St. Maarten Private Eye

AD Dutch newspaper

The AD (dutch newspaper) announced that SXM police arrested two suspects. The main suspect is still on the loose. The AD say this information is from trusted sources. Can anyone conform this?

My God, are we living in the 21st century? Or have I woken up in a strange "old" world. To be so blatantly anti gay/homosexual/HUMAN BEING! is simply appalling! And to think that this absolute repulsive opinion is allowed to be expressed, and SOLD to the public is simple lunacy. Where is this person going with these slurs? I thought that this was "the friendly island". I mean, for goodness sakes, we've even printed it on our license plates! Would it not, therefore, stand to reason that we should act as such?

St. Maarten is on a steady and rapid decline, and we all stand about and scratch our heads muttering: "Wha happen?" This is the island and the people that wish to become autonomous? What are you, mad? The daily news images that are flashing across everyone's screens worldwide are bringing St. Maarten into sharp focus, but unfortunately, not in such a preferable light. It seems to me that no one (Government or Police) is taking this issue seriously.

What happens next? We are already being compared to Aruba with that evil, unfortunate Natalee Halloway affair. But take heed, this time they have the body(ies). I cannot convey in words how deep my horror is at this crime, but to add fuel to the fire the Today newspaper prints such shameless, idiotic and seditious garbage, that I stand here with my jaw hanging open in absolute stupor! Gay bashing a made up word? Well then, what about all the slaves that were hung by their necks in the south? What's the word for that? Ah yes, I remember now, racism! Well, should the southerners have been admonished for their simple afternoon pleasures?

What is wrong with these people? I hope and pray that the "editor" of this newspaper (rag, if you ask me) is never taken to task for any of his traits. What's next? Blue eyes? Bash 'em! Black hair? Bash 'em! Idiotic editor? Bash 'em? No consideration is given to the victims in that they received no police assistance....no consideration is given to the victims in that the perpetrators of the crime still walk about freely and unhindered while one victim is walking about with a metal plate in his head and the other can't even form a coherent sentence.

Bravo! I say to these THUGS! Bravo, great macho macho men. It took four of you to beat up two unarmed men, simply because you were afraid. Yes, afraid. So what if they want to hug and kiss? If someone is different than you, it does not make them evil. But when you choose to take away someone's right, by violent force, you become evil. And if the Today wants to quote scripture - I say: put this in your pipe and smoke it: "JUDGE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED!" A reward should be offered for any information leading to the arrest of these shameless criminals.

And I personally think that an apology should be offered to these unfortunate victims. I have already sent in an e-mail to NBC offering my apologies to the victims, their families and friends. I have offered this apology as a native St. Maartener in the hopes that all the world will not view us as backwood thugs. I am simply dumbfounded that this could happen.....on St. Maarten - The Friendly island"

Rosevina Halley

After reading the editorial---Who was really wrong in the gay bashing incident---I actually had to read it a few times, because I don't believe this person realizes the year is 2006.
More importantly as I read the article, I noticed this person seems to know alot of info, like the gentlemen were all over each other, also that the attackers not only glared at the two men, but glared at them hard upon exiting the bar. The editorial says the four men waited in the parking lot. This person sounds like he/she knows alot, maybe they should be a suspect?
This person certainly has the right frame of mind to commit such a crime.

It's a bit ironic when a black newpaper editor tries to justify discrimination (in any form). I wonder if he would've held on to those views if he were dropped into the American South in the sixties and beaten and kicked around for "sport" by a group of white men simply because his skin was a shade darker than his attackers.

So, by his logic, when a group of white men severely beat or kill black men, it's just good, old fashioned male sportsmanship? It follows, by the editor's logic, that if group A is more powerful than B or a group of B's, and group A perceives B is different from members of group A, group A will beat B up or destroy its group, without regard to the sanctity of B as a human being. Nice. Well, again, I'd like to see him keep that opinion in the company of some neo-Nazi skinheads. We'll see if he still sings that tune.

People who discriminate tend to de-humanize their victims in their minds first before they attack their victims, making it mentally easier to use violence and terror. I think it deeply ironic that a potential force for progressivess and integrity in society such as a newspaper with a predominantly black editorial staff could spew and actually adhere to a bigotted philosophy, given the history and injustice black people have faced.

I guess the editor also forgot that there were laws banning black people from marrying white people to protect the "sanctity" of marriage, lest it be "contaminated" by "inferior" races. I think the Today editorial staff need to do some serious soul searching.

The editorial in today’s Today (April 12, 2006) is a far cry from the mean, homophobic, riot-inciting, unprofessional piece of yellow journalism published yesterday about the criminal assault on two tourists as they left Bamboo Bernies in Beacon Hill earlier this week. The editorial this morning, commenting favorably on St. Maarten’s newly formed Soualiga Patrol, ends with these words, ”Good luck, Soualiga Patrol. You have our best wishes and our prayers. Go and do your work.”
Yeah, go and do your work as long as it doesn’t involve protecting gays and lesbians --- or people who appear to be gays or lesbians or, for that matter, other minorities who might incur the violent displeasure of common street thugs. And if something criminal happens, please don’t tell the regular police. They might eventually be shamed into investigating the case, as has now happened with the Bamboo Bernies assault. The world-wide attention currently focused on St. Maarten as a gay-unfriendly, dangerous-to-tourists Caribbean island is causing damage beyond measure to our island’s reputation and tourist industry. And what do St. Maarten’s politicians have to say, especially those politicians directly involved in tourism? Don’t they read the newspapers or watch television news? Wake up, ladies and gentlemen, you have a lot of repair work to do!

Theo, Theo, Theo ----------------

I think Sint Maarten has finally cooked its Golden Goose. The vicious, animalistic attack on the CBS producer and his friend could prove far worse for the "Friendly" Island than what Aruba experienced with Natalee.

I can understand why Holland is apprehensive to cut Sint Maarten loose. They see your government representatives for what they really are ------- A Bunch of Third World Cowboys.

Sounds like the police force is far worse than that group of Keystone Cops in Statia and the real problem? ------ there are more of them including the head cowboys, "Janchi" Leonard and "Doc" Holiday.

The whole gang including Ms. Commissioner of Everything, Sarah Westcott-Williams, all think they are BIG FISH. Too bad it's only a microscopic pond.

Thanks Flipper for copying that hateful and inconsiderate editorial from the TODAYS newspaper.
I do not buy that daily newspaper anymore for many reasons, and this is just another reason to add.
You forgot one email for your readers to write to, and that is owner of the paper Mister Richard Gibson at rgibson@sintmaarten.net
Longtime folks of Saint Martin remember Richards homo dallying, doesn't bother me, what has bothered me most is homosexuals on SXM that remain in the closet.
They marry, they have children, they go to church, they try to portray some type of big Christian beliefs that other homosexuals are bad, nasty.
Yet they go to those same homosexuals and have private affairs.
There are several ex-politicians and ex-Lt. Governors guilty of this, yet I can understand that maybe for their careers they feel it is the best thing to stay in the closet.
I have to say that reading that editorial made me laugh, because if it is Richard who wrote that, boy he is really trying to twist a monkey.
Something tells me it is that new Jamaican man that wrote that piece, he really should take his homophobic ass back to Jamaica.
And my opinion on this whole matter is that this case will get recognition for the fact that the police is not efficiant, the force needs restructering, more cops and a new chief.
This beating could have happened to anyone, and the police would have reacted the same, not take calls, not come to the scene, not follow up on the case, if it was young men they would say it "oh, a case of youth violence" or drug related, or just a fight about personal issues as if it is o.k. for someone to almost kill you and then they say it was your fault.
My heartfelt good wishes go out to Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Smith, as a local I will tell you that SXM people will not rest untill the police do their job and get the culprits.

This is precisely the kind of thinking (if you can call it thinking) that's present when someone says about a rape victim that she shouldn't have been walking down the street at night in that tight skirt and a halter top. What did she expect? Well, like the tourists in Bamboo Bernies, she may have used questionable judgment, but she didn't deliberately provoke the attack. She can't be blamed for what happened to her except by people who are tragically lacking in humanity and intelligence. And on the same basis and for the same reasons the gay community has nothing to be ashamed of, either.