Dear Source:
Mr. Darrell Overton's letter demonstrates what is wrong with the perceptions held by many mainland newcomers to the island. Many are seemingly unaware that the term "America's Paradise" is simply a tourism marketing tool meant to distinguish ourselves from the non-American Caribbean islands that the USVI competes with in the regional tourism industry. This is not paradise, has never been and will not be for the foreseeable future. New residents to the island like him need to stop holding the VI to some higher "holier than us" standard just because we have nice warm weather, beaches and palm trees. What also concerns me about Mr. Overton's letter is his account of the actions of two senators and one neighbor which were some of the main factors in convincing him and his wife to relocate to the mainland. As if one couldn't run into ignorant politicians and hostile neighbors on the mainland! Does Mr. Overton realize that many long-time Crucian residents and "bahn ya's" were deeply opposed to Act
6905 and just as outraged at the senators' actions?
He says "I remember what St. Croix is as opposed to what it could and should be… and I smile and say "no." I have gladly traded 'paradise' for civilization."
Comments like those are why many non-mainlanders continue to have such a distrust of mainlanders in the territory. As a newcomer to our island, who is he to say what St. Croix "should be"? Of course, there's nothing wrong with making contributions to the island to make it a better place (as he did by picking up trash) but having preconceived notions of what the island should be is never the right way to go about starting a new life in the USVI. I hope he doesn't own a TV in his home in "civilization," a brief look at the news would show that a lot of things going on on the mainland aren't very civilized at all.
Given Mr. Overton's lack of hope for the Virgin Islands people, I'm glad he left the territory. Someone who would proclaim that there will "never be a constitution for St. Croix", a document desperately needed for a territory with a confused and not well-defined identity, should never be a part of the Virgin Islands community. Mr. Overton, good luck with your new civilized life on the mainland where according to your logic, there are neither ignorant and bigoted politicians nor hostile neighbors!
Dominic Latty
St. Croix
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