Following the all-day meeting of the 33rd Legislature Committee of the Whole on October 28, 2019, I had some time to reflect on what was said, by whom, and what emotions and history stood behind their words.  I wrote this synopsis on Facebook a few days later …

For my friends and neighbors who watched, listened to or attended the Committee of the Whole meeting:

I want to address what I believe are misperceptions on the part of many people who participated by watching or attending the meeting of the Legislature’s Committee of the Whole on October 28, 2019.

First, a simple matter, having to do with dress code. Many of you have previously attended public hearings, town hall meetings, or other government events held in the Cruz Bay Legislature Building. On those occasions you may have worn shorts, sandals, or other casual attire. However the standards for personal appearances before the Legislature are different. The Legislature does not allow this type of casual clothing. Exceptions may have been made in the past but that doesn’t change the rule.

Also be considerate of the fact that the meeting room could not possibly hold all of the people who showed up to participate. For this reason the Sergeant at Arms needed to control entry to ensure that only people who already had seats would enter the meeting room. Needless to say meetings do not normally attract such large crowds, so this was an unusually stressful situation.

Next, many people have commented that the questioning in the second half was either “rude” or “unfair” or some have even said “racist.” I want to assure you that impression is, in my opinion, a total misunderstanding of the passionate remarks that were made.

If you do not acknowledge that displacement of native St Johnians is a reality on St John, then you should probably stop reading here. And if you do not acknowledge that much of this displacement is a consequence of the form of tourism that exists on St John then you should as well stop reading here.

Because lack of significant employment opportunity, lack of economic advancement, and youth flight are the realities that St Johnian families face almost every day of their lives. Those who have migrated here and built rental villas or comfortable homes on the hillsides and shorelines are, almost by definition, privileged. Privileged in many case as a consequence of race, in other cases by personal economic status. And just to be clear, this applies most definitely to me. In no way do I face any of the structural challenges faced by my neighbors who were born here.

So when a Senator speaks with passion about the need for economic opportunity she or he is speaking the truth. And if s/he speaks about the frustration experienced when privileged members of the community oppose what they believe to be opportunity, we should all listen.

This island which many of us have adopted as our home, is not ours. It is morally owned by those St Johnians whose ancestors over generations toiled through often torturous circumstances to survive another generation. It is their home, and we are recent visitors, some of whom have chosen to make it our home. If you don’t understand this then I encourage you to speak to some true St Johnians and ask them about their family history. Ask them about the stories their elders told them. Recognize y/our place in the history of St John.

I, for one, as a participant in the hearing, felt humbled to hear the eloquent comments, spoken with passion, by the Senators of the 33rd Legislature. We can all, every one of us, learn from them.

[Facebook post in “Coral Bay Discussion Group” by David Silverman, October 30, 2019]