Patrick Paskel and Speed Andrade don't like me. First they started with: "He has no voice." Then followed with, "Evelyn promised him a place on the MEP list." Then they tried to portray me as a failure who cannot get votes. The reason for so much hatred is obvious. I fight against the political patronage system and the corruption that structurally impoverishes our people. However, that very system has enriched Patrick and Speed. The RDA report shows that under Mike Eman and Mike de Meza the RDA became a stronghold of the AVP. The criminal cases against Speed show that he bribed the police to be first with the news. Thus, thanks to a corrupt system, 24ora has become a media empire. Their anger stems from the fact that my words are gaining traction. This threatens their empire and their wallets.
Yet three things strike me about the way Patrick and Speed are trying to attack me.
First, they try to play the victim role, while they are the media giants of Aruba. This duo expects us to feel sorry for them: hurt because of the "poor souls."
Second, it is striking how hypocritical their approach is: they claim that I am blackening them, while their whole show is about blackening people. There is no greater hypocrisy.
Third, I find their lamentation strange because they are the ones who started this war. The battle between me and this duo began the day I voted for the 2024 budget at Enfoke. That day Speed started a campaign of insults, clearly to defend the AVP and its financial mismanagement.
Since then, their anger and hatred toward me has only grown because my lyrics hit them hard with the truth, and the truth hurts. Still, I have to admit that sometimes they hurt me. That is why I give Patrick a hand when I have to criticize him or put a hand on Speed's shoulder when I meet him in Kowloon. Apart from their tendency to attack justice and defend villains, I think their bullying behavior may stem from an emotional vulnerability. If that is the case, they need an emotional mechanism to feel good about themselves. We all know that both have struggled with extreme obesity and been mocked for their weight. Perhaps their verbal aggression reflects their struggle with low self-esteem, negative body image and feelings of rejection. Who knows, maybe they were once victims of abuse, and bullying became their outlet for negative emotions?
Despite the war Patrick and Speed are waging against me, I have 1,000 votes to my name today. That is five times more than when 24ora still supported me. Back then, they supported me because I was in the AVP. As much as they try to sell me as a failure, the reality is that of all 21 parliamentarians sitting in the States, I am the one with the biggest growth in votes (500%). And no other parliamentarian had to fight against the media giant 24ora, with few resources and no alternative platforms.
As for the content of their attacks, my answer is simple: the 1,000 votes I received reflect growth, determination and courage. Those 1,000 votes are proof that principles and perseverance are more important than the hatred and resentment of any "poor souls." My journey has only just begun. Every obstacle makes me stronger, and every vote confirms that honest and substantive politics is the real future.
To everyone who dreams of real change: dare to stand up for what you believe. Walk the difficult path with me. Because in the end, our faith and courage will overcome every angry voice and evil agent. Our faith and courage will pave the way and inspire others.
