Governor deJongh

Yeah, but how do you really feel about it, dntw8up? Well said.

What we are experiencing today is the result of many years of neglect which we can no longer tolerate.

56 senseless deaths in the VI last year. Why didn't we get to the point of no longer tolerating it last year? Or the year before? Or do we only get to that point when it's a tourist that is slain?

I attended a meeting where the conversation was about how to keep the cruise ship passengers safe. One resident stood up and said something like, "Make it safe for me. Make it safe for the residents to go to the market, to go out to dinner, or to walk the streets after dark. Make it safe for us and the tourists will automatically be safe."

"Make it safe for me. Make it safe for the residents to go to the market, to go out to dinner, or to walk the streets after dark. Make it safe for us and the tourists will automatically be safe."

That sounds like Anita! 🙂

The annual death toll doesn't seem to matter, as life here does not have much value. After a brief hue and cry over this latest incident I fear nothing will change. Tourism will falter, but the local government will blame the slow economic recovery in the U.S.

Problems in the territory are always the fault of forces outside the territory, forces that are insensitive to local culture, forces that should mind their own business and let the VI self-govern (but don't forget to send federal dollars, preferably with no strings attached.)

The VI government is unable to solve the VI crime problem because it is part of the crime problem. The VI government leads by example -- stealing electricity, trying to collect illegal property taxes, permitting thugs to run rampant -- and attempts to govern properly have been an abysmal failure. I don't think anyone on these islands is equipped to deal with our crime problem, and it would be in the best interests of everyone on island if our government asked for help before...well, it may already be too late.

I reiterate my suggestion of somehow or another getting a concealed carry law on the books and play it up big in the media. When the thugs think everybody is packing they may think twice the next time they visit Off The Wall or other points of interest.

you can get a carry conceal if you are a business owner, otherwise just for home protection. not good enough in my opinion.

I reiterate my suggestion of somehow or another getting a concealed carry law on the books and play it up big in the media. When the thugs think everybody is packing they may think twice the next time they visit Off The Wall or other points of interest.

totally agree

dntw8up,

As usual you are spot-on. Thank you.

I reiterate my suggestion of somehow or another getting a concealed carry law on the books and play it up big in the media. When the thugs think everybody is packing they may think twice the next time they visit Off The Wall or other points of interest.

i agree, but if you shoot and kill someone defending yourself, it wouldnt suprise me at all if you would be brought up on murder charges. just like the ATF agent.

http://www.governordejongh.com/contact/index.html

Express your outrage to the governor.

From an editorial in the St Thomas Source...

http://stthomassource.com/content/commentary/editorial/2010/07/12/take-stand-against-senseless-violence-now

"...Call the senators who would stall a bill that would confer peace officer status to federal agents in our territory thus keeping their assistance at bay. Tell them to bring that bill back to the floor and pass it if they want to be re-elected..."

Bombi

Thanks for the link to the gov. I unloaded on him and told him what I thought he should do. Not sure that it will do anything but at lease I feel a little bit better

billd

http://www.governordejongh.com/contact/index.html

Express your outrage to the governor.

That will do a lot of good. I used that forum after the shootings at Canegata last month and heard crickets in response (nothing, not an email back etc.). I moved here from Washington DC. In DC the mayor wrote me back personally several times when I had a concern. That is a city of 500,000+ residents. The governor of this territory of only 110,000 residents, many of whom have less access to technology with which to contact him couldn't be bothered. Speaks volumes.

We can all pretend to be angry/upset but nothing's going to change here until the feds take over and shake the police force and the very government itself to its core. That's what it took in DC to shake things up and that is what it will take here. In DC the feds had interest in doing so (they live there) but here not so much. So we will continue to have innocent people murdered followed by the requisite and brief periods of incredulidity from the "community" and "our leaders" thereafter.

I apologize for my pessimism.

Sean

Yeah Sean I know but apathy is worse. Maybe if he got a few hundred emails he would get into election mode and stir the pot. Dreamin?

Nothing will happen. Look at how everyone on STX was upset when Peter was murdered and nothing ever came of it.
The poor little girl was from PR not Kansas so the politicians in DC won't see any votes in doing anything. So sad.

like I said............apathy

"Make it safe for me. Make it safe for the residents to go to the market, to go out to dinner, or to walk the streets after dark. Make it safe for us and the tourists will automatically be safe."

That sounds like Anita! 🙂

true, dntw8up i have been saying that for many years.:@)