I Feel Out of Touch. Last week I was in the Bahamas. This week I am in Surinam. So, I am a bit out of touch with events in Anguilla, to say the least. Reading the story in the internet edition of The Anguillian Newspaper of the lawsuit brought against government for its delivery of the national park at Blowing Point Harbour to the dolphin prison-keepers was like a stifling man breathing a draft of fresh air. Ijahnya's comments were a devastating indictment of those who would betray us. Nat's editorial was one of those political markers that cause you to say, “Things must be changing!” Thank God, that not all Anguillians are prepared to bury their heads in the sands of opportunism and crass materialism. Some of us still want things to be properly done in government. Only a few, it seems, judging by the negative comments I have read on some of the social network forums involving Anguilla. A crucial litmus test would be to count how many Black and Brown Anguillians came out to the Court House to observe the legal proceedings? I cannot imagine it was many of us. Most Anguillians, of whatever hue, judging by the posts on Anguilla Talk, deny that anything wrong ever happens in Anguilla.
The Anguilla Rotary Club had a big turn out in the Bahamas. We were there to witness President Seymour Hodge receive the accolades he deserves. Seymour has almost single handledly taken the Rotary Club out of the doldrums of the past into the Summer Trade Winds of the future. Our projects last year were comparatively modest. Contributions to schools. Cleaning pathways of garbage. Producing benches for public places. Nothing earth-shattering. But, good community contributions nevertheless. Anguilla Rotary Club won as many citations and awards as others in the District.
Congratulations, Seymour!
Next week, Surinam.
Good tan Mitch. - Scotty
ReplyDeleteOUT OF TOUCH AND MISSING THE POINT
ReplyDeleteTell me how do I get excited when Champult, Keller, Sinclair and Freeman take the Government to court for allowing a pier to be constructed without the necessary licences? How can that excite me as an ordinary Anguillian?
AND would the people who were in Court have been there if it was not a DOLPHIN issue?
AND would this matter have been taken to court if it was not a DOLPHIN pier?
AND would these persons have taken the matter to Court if the pier was being constructed on government land in The Forest i.e no SELF INTEREST- just the interest of the people?
The Court building would have been overflowing had it been a case where the leader of the opposition, or a Civic Group or Environmental Organization had taken the government to court on this issue.
Just the thought of ORDINARY citizens challenging a government and standing up for ALL Anguillians gets ME excited!
It is not that we deny that anything wrong ever happens in Anguilla. What we do not appreciate is spin doctors telling us what to think.
A bus driver was making his usual stops along a particular route, when an elderly gentleman with apparent poor vision and wearing spectacles, got on board on one of his many stops. The bus driver noticed through his rear view mirror that as he continued along his path, the gentleman would look through the window then examine the contents of his wallet, and quietly mutter some inaudible words to himself.
ReplyDeleteGetting closer to the completion of all of his stops, the driver at his last stop told the gentleman that he was nearing the end of the line, hence he asked the man when he would like to disembark. The gentleman looked into his wallet then painstakingly searched his pockets. The driver said to the man that if he was short on money, he will be okay to accept whatever he has. The gentleman promptly replied that it wasn't the money that was the problem, he simply did not know where he was going!
Many developing countries, like the elderly gentleman in the story, are simply riding the bus of seeming economic development, but really do not know where it will lead.
--Clarence E. Pilgrim, writing in Caribbean Net News