Dear Source:
Is the Tourism Board really surprised that the Royal Caribbean will not be bunkering on our beautiful island? I hope not! What surprises me the most is the fact that the other cruise lines have not pulled out as yet.
I currently reside in Atlanta, GA but was born and raised in "Our Town, Frederiksted". It is so heart wrenching to read and/or hear about "Our" out of control crime rate. I remember the days of us being able to walk around Frederiksted at whatever hour and always felt safe regardless of what was going on, now that has totally went to the wayside and no longer exist.
Even our police department, who are supposed to "Protect and Serve", can't be trusted. If you make a police report of a crime being committed you might end up dead because the police might be on the perpetrator's payroll. Most of our Government officials do not care about the people, they are for themselves, close friends and family. It is a shame that it is this way but its reality.
On of the biggest problems plaguing what was once "The American Paradise" is we have not learned how to treat our own kind with love and respect. Whatever happened to treating others the way we want to be treated? We have learned to tolerate rudeness, unkindness, and inhospitable behavior. How can we take care of the tourists coming to spend millions and millions of dollars in the Hotels/Motels, Restaurants & Bars, Retail, buying local artifacts and of course let me not forget enjoying the world famous Cruzan Rum varieties and we can't take care of our own citizens? I think if other Virgin Islanders were to visit other Caribbean territories, for instance the Bahamas; we will get a better understanding of what it is to experience true hospitality.
I would like to say to the leaders of the Virgin Islands, first stop the division between the islands. Second, get rid of the guns, drugs, crooked law enforcement officials and useless politicians. All ah we Virgin Islanders (even us that live in the states) want is Life, Liberty and a Pursuit of Happiness for our people, then the tourist dollar$ will roll in by the million$. Let's clean up our act and we can show the Americans, we do live in paradise.
Shawn "Tooks" Samuel
Atlanta, Georgia
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