination towards immigrants. I am glad for you that your show will continue, I have no wish to see you silenced. I just hope you do think more on this whole matter in your future shows and be a little more aware of these things.

We would find agreement on many things Mr. James, but on others we probably would not. I like diversity and I want to see the many minorities and 'groups' in the community come together, but not to create some conformist collective. I see your chant of 'indigenous over all' as divisive, like it or not, St. Maarten is now a multi cultural society. Anyone with a Dutch/Netherlands Antilles Passport is equal to you, regardless if your family came here 300 years ago as slaves, or however they came here.

As to anonymity, you are very aware of how corrupt the the island is, this site has writers that discuss things that involve power and big money, there are some dangerous people out there who do not like us. I have no wish to end up in the lagoon tied down with batteries like some poor guy not so long ago. Nor, as demonstrated by the lack of any news on that story, do I trust in the justice forces of the island to ever solve it if I did. We try here to focus more on content and what is said, instead of who is saying it.

Have to go, Flipper.