Magazine Time, August 20. An article in it explains how much of the continent has decriminalized cannabis. How much time the police can now spend on serious crime. How the drug use in general has dropped over the last decade. How in the UK plans are in the make to sell cannabis in licensed shops for off-premise use, just like liquor, health warnings and all. It will be procured from licensed growers. It will hurt drug syndicates and help make dope simply boring. The same reasons the Swiss gave for a new law that permits the legal production of marijuana for residents use. The United States policy is not likely to change soon, as it is anchored in legal battles, privatized prison industry, a surplus of lawyers and a justice system that needs as many clients and victims as possible. Canada, though, has a more open vision and there the cannabis is soon to be decriminalized. Former Prime Minister Joe Clark, now leader of the opposition conservatives, is all for it, just like the Canadian Bar Association, The Royal Mounted Police and more. It is estimated that 150.000 people harvest 4 billion dollars a year from the marijuana trade from Canada to strict anti-dope USA. Plans are drawn up to open coffee shops, Holland style, along the border, proffering high-quality weed to go in vacuum sealed bags.

Jamaica has been told by a spokesperson from the American embassy that the USA is not happy with the local ideas to legalize pot. The European reality is likely to have more influence on Jamaica then the United States prison policy- Respect for personal freedom seems to be non existent in the USA. As the drug trade is now in the hands of criminal drug syndicates and the legalizing will take it away from them, it is the criminals that scream foul. They will see their livelihood go in no time when the governments take over supplying citizens legally priced quality weed. One wonders why the USA holds on the invincible struggle, refusing its people the substance that they ask for. As the demand for drugs is there, nothing will stop it from coming.

Smart governments take the drug trade in their own hands, warnings, taxes, controls and all. When will the Executive Council condone the use of cannabis officially on St. Maarten, as it has done with prostitution, so that locals and visitors can smoke their spliff in the knowledge that they are no part of the crime, American style here on Holiday Island?

Friendly Island, friendly people, friendly laws. Isn't that what the tourists come for?

The USA in recession, the Euro is gaining power; European politics are showing the world that Holland’s example of 25 years of tolerance was the right way to go. Now we wait to see when our politicians admit that they are informed and act in harmony with modern times.

It is troublesome to read in our only other newspaper the name of St. Maarten written Saint Martin, as if the official name change has taken place already. Saint Martin is used in the TODAY newspaper all the time, as if our part of the island is the same as the French colony north of here. Ours, for the greatest part self-governed, is totally different from the colonial northern part. It is very regrettable that for the future independent island a name has not been chosen that is different from both names used at present. Neither French nor Dutch would have been the best. Saint Maarten for instance. So that when the north has freed itself from the stranglehold of colonial France it can also do away with the old name and adapt to the new one. If a name change brings about a real change in people's perception of their position in the scheme of things, the name Saint Martin is the worst possible alternative. It makes one think that colonial France's policy has descended over our almost free country, now that its name is the same. Is it too late to wake up the dreamers that have adopted the French/English version for our country that is neither French nor English? Or do those that are awakened have to put up with the sleeping crowd and accept the errors they made in their dreams?

This letter is directed to the ones who dare take responsibility to the general public and their leaders. Be aware of this message from the Ombudsman. Rituals create discipline. It happens at the ritualistic military funeral as well as at the rituals in the church and in, a different sense at, the theaters. Rituals bring a feeling of togetherness to those that attend. The performers and the public create a bond that is as strong as love. Leaders of people use rituals to bind their flock together. That is why the VKS leaders may have used the untimely self-inflicted deadly departure of one of its members as a pretext to do the military funeral ritual. It was great and awesome. Deeply impressed and fully committed were the crowds that did attend. Any soldier killed in the line of duty should be honored with a military funeral. A soldier must obey his superiors. Even if they are wrong. They must always be vigilant, courageous and alert. He must defend the honor of the uniform at all times. Even out of uniform and off-duty, a soldier must still possess the qualities that the uniform represents. However, the case of (tragic) self-inflicted death of the soldier, not killed in the line of duty is without merit. It did not merit a ritualistic military funeral. It should be contemplated that not every time a soldier who kills himself irresponsibly while driving drunk, can or will or should get himself a funeral with full military honors. That not every soldier must believe that no matter how he or she behaves out of uniform, off-duty, he will get such honors if he happens to kill himself. Integrity to the uniform and what it stands for is a must and will lead to respect and honor. Be aware of this and err not. Furthermore, it must be said that those responsible for the white lines and road markings are partly to blame for this and other gruesome accidents that occur on our roads all too often. The absence of clear road markings reflects the incompetence of those responsible. The general public should demand safer roads from the authorities to prevent costly medical and painful emotional events resulting from future accidents.

No flags fly halfmast, no mourning at island level. Oh no. That’s for when the far away Queen dies, or her first minister maybe, or some soldiers that died fifty years ago, far away. But when about 30 persons die right here, close by, on the doorstep so to say, not a word. 'Sorry' says the island boss, 'It can not be helped.'

However, the tightening of the immigration laws not only here, but in every wealthy country, is the reason for more poor people trying to get out of poverty.

Respect is what people crave, respect and dignity, for death comes to all , it should not be wiped under the carpet as if it is not important. One day of mourning should be observed, or at least one minute silence for every person that died in the battle to try to survive. The war here is not with guns and bombs, but with hourly wages and visa. Respect for the poor who make the walls of the houses that the rich live in. Those workers that make this world so full of goods, luxuries and commodities themselves live in shacks, with unpaved roads and no sewage. Also here on prosperous Sint Maarten. Go see Cay Hill ghetto, Middle region and Dutch Quarter ghettos, no roads, no sewage. There live the people that seek education, relief of centuries of suppression of the rich and powerful. It is them that died on their search for a better life. Remember them, when you hear of brotherly love from the pulpit, remember them.

Bless the day we be free of streetdogs. Bless the day the department of hygiene, Public Health and Public Works employ a dog catching unit. Bless the day we see no more garbage strewn around collection points. Bless the day the hairless flea infested tick covered skinny eyesores are gone. Bless the day when all loving dogowners keep their dogs inside their property. Bless the day when all dogowners have to register their dogs and pay tax on them, have them tagged and vaccinated. God bless the dog who has a good master. Nothing is as miserable as a dog alone, dogs are natural cowards and bark only out of fear. They attack always from behind a person, and in packs. They always look for food or they sleep. They are useful as flea catchers and tick gatherers, because a flea prefers a dog over a human, dogs put their noses in any kind of dirt, rotten fish, horse manure and roll in it if possible. Dogs shit indiscriminately wherever people must pass. Bless the day all owners keep their dogs on leash when outside. Bless the man who loves his neighbour more than his dog. As is the man so is his dog. Throw it to the dogs, but let sleeping dogs lie.

Only eight percent of people working in Front and Back Streets are of Antillean origin, research conducted into the labour situation in St. Maarten has uncovered. An eight-page report on the research and its findings, a copy of which The Daily Herald has been able to obtain, pointed to what was referred to as an anti-local employment tendency, with a 17.3 per cent unemployment rate and most of the employed being foreigners. The Island Government's Welfare, and Labour Department described the situation as “unacceptable. The current immigration policy is being exploited to import cheap labour. A popular supermarket, for instance, has 24 employees, 12 of whom are managers. That is one manager per employee. That is possible, due to the immigration policies the department wrote. It explained that, as companies claim they can't find local people to employ, they request work permits for managers. (It is common knowledge that requests for work permits for lower-level employees are not likely to be approved). That is why today there is eight per cent local employment in Front and Back Street and why 45 per cent of the remaining 92 percent foreign employees are managers. That is unacceptable, it stated. It also mentioned situations where jewelers have six employees, four of whom are gemologists and none of whom is an Antillean; of a security company with 62 employees, three of whom are Antilleans and 54 of whom are foreigners without work and residence permits. These companies still received permits to employ foreign workers. Why? Because there were no locals available. Companies send for cheap employees and train them to do jobs for which locals could also be trained. Local workers are just too expensive, the report stated. The report contended that St. Maarten has developed in "anti-local" employment tendency which only dupes locals. "Employers (foreign and local) claim that local workers are inexperienced, lazy, untrustworthy and aggressive," the report stated. This, it added, has created a tendency which keeps local people from finding jobs. It has also resulted in an increase in requests for financial support and an increase in job offers to foreigners. It continued: "Noticeable is the increase in requests for permits for Jamaicans and Guyanese. They replace the locals in the security retail business." The report contends further that, because of these tendencies, government's tax income is under pressure, there is chronic unemployment among locals, foreign earnings do not stay here, more shacks are built, crime increases and more and more youngsters go astray.

The department suggested giving unemployed locals the chance to re-school themselves, a re-examination of the policies on scholarships and the establishment of businesses, and an urgent readjustment of immigration policies. Furthermore, it suggested a stricter control of employers to ensure they adhere to labour laws and that violation of these laws is punished.

Here comes Lolita, and she is very real. She is hot , this is (Sint Maarten) scandalous. (not French departement Saint Martin). Her name is changed for privacy.

 Since time memorial, the combination of Virgin and Whore has been the Woman that Men admire most. Before the Jewish Patriarchal (God=father) religion came into being, religion was Matriarchal. God was a Woman and a girl and a mother and was worshipped as such. With the name Aphrodite in ancient Greece, Venus in Rome, as Inane in Sumeria, Astarte in Phoenicia, Ishtar in Babylonia and Isis in Egypt.

 In those days in temples where the Goddess was worshipped, a virgin was to be a prostitute for one time only, to become initiated in sexual knowledge, and eligible for marriage.

 Then came the Jewish religion makers, who scared women and made men their protectors. They replaced the Holy Goddess with a male God. Later Christian religion makers added new stories to the Bible, and in order to take advantage of Her still tremendous Supremacy, they took the former Goddess apart. Applying the principle of divide and rule, they split Her in two. The Virgin, (most impossible christian combination Mary, virgin+mother simultaneously) and the Whore, Magdalene, (JesusÕ devoted admirer).

 Men are attracted to either or both.

 A young (virgin) woman with childish face and firm breasts will always compete successfully with a grown, motherly woman, when it comes to seducing men. The religion makers created an impossibility to be worshipped; the virgin mother. Worshipping an impossibility leads nowhere, and the religion makers knew it...

 Young women, nearly ready to become mothers, have a God given strong attraction over men.

 Everywhere in the world growing up girls find the power this gives them very exciting. Some successfully exploit it. Also here in our own society. We have a very young mother, almost still a virgin.

 Now you'll read how Lolita, our child wench, came to be what she is. How creation's natural attraction between the sexes is taken advantage of for money.

 Her mother got pregnant at 14 years of age and baby Lolita was born when mother was 15. Father unknown; and not a year later, mother was selling sex. She had to feed her child after all. No education or schooling, but the education of the street. Lolita grew up in the little shack where mother received her men. Sex was her economic education, together with raffling and gambling. As soon as her breasts started showing at 11 years of age she became the object of interest of men that where with her mother. She was sometimes taking part in the activities in the big bed, encouraged by mother. Just stroking and fondling and kissing a little, to the delight of all involved. Mother could now charge more for something out of the ordinary. Lolita was good at it and basked in the warmth and the interest, the praise and compliments. She then tried what mother did on her own, and although she hardly knew when, or from whom, she was pregnant as soon as she became fertile at the tender age of 12. The baby grew inside her womb and her baby daughter got born when she was 13. It was delivered by Caesarean method, as her birth canal was narrow. It was good, men like it better so, said mother.

Her mother had never been to school, and did not put her daughter to school either, and now, after the baby and all that, Lolita did not feel at ease with other children who did not have experience like she. She never learned to write and read. But she was so much wiser.

 Grandmother took care of the baby, far away, and at 14 Lolita was feeling very good when she discovered that she could get almost anything from any man by touching their private parts. They would be as putty in her hands and do whatever she asked. Which was exactly what she did when she let herself be picked up at bus stops pretending to need a ride. From asking for bus money it went to asking for a five dollar note, a ten note and more. Of course most men wanted something in return, and that she knew very well how to give, had she not done that all the time, with her mother together? When asked her age she always says that she is 17, going 18. It is for her the safest thing to say.

 Long ago she found out that she was worth a lot, when her mother furnished a man to sex with her. He paid three hundred dollars she told me proudly, but, that was for her mother, not for her. She did not like that at all and at 15 years of age she had her own shack for 150 dollars a month. She does not want to make money for her mother any more. If she is going to sex, she says, she does it for herself, and she wants to choose who to do it with. Asking if she does it with any man, ugly or nice, old or young, sober or drunk she answers: “Any man of course, as long as he pays and I need money”.

 The rent, she easily gets together by seducing a man when she strolls the roads looking for fun as she calls it. Fun she has, she says, especially when she lures a man, and tantalizes him, to make him believe he’s going to get her, but not yet, maybe later. Some times she gets money without giving sex, she tells me with a smile.

 With her innocent child face she knows exactly how to use her little breasts and bare midriff to her advantage. Today’s fashion, super low cut jeans and tiny tank tops, bare back with a few strings, makes her look tremendously sexy. Asked if she considers herself to be a big girl or a young woman, she answers: ÒI am an old woman in a young body”, and she laughingly walks away, into the night.

 The night hides everything, all bad thoughts, there is nothing ugly here, no evil, she does not suffer, she likes what she is doing. She is good at it, knows nothing else, her mother didn’t know anything else, and her daughter maybe knows no better. She loves Jesus, and He loves her, is all that counts.

 But is she safe? She could contract a sickness. Is she strong enough to refuse the men who want it without protection when offering more money? What does she know about hygiene? She may not be so happy and carefree for long...

 “Unless,......” you say, yes, I listen, unless what?

 Get real, who has the money to pay her lodging and food and her schooling, to keep her from plying her trade? Is here a monastery that will lock her up so she will play hooker no more?

 And the most disturbing, the real impossible part of the issue: What can replace that Feeling of Power she has over men? When she leads them on so they will do anything to get relieve from the urge she has built up.

 Nothing can replace that feeling of Power Over Men.

 So lives child whore Lolita; if we like it or not. She is free to do her thing, and she knows, if nobody else, Jesus loves her.

Sexpert

St. Martiners are aware of those residing among us who would prefer to see the present one pillar economic dependency only on tourism maintained; the system of low wages, modern slavery and exploitation. St. Martin in their eyes must transfer itself into an island of 10,000 artists and drug dealers, selling kitsch and drugs imported from Holland to the tourist. ln their eyes St. Martiners are too stupid to learn anything about computers and E-Commerce. No, that must be only reserved in their eyes for "superior" Europeans. We St. Martiners know better, the youth can take Charles Wattley as an example, who grew up on St.Martin and currently holds a supervisory position in one of the leading United States E-Commerce businesses, QYC. Quoting from Today: "His message for young people of the island is, continue to seek higher education.' He advises that the youngster should find positive role models and take their studies very seriously. Wattley was part of the Cole Bay Theatre Company and he believes that his association with that company has helped to mold and shape him to what he is today. He was of the opinion that there should be more organizations like that for the youth on the island. Wattley stated that growing up in St. Martin was a wonderful experience, people looked out for you. He was of the opinion that the island has developed and think that the officials did the best they should have done with available resources. Wattley attended Simpson Bay Regina School and Milton Peters College before he went on to study and achieve his Masters in International Business at Johnson and Wales University. At his job, he oversees a crew of 45

persons who work in the outbound area of QVC. He added that they are responsible for the packaging and handling of all the jewelry that is sold via E-Commerce. Wattley claims that the company sells the most jewelry in the world.  The National Democratic Party (NDP) estimates that specific Internet-based enterprises on St. Martin engaged in various E-Commerce activities will be able to employ more than 4,000 St. Martiners and skilled Caribbean nationals in well paid job positions at Cyberparks with smart buildings over a 15-year period.

The charlatans among us with their ideas to turn this economy into one base on legalized drug trade can continue with their pipe dreams.

Article in the Daily Herald the day after my letter: citizens ignored

PHILIPSBURG-"The impression should not be created that I'm the man. Of course I can reach the right person to solve a problem, but that doesn't mean that I solved the problem." Chief Prosecutor Cor Merx said yesterday.

He was reacting to a letter to the editor in The Daily Herald last Friday in which "a concerned citizen" was claiming that only Merx had proved powerful enough to take care of a sewage problem in Sucker Garden. "He did so with one call," the letter writer claimed.

Merx said, however, that it was not he who deserved all praise, but Bryson of the Government Security Department and the workers of the Public Works Department who should be lauded.

"I called Mr. Bryson after the gentleman came to me and he immediately took action. Within no time the problem was identified and solved and the water now runs under, instead of over, the street," Merkx said, demanding that praise be given to those who deserve it. "It's not so that the other government departments don't work." Merx said. He stressed that he only fulfills a "letter box duty". Of course anyone who has a problem remains welcome