Dear Editor:
A recent letter to your publication expressed concern regarding the safety of the last ferryboat “during the short darker hours” when it leaves (Marigot, St. Martin) to transport passengers to Blowing Point, Anguilla. Although I believe the nature of the concern is genuine, I would be remiss if I did not share an Op Ed on and around this important issue.
I stand to be corrected, and there is absolutely no pun intended, but the message that I got while reading the letter of concern regarding the safety of the last ferryboat is that it is being highlighted just because “it is not a good tourism move”. I am a little perplexed that a critical concern about the last ferryboat’s safety appears to be from the perspective of “it is not a good tourism move”. Let me rise to the occasion, on behalf of all those others who are similarly situated (daily ferry passengers), and state that the safety of the last ferryboat “during the shorter darker hours” from Marigot to Blowing also affects their daily lives.
More recently, I have observed that any quality of life issues in Anguilla are suddenly being highlighted vis-à-vis tourism and how they affect Anguilla’s image. For instance, a former government official recently voiced his concern, in your publication, on an incident that involved another crucial quality of life issue. All of the concerns that he voiced are well taken. However, it is so important for us not to paint a broad brush and let the actions of a few bad apples define us. Mind you, when a most hurtful tragedy that touched the world happened in a town in the U.S during the end of last year, the residents of that community came together and said “we are not going to let that define us”. Maybe, we should take a page out of other folks book and not let the actions of a few bad apples define who we are as a people, how safe is our island, and where we are going as an emerging island nation under the Caribbean sun. Please join me and affirm that the island of Anguilla is a safe haven, and we must work together to keep it so.
In closing, let us raise the bar on and around concerns for the safety of the last ferryboat and other quality of life issues in terms of how they affect our lives and that of visitors alike, and let’s not forget it is our home grown pride that gave rise to the “upscale tourism industry” in Anguilla today. It stands on the shoulders of one of our very own who, was a visionary, and built the first accommodation “Lloyd’s Bed and Breakfast” at Crocus Hill, over fifty (50) years ago, so that visitors could enjoy and experience Anguilla. So we care about ourselves and our annual visitors and want them to return threefold again and again. Therefore, if we can elevate our consciousness to be concerned about the quality of life for us, as year round residents on the island of Anguilla, it will trickle down to all visitors who are welcome with open arms to our tranquil shores.
Name held upon request
