Dear Source,
Ms. Shelia Watt Hill writes from Largo, Florida obviously from the twisted heart but with little eloquence and knowledge of the history of the Virgin Islands, both past and present.
There certainly were white people present at the recent town meeting on St.
John, as evidenced by the press photographs taken at the time. The Virgin Islands are predominantly black and that could be one of the reasons that white faces weren't immediately evident.
Ms. Watt Hill harps about the whites causing problems on St. John in particular.
Ms. Hill, speaking as you do from afar but obviously with some ties to the Virgin Islands, have you ever heard the name Nelson Rockefeller? In case you haven't, he's that white philanthropist who just happened to donate a huge portion of St. John to the National Park in perpetuity in order for it to be preserved, which is why huge areas of St. John remain free from assault by developers to this day.
I'm personally, as a 21 year resident of these islands who just happens to be white, am deeply saddened by the tone of your letter which is all about blacks versus whites. These islands always were, and continue to be, a melting pot of cultures, religions and colors.
I'm really very sad that you feel the way that you do and I hope you'll eventually feel able to return to the Virgin Islands with a more positive attitude towards what's important here. Cheers.
Anna Clark
St. Thomas
Editors note:We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
