Columns

As we edge closer to that great day which God has appointed for judging this world, it is obvious that national crises, social unrest, as well as personal conflicts continue to be the cause of immense perplexity. The time of the end of civilization as we know it draws near, and we must not be caught with our guards down.

It was gratifying to read the comments on the Interim Stabilization Levy Act expressed by the Mr. Franklin B. Connor OBE, one of the highest-ranking Anguillian public servants, in “The Anguillian” last week. Mr. Connor served ultimately as Director of Finance but has acted as Deputy Governor and Governor on many occasions. Mr. Connor reinforced what the leadership of the Anguilla United Front (AUF) has been saying on various media and in the House of Assembly for more than eight weeks. While there are those who may regard the AUF commentary on the subject as sheer politics, Mr. Connor has never identified himself with any particular party, even when he ran as a candidate for the Road South seat in 1999 and 2000. He ran as an Independent. And last year during the selection process for the Second Nominated Member, in the House of Assembly, the Chief Minister and his colleagues in the AUM proposed Mr. Connor as their candidate.

Introduction

We tend to use the term policy in everyday discussions, to reference decisions taken by Government or which we anticipate will be taken by Government. We might comment that based on Government’s policy a proposed project will or will not be approved. Policies formulated by Government or governmental agencies with the intent of affecting or influencing the conduct of citizens, generally are described as public policies. Clearly policies which are created and implemented to address defined problems, may be poorly implemented or have unintended and unforeseen consequences (Morse and Struyk, 2006). Usually the intended beneficiaries of the policy are the first persons to notice when policy objectives are not being achieved. Those who meet the cost of the implementation of the relevant public policy are likely to be the next persons to notice deficiencies in policies. This group covers a broad cross section of any community, as taxpayers are the persons who ultimately meet the cost of the policy. These citizens (individual and corporate) are generally concerned about the outcomes of a policy and the costs associated with achieving those outcomes and will judge the success of a policy accordingly. Governments are expected to devise systems which afford citizens the opportunity to offer feed back on policies. While citizens should take full advantage of these systems we must in addition initiate ways to convince government that a policy is not working or that a policy is needed.

Fellow Anguillians, it is my pleasure to be giving my second Labour Day Speech as Minister of Home Affairs. I say this because in any developing country nothing is more important than its human capital, and the way in which that capital is used for national development.

Fellow listeners, as Labour Commissioner, it is an honour once again to address you on this Labour Day, May 2 2011.

Over the past four days there was a mixture of events that were topics for conversation around Anguilla: one was a wedding --- a new beginning; and the other a funeral --- the end of era. It is ironic that a royal love story should swiftly lose its headline billing to the death of a terrorist. And while these events seemed to be diametrically opposite --- romance and crime --- they both brought joy to the hearts of many of the same audiences. I must therefore take the time to briefly speak about both of these news items in the context of Anguilla.

In Christian communities the Easter season provokes both sadness and rejoicing as we journey in our reflections through the pain of the crucifixion to the joy of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. There is also the ongoing debate among believers as to which is the most important season --- Christmas or Easter. Is it the birth in a lowly manger or the cruel death on the cross that most adequately symbolizes the depth of God’s love for mankind? Should the merriment that characterizes the Xmas season also be a feature of the Easter tide? In traditional Anguilla the answer to both these questions was obvious in our culture.

The world continues to groan under the pressure of violent unrest. Crime and waves of evil, brought on by the selfishness of arrogant men whose hearts are bent towards conceit and self-gratification, continue to plague various societies. Self-centeredness and greed for power continue to influence the motives of those who propagate sinister acts, and most likely they will carry on until that great day when their deeds shall be ultimately brought to judgment.

Have you ever heard someone who is grief stricken utter these words: “Why did he or she have to die?" Well, no doubt you too have asked that very question at some point in your life. Many children have also asked that question - Why did Jesus have to die? If God is so powerful and can do all things, they reason, why did he allow Jesus to suffer and die?

One of the statements often heard from the Chief Minister, other members of the present Government and their supporters while in Opposition, was that the British Government was going to place Anguilla under higher supervision because of the conduct of the “United Front Boys”. Which is a phrase that Hubert irreverently used to describe the past Government. He also spoke about the need to have a commission of inquiry into the conduct of those Ministers.

We were all saddened last weekend when we put to rest two young people who passed from this life amidst circumstances which must concern us all. I was moved by the comments made by Bishop Errol Brooks as he delivered the sermon at one of the funerals. Admonishing us not to stand in judgment, he said:

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself – “What is your purpose in life?” Well if you have not, it is important to do so, because it is said that we were born for a purpose. That is, each one of us was born for a reason, to fulfill a particular goal in life. Do you know what your purpose is? Have you discovered it as yet? If yes, are you fulfilling it? If not, are you still wondering?

An air of sadness consumed the Captain Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport on Monday April 4, 2011, as we witnessed the last flight of the American Eagle Super ATR out of Anguilla. The American Eagle Airline had provided for our travel and tourism needs for more than twenty-three years, beginning in November 1987. The service was a major achievement for international air access into Anguilla under the Sir Emile R. Gumbs’ Administration, and at its peak the “American Eagle” was the main carrier for tourism arrivals from our important North American market.

I had the rare opportunity to visit the Magistrate Court yesterday, March 28, 2011, to listen to a sitting on the longstanding matter with Mr. Kenswick Richardson, the Anguilla United Front (AUF) candidate in the last election for the seat in West End. Mr. Richardson had been charged with a total of thirteen offences related to the voter registration process and contrary to section 258 of the Criminal Code. This matter began with Mr. Richardson’s arrest without warrant on Wednesday, June 30th 2010.

Are you a resilient person? Do you bounce back easily after a moment or period of crisis? Well, with the many things that are happening in our world such as financial struggles, political upheavals, crimes and violence, and natural disasters, it behooves us to become a resilient people.

I was inundated by telephone calls and live comments from many persons over the weekend regarding the “mysterious blackout” of the broadcast of the Anguilla United Front public meeting last Thursday in South Hill opposite the residence of the Hon. Chief Minister. Such a “black out” also occurred (granted to a much lesser extent) at our first public meeting at the Landsome Bowl Cultural Center as well.

Betrayal! An awful, painful experience! Have you ever experienced it? Or are you still suffering from its sting, its pain? No doubt some of us have experienced it either in our personal relationships or in our professional ones or both. Some of us know all too well the feeling it leaves in our lives and on our souls. It's a bitter feeling full of resentment and hurt, but the good news is, it is possible to overcome its devastating effects and experience phenomenal outcomes. You can turn your pain and devastation into a new course with a new distinct path of hope instead of despair.

The Anguilla United Front public meeting in South Hill last Thursday was “cut short” in the wake of news from the Island Harbour community that two of their fishermen had not returned from one of their usual fishing trips within the usual time frame. In an act of solidarity and genuine concern, all the speakers and most of the attendees journeyed to Island Harbour to support the impromptu vigil of family, friends and well-wishers who had assembled in prayerful hope for their return.

The last two weeks have been fraught with examples of the incompetence of this Government and its supporters in dealing with the normal issues in the management of its affairs. One gets the distinct impression that, to put it colloquially, “dey don’t know wah dey doin.” For example, in my last column I spoke at length about the Parliamentary Secretary’s “boo-boo” in trying to make politics out of an issue that required non-partisan support as well as an understanding of proper protocol.

In recent times the issue of independence for Anguilla has generated much heated debate and high emotions. There are those who speak as though political independence can and will be an immediate goal, and there are others who see it as a very, very remote possibility, if a possibility at all. In between there are some who think that independence must always be an objective, inspiring us to become more creative and purposeful about the future as we intentionally embrace self-determination as a God-given right and task.