SXMElections.com

St. Maarten News – Leader of the Democratic Party ((DP)) Sarah Wescot-Williams has condoned racial comments in parliament and is calling for leaders of political parties to speak out. “Call it whatever you want, but I cringe every time I hear Members of Parliament (MPs), who think it’s the popular thing to do, in parliament express the kind of exclusionary language we are hearing from these MPs more and more,” Wescot-Williams said in a press statement issued Sunday. “Exclusionary language being the language of “they against we”, while these MPs never clearly define who are the ‘we’ and who are the ‘they.’ In fact anytime they try this, these Members of Parliament wiggle themselves more and more into the proverbial quicksand.”

According to the (DP) leader, some MPs have become even more daring and are placing their categorization not only in ethnic terms, but now in racial terms. “To do this in a community whose ancestry, of which some of the same MPs boast, consists of every color and hue in the books, is not only false, it is outright dangerous. Dangerous, because some of the very same Members of Parliament, then openly wonder how members of our society can be so callous in their references to fellow-St. Martiners and fellow citizens,” Wescot-Williams said. “But who do the MPs think is setting the tone? We either respect our constitution or we don’t and if in the highest elected office we don’t respect our constitution, then “crappo smoke yuh pipe”.

She said though there is freedom of expression on St. Maarten, these rants are unacceptable. “Because of the effect these rants have on our community, political leaders must come out and condemn the unfounded racial rambling and ethnic rhetoric of their party’s representatives, unless it is condoned by the very same leaders,” Wescot-Williams said. “I furthermore cringe, because we don’t seem to take heed of how “innocent” rambling of leaders in different parts of the world, have cause communities or groups to go after each other with fatal consequences. We must speak out against or be considered silent supporters of this dangerous rhetoric.”