MarcG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, It's what is being posted making the
> difference. No crime post since May 20th on this
> board.... Almost 3 weeks..!!! How come on the
> 'other board', it was the daily subject but not
> here...??
Marc,
With all due respect, I have to agree with what Seamusoisin has posted and personally, I would take it just a few steps further.
I've been coming to SXM possibly since before you were born, or at least, close to it and I know full well the island has changed. I really don't need to be beaten over the head with its on going crime problem each morning before I've had my second cup of tea.
I don't enjoy the barrage of crime posts although I think I understand why some take the time and make them and I know, over the years, I've expressed my personal concerns with the way things are going on the island, too, but hopefully not on a constant basis or in an argumentative manner.
But the truth is, while I know it exists, I also know I'm not going to change it. But the choice is mine to comment or not and for the most part I choose
not. And while I salute those whose who have instituted letter writing campaigns and other individual efforts to see things improve, I personally don't think that's going to help much beyond making them feel good that they've at least tried to do something constructive.
The way I see it, the island itself has to make a concentrated effort, both sides working together, with strict adherence to their own laws being their first and foremost obligation to their own citizenry and then to us as interested parties as well; and then they have to actively fund, train and allow qualified law enforcement people to do their jobs. And on top of that, they need to revisit their own justice systems and see if the punishments they mete out are really going to serve as a deterrent or not. These are all things the island must do, and not things that we, as visitors can do, so the constant crime posts and comments really serve little purpose. It's easy to point fingers but the change must come from the island governments and a constant barrage of these posts serves little purpose to anyone accept to scare the daylights out of new visitors and/or irritate the daylights out of those island residents who willingly and actively participate and share their island knowledge and lore to all of our benefit, and constantly have to suffer through them.
On another but similiar note, I know personally, I take no pleasure in seeing the constant, constant replaying on national tv of the atrocity that took place in Hartford, CT., this week, knowing full well that while I personally wouldn't have handled it as the on-lookers did, it offends all my sensibilities to have to see and admit that fellow residents chose to do nothing to help. It offends me deeply because, beyond my personaly horror of what happened, I know there's nothing I can do to change it and I'm sure many of the St. Martin/St. Maarten residents feel the same way regarding island crime.
I would suggest that perhaps there's another reason, too, why people are not commenting here on the crime topics as much as on other forums. Perhaps they choose not to post and not to be argumentative just for the sake of being argumentative and they may be trying to make a new start here in getting away from old habits. No secret to anyone who knows me but I personally and honestly don't think the absence or presence of ANONS has much to do with that. And I have always felt the opinions of genuine posters, even if they choose to be anons and unregistereds for whatever their personal reasons, have just as much validity as those of named and registered posters.
Respectfully,
pat
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2008 12:09PM by pat.
It's the respect of their postings that makes the difference.
Contessa
