Saba_probation_officer

I think it is highly probable that Mr. Williams, at the very least, will be removed from his post in Saba. With that being said, I think this "gentleman's" comments are merely a symptom of the growing problems, which are surfacing post 10-10-10. While the BES islands have been assured they would not be treated any different from their counterparts in the Netherlands, the great divide (excluding the oceans) between us still exist and will continue to manifest. Mr. Williams has now become the poster child of the intolerance to our culture and way of life, after all in any culture language is and will always be an integral part. For us on Saba, that language is English.

While I hope this issue is dealt with, I hope when the Ministries in The Netherlands send civil servants to these islands, they don't send those who are tolerant. Tolerance is merely the behavior of "putting up with something", but know that after some time, it quickly wanes and that is when we see the disdain and prejudice start to seep out. What we need are people who are respectful of who we are as a whole, and that includes the fact that while many can and do speak the Dutch language, English is still at the core of how we express ourselves. And, what is the problem with this? English is after all the universal language.