Editorial

One of the things that can immediately spread fear to the heart and put people to flight is when fire breaks out somewhere and threatens life and property. Too often we are seeing this happen in a small community life Anguilla. Death, severely burned persons and destruction of belongings have resulted in some cases. The time has certainly come for something to be done to guard against disastrous fires and to put them out swiftly before they wreak havoc. While there have been efforts to control fires, the island has for too long experienced a lack of suitable fire-fighting capabilities to deal with the situations when they presented themselves.

Last week Wednesday, May 5, over 130 construction workers and a number of subcontractors marched on the Government’s Secretariat. They demanded that certain project work on the golf course be allowed to proceed without delay to ensure that their employment and earning of money was not disrupted. They were told that there was a procedure to follow and the interest of neighbouring landowners and that of the project itself had to be looked at on a whole and a decision would be made later in the day.

The 37th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution is just over a month away and there is good reason for the annual celebration. It brings home to all of us the importance of a people taking responsibility for the future and welfare of their homeland despite what might appear to be an insurmountable task with many odds against them. It is difficult to imagine what the situation might have been in Anguilla today if men like the late Jeremiah Gumbs had not come forward to join with Ronald Webster and other revolutionary leaders to make his contribution to nation-building at a time when such assistance was badly needed. Anguilla could not have remained in its former constitutional and political quandary and achieved the level of development and freedom it now enjoys.

In many parts of the Christian world the Easter Season is regarded with much sombreness. It recalls the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is therefore observed as the most solemn period in the Christian calendar. Sadly, however, it does not always stop the violence around us as truce breakers, rebels and criminals continue their assaults and the sound of battle is heard wherever the hot spots exist. But we must hope that someday the weapons of war will be laid down giving way to the joy of peace and love.

There has been much talk about disaster planning and preparedness in Anguilla over the years. During that period a few terrible hurricanes have swept across the island leaving much damage and rebuilding expense behind. After that, we have also been left to ponder whether our response strategies were adequate and what could be done to remedy the situation. We join with Rodney Rey, the Chief Minister’s Permanent Secretary, to point out that small states, like Anguilla, cannot afford the severe economic shocks and dislocation that disasters can cause. The obvious necessity, therefore, would be to take measures to help avoid the negative impact and to ensure sustainable development.

Recently someone not belonging to Anguilla, walked down the road with an offensive weapon threatening to harm another youngster (who may also have been at fault) and was taken into custody following a report to the police. If this action was not executed in quick time, one can only surmise that Anguilla may have had another crime to deal with. The reporting of this matter underscores how important it is for members of the public to convey information to the police, about anything they see or know, to enable them to prevent or solve a crime.

The tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Police, Customs and Immigration Departments on Wednesday, March 10, may be regarded as a necessary tool to help ensure cooperation and homeland security. It is in fact placing on paper an agreement which perhaps was previously thought to be automatic and an obvious expectation under all circumstances when it comes to safeguarding Anguilla on all three fronts. Their duties to protect the territorial integrity of the island are inter-woven to a great extent. They may be seen as separate departments yet the nature of their functioning, when examined, makes them three in one and one in three - each dependent on the other as guardians of the gateways to Anguilla.

At one of his recent press conferences, Commissioner of Police Keithly Benjamin, indicated that there were a number of illegal firearms in Anguilla. No one will challenge this claim when there have been frequent incidents of gunfire reported in some areas of the island culminating in the wounding of a family of three in their Sandy Hill residence last year, the shooting death of Roger Clarke of Old Ta also last year and that of Courtney Hodge of East End in the Forest Bay area just last week.

Anyone who witnessed the handing over of the petition to Governor Peter Johnstone by Jamida Webster’s parents calling for Scotland Yard to investigate her brutal murder might have had it hard to restrain a tear. The occasion not only brought back painful memories of the perplexing crime that shocked the island, but the difficulties to access the evidence particularly to get people believed to have useful information to speak out. The long delay in solving the crime has been a frustrating and vexing experience for the grieving family, the people of the island in general and the police.

The march against crime two weeks ago, part of a series of activities to commemorate the 32nd Anniversary of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, may have sent some small message to criminals and other would-be law-breakers that the community is angry about their deviant behaviour. The rally was a show of protest mainly by youth and community organisations. It lacked however the involvement of the greater mass of members of the public. They should have gone forward not only to inflate the number of marchers, but to demonstrate their solidarity with the younger folk, their disgust with the acts of crime cropping up in our society and their call for the active pursuit and punishment of offenders.

The above question is not to be taken lightly. The fact is that our community appears to be changing rapidly and the spirit of self-help and civic responsibility may be disappearing. There is a need for the jollification days of old to return when everyone helped each other and worked together for the common good of the island. One only has to take a look at the overgrowth which is closing in on some of our village roads following the recent rains to see how absent is the community spirit. Nobody in the neighbourhoods seems willing either individually or collectively to trim the trees or remove litter rather than waiting on the public services to do everything.

Life is not easy in Anguilla these days and even the Government which is supposed to be the provider for the people in so many ways is having difficulty meeting its obligations. One of the steps taken to curtail expenditure is what is regarded as a freeze on employment in the public service. Certainly there is no reason to unnecessarily inflate the number of employees in the sector beyond what is really required to adequately staff the various departments.

On many fronts 2004, which is still only days old, is going to be a challenging year not just for Anguilla and its Caribbean neighbours but the world at large. The thing about this region is that whatever affects the international scene impacts squarely on the economies and peoples of this area and all of a sudden we realise how dependent we are on the outside countries and how vulnerable we are when they falter. The saying is true that when America sneezes, the rest of the world (and certainly the Caribbean region in particular) catches a cold.

Whoever arranged for the group of students to attend Tuesday’s session of the Anguilla House of Assembly should be complimented. For too long we find ourselves talking about preparing our young people to take an active interest in important matters pertaining to national life and development. The fact is, however, that they are often denied that opportunity and dismissed as being too young, not ready or in the worse cases disinterested and irresponsible. Surely, if nobody is willing to encourage and involve them in the affairs of the island and offer them a helping hand in that regard, it is difficult to accuse them of disinterest.

It is becoming increasingly clear that some of the burglaries reported in Anguilla have a cross-border involvement from St. Martin. It is understood that investigations are now taking place in both islands relating to a recent burglary at East End, here in Anguilla, where a motor cycle and other items were stolen from a residence. To add insult to injury a fishing boat, which later disappeared from Sile Bay, was discovered abandoned and wrecked in Grand Case. It is said that motor cycle wheel tracks were found at Sile Bay. The suspicion is that the boat was used to ferry the loot across the water.

Editorial
IMPROVING THE WORK ETHIC

One of the things that often gives rise to negative comments in Anguilla, with good reason is the attitude to work by employees in the public and private sectors.

The view has long been held that in order to be in Government there must be consensus and unison on every issue among its members.

Successive Commissioners of Police in Anguilla over the years have complained openly about the lack of personnel to properly police the island.

The deliberate and obvious inclusion of youth at the programme for the observance of CARICOM Day on June 29th at the Christian Fellowship Church was a gesture full of symbolic undertones. Intentionally or unintentionally, it articulated that youth do have a rightful place in political affairs.

This week David Carty has again brought the issues of constitutional reform to the forefront. It may beg the question by some people: ‘Who wants to think of a constitution and constitutional reform in the face of high prices and mounting bills?’