It is a very good first step.
However, we would like to add more substance to this great initiative.
To that end, we recommend that there be ONE official holiday for the ENTIRE island.
After all, St. Martin people have one common heritage and are one indivisible people and that should increasingly be reflected in all our future thinking.
In addition, with all due respect it should be recorded here that we will only be able to recognize such a day under the following conditions.
That it is not only 'ceremonial' in terms of its meaning, but that it is also real and meaningful to the descendants of those who were enslaved, that they will never again become victim of such atrocity - never again- as the Jews have solemly committed themselves.
Consequently such pledge should therefore be anchored in our constitution.
In that case every celebration will be marked by pledges of the population to preserve, defend and guarantee eternal survival of the native-St. Martiners, for instance by means of granting them first rights to each and every opportunity in their land.
Any Emancipation-day that does not inherently stands for such commitment, will be interpreted by us as more style than substance and consequently hypocritical at best and anti-St. Martin at worst.
We would like to believe that the latter is not the case.
Therefore, we look forward to SUBSTANCE becoming an integral part of any future celebration of Emancipation-day.
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Drs. Leopold JAMES
President SNBF/ Association L' Esprit de Concordia