Regarding the shooting incident that occurred this past weekend, Governor John Soliano addresses the community with the following message:
“What happened this weekend should concern us all. Not only because a firearm was used against the property of a police officer, which is a punishable crime, but because the subsequent reactions reveal a trend we cannot ignore: there are people who justify and even applaud threats, intimidation, and violence.
KPCN gave a clear message: violence and intimidation against police officers will not be tolerated. As Governor, I fully support this message. Our officers and everyone working for safety and public order must be able to do their jobs without intimidation. When those who work for safety and public order are under threat, our rule of law is under threat.
But this principle goes further. Violence is unacceptable against the police, against civil servants, or against anyone else in our community.
We can disagree. We can be angry. We can be critical. That is part of a community where people have the freedom to express themselves. But anger is no excuse for threats. Disagreement is no justification for aggression. And violence cannot become our way of reacting to one another.
What particularly concerns me is when we start viewing violence differently depending on who the victim is. When we downplay, justify, or even applaud violence because we disagree with the person it is directed at, we normalize something that under no circumstances should ever be normal. I make an appeal to our community leaders to stand up and condemn the threats and aggression taking place in our community, especially on social media.
We must ask ourselves: is this the Bonaire we want to live in? Is this the Bonaire we want to leave for our children?
I call upon our community: let us think before we react, listen before we judge, and continue to see the human being in one another. No one should have to live in fear of violence. Change begins with ourselves.”
Governor John Soliano