'You have a unique opportunity to give Amnesty, or Affirmative Action to native, indigenous St. Martiners – NOW'.
To set the trend of this plea, I will start with a number of quotes, paraphrases and other information as they relate to a number of our incoming members of Parliament as well as to our prospective Ministers.
Feel free to have them verified and to correct me, where incorrect.
- Chris Emmanuel; Has built an impressive track-record as a social-activist for the rights of native, indigenous St. Martin people and for the unification of the island. For the record, Chris has also been host of our radio-program NATIONtalk on radio 98.1 Pearl F.M. a number of years ago.
- February 23, 2010, Sarah Wescot-Williams; Calls to amend the Constitution – Quote;'Time to include outstanding issues – the rights of indigenous St.Martiners should be guaranteed in the Constitution'.
- March 2, 2010, Frans Richardson, during an interview with Fernando Clark on 'ONLINE'. Frans expressed support for the work of our nation building- and unification movement to protect the rights and the very existence of the native, indigenous St. Martiners. In addition, when Frans was still Commissioner back then, we had a meeting with him. In this meeting, he expressed strong support for our work, especially as it relates to the promotion of unifying both sides of the island.
- September 11, 2010, William Marlin; 'New Parliament's first task is to establish who is a St. Maartener in the Constitution'.
- Sunday, March 10, 2013, Silveria Jacobs, At the time, minister of Education at Fort Amsterdam launches the '2013-2024 The decade of Revitalizing Our Natural & Cultural heritage' project.
- March 2013, Governor dr. Eugene Holiday. Although the Governor is not a politician, his words still matter. During the Symposium of National Heritage the Governor stated very clearly that 'Preserving heritage and development are not incompatible'.
For now, I will let the abovementioned quotes, sources and statements suffice to make my case , but I can produce much and much more information if more is necessary.
If just by reading the abovementioned, a 'bell does not start ringing in your heads'- no problem, here are some 'hints'.
Chris Emmanuel has been elected member of Parliament during the recent elections of, Friday, August 29, 2014.
Sarah Wescott-Williams ?. Ok, She too has been elected to the same Parliament.
Frans Richardson ? Surprised many by also being re-elected to Parliament - yes, the same Parliament.
William Marlin ? Ok, you get the drift.
Silveria Jacobs ? Indeed, you are right.
And Drs. Eugene Holiday ? He still is the very same Governor, whose position on the preservation of our heritage, is duly recorded.
Are you 'feeling me' now ?
A little ?
Great, we are getting there....
Now, these persons, with the exception of the Governor of course, are not only elected in Parliament – the coalition party-leaders, William, Sarah and Frans have already signed a 'Governing-accord', making them the dafacto new Government of St.Maarten.
Now, here is where I am heading to.
Of course, once the coalition-government is formed, they will be confronted with a 'ton-load' of challenges and issues,
All very, very, very important issues
Issues like education, employment, health-care, housing, infra-structure, you name it – all need their strong attention, which we encourage the new Government exactly to do.
However - and this a very, very, big however.
Recent elections have once more clearly exposed the fact that due to serious shifts in our demography, native St. Martin people are fast heading towards their demise as a people.
To be very clear, it is more than evident, that our native, indigenous St. Martin People are in the process of being 'wiped out' as a distinct people, by means of 'genocide through substitution', regardless it being 'bloodless' – for now.
Our record, efforts and commitment towards the recognition, protection and preservation of our native, indigenous people as foundation for inclusion, nation building and unification is well known the globe over.
To date, most of our own native, indigenous St. Martin politicians have bent backwards to accommodate, appease and reward immigrants, including the illegal ones.
This to the point, where they are simply being 'regulated', meaning nothing less than that they are given one grace-period after the other, one amnesty after the other to be finally 'rewarded' with naturalization.
Presently, this trend has resulted in non-native St. Martiners having found the 'key' to enter into Government and where they can eventually RULE over us in their own ethnic interest, which is only natural for anyone to do, given the opportunity.
Many of our own native politicians, in personal conversations have also expressed deep concern about the final outcome of this demographic-shift, but they always claimed that there was no enough political support to come up with legislation to protect our own native, indigenous St. Martiners in our OWN land.
With the outcome of the last election and with the changing and very 'vexing' mood of the native, St. Martin population, there is no reason and much less no more TOLERANCE for any excuse not to start making sure that finally 'Charity starts at home' for we the native, indigenous St. Martin people.
Not only, is it time for the persons, mentioned above to get started on this 'outstanding issue', but we challenge any Member of Parliament not to co-operate with finally taking care of the people of this land.
It is the most UNIQUE and SACRED opportunity and obligation for those now in Government to start writing history and to lay the foundation for the new 'St. Martin Order' – Nation building and unification, bottom-up.
We of the St. Martin Grassroots People Movement, are more than willing, prepared, motivated, passionate and competent to play a very active role in the process.
In ending we say, 'Young blood leadership', 'Veteran leadership', let us together make history for our island and become the blue-print society for how to build a nation.
And remember the words of the Governor ' Preserving our heritage and development are not incompatible'.....
It is now, or never.
The 'right' people are now in place and betraying the St. Martin people again will come at a price.
The choice is yours.
WE READY!
Drs. Leopold James
President of the St.Martin Grassroots People Movement
And proud native, indigenous St. Martiner – without apologies
