Recently, MP Arends-Reyes wrote an OP which we published in Bon Dia Aruba, in which she criticized the government for using budget of the ministry of education to 'promote' cannabis. In her argument, she said that the money used for the cannabis conference could have been used for something related to education, like paying for schoolchildren's supplies or their tuition fees, or books, or something. She emphasized that money from the budget of education should be used for education... of children.
In my opinion, the cannabis conference was educational for many people and institutions, and it is a topic of extreme interest and relevance to the Aruban society. Education doesn't start and doesn't end at school, much less at primary school. Education is a life-long process, and reducing it to the formative years of primary school is a disservice to the Aruban population.
The idea that whatever budget the ministry of education has should only be used to educate children is, frankly, appalling. Adults are responsible for children's education, education also takes place outside of schools, so it follows that educating adults will translate to educating the children.
I will criticize, however, that a government-sponsored event had attendees paying Afl 100.- for entry. If the government is funding education, it shouldn't do it only for the elite, who in any case could probably afford their own education.
On this same note, we had Robert Candelaria rightfully questioning the origins of the budget for the conference, and whether the funds were used improperly. But then he does on to say that kids should be given the already failed 'just say no' lecture regarding drugs. I attached just one link for comprehensiveness, but I encourage you to do a simple google search for 'ineffectiveness of just say no campaign'. To have an MP in 2018 promoting Reagan-era failed campaigns is truly sad.
It doesn't seem like our current parliament is all that representative of the modern, cosmopolitan Aruban, one who lives and thrives online. With the current access to limitless information, it's hard to watch our representatives struggle to adapt to more hollistic and modern understandings of our health, well-being and mentality.
I'm living for the day when we have an MP promoting the use of education budget to provide the unemployed with new skills, or to begin the transition to more sustainable ways of employment for those who work in sectors which are predicted to disappear. I'm also living for the day when we think of educating our children in a way they can make smart decisions, rather than scaremongering them into doing 'what has always been done'.
Tuesday 11 December 2018
Monday 5 February 2018
The public beach is reserved
Recently, we had family vacationing on the island, so I found myself like the proverbial "turista riba mi isla", visiting the cool spots, dining out, and enjoying the beach.
One such day, we had just had breakfast at a beachfront restaurant, in a big group of about ten people, and we were just playing around the beach on the sand with my baby niece.
Not two minutes had we been there before we were approached by a woman, "nicely" asking us if we wanted to rent the beach chairs, since we were around them so much. I guess we weren't all that opposed to paying some cash to be able to frolic around the beach to our hearts' contents because we asked how much for the chairs.
It was $5. Per chair. Did I mention we were about ten people? Nahhh man. Nah. Miss me with that.
Ok, so we said no thank you, and the lady told us that the chairs a bit further from the ocean were allocated to restaurant customers, so we moved to those chairs and started setting up.
Not even a single minuted had passed, a man who was sitting on the chairs behind us started telling us about having to pay for the chairs. Seeing as we had already talked to the woman, we thanked him and carried on our merry way.
I don't know how patient you, my dear reader, are, but let me tell you that patience was never my strongest suit. So by now I was already sick and tired of the stupid chairs. The problem was, you see, that there was no space available on the beach that wasn't already occupied by the damn chairs. Like they literally arrive at the crack of dawn to the PUBLIC beach and set up their chairs all over the sand, and then expect everyone to just steer clear. Is this even legal?
Anyway, so after ignoring the random man.... we were approached yet again. I mean, we already had to clear our presence there twice but no, again, we had another man come over and say only if we pay the $50 we can use the chair. Mind you, we didn't even really want to use the chair, we werent even really sitting on the chair but because we were on the sand near the chairs, we were constantly harassed.
One such day, we had just had breakfast at a beachfront restaurant, in a big group of about ten people, and we were just playing around the beach on the sand with my baby niece.
Not two minutes had we been there before we were approached by a woman, "nicely" asking us if we wanted to rent the beach chairs, since we were around them so much. I guess we weren't all that opposed to paying some cash to be able to frolic around the beach to our hearts' contents because we asked how much for the chairs.
It was $5. Per chair. Did I mention we were about ten people? Nahhh man. Nah. Miss me with that.
Ok, so we said no thank you, and the lady told us that the chairs a bit further from the ocean were allocated to restaurant customers, so we moved to those chairs and started setting up.
Not even a single minuted had passed, a man who was sitting on the chairs behind us started telling us about having to pay for the chairs. Seeing as we had already talked to the woman, we thanked him and carried on our merry way.
I don't know how patient you, my dear reader, are, but let me tell you that patience was never my strongest suit. So by now I was already sick and tired of the stupid chairs. The problem was, you see, that there was no space available on the beach that wasn't already occupied by the damn chairs. Like they literally arrive at the crack of dawn to the PUBLIC beach and set up their chairs all over the sand, and then expect everyone to just steer clear. Is this even legal?
Anyway, so after ignoring the random man.... we were approached yet again. I mean, we already had to clear our presence there twice but no, again, we had another man come over and say only if we pay the $50 we can use the chair. Mind you, we didn't even really want to use the chair, we werent even really sitting on the chair but because we were on the sand near the chairs, we were constantly harassed.
To the latest man, we even had to show our receipt so we would be allowed to stay.
But seriously though. It's a public beach. I'm all for people making their money and all but this is absurd. It's one thing if they placed the chairs on the beach as people rented them, meaning the chairs on the beach are being used. But that's not the case at all. Rather, those private chairs occupy the entire public beach even though the majority of them was unoccupied.
What if I want to bring my own chair and sit on the beach? Can I then remove the rental chairs and replace it with mine?
Point is.
Suggestions?
But seriously though. It's a public beach. I'm all for people making their money and all but this is absurd. It's one thing if they placed the chairs on the beach as people rented them, meaning the chairs on the beach are being used. But that's not the case at all. Rather, those private chairs occupy the entire public beach even though the majority of them was unoccupied.
What if I want to bring my own chair and sit on the beach? Can I then remove the rental chairs and replace it with mine?
Point is.
Suggestions?
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