The Editor
The Anguillian
Dear Sir,
Congratulations
I want to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest congratulations to my cousin, the new elected Chief Minister of Anguilla, the Hon. Victor F. Banks, his ministerial colleagues, and their party (the Anguilla United Front), for their overwhelming victory, in the recent election that was held on the island nation of Anguilla on May 22, 2015.
The Hon. Pam Webster of Island Harbour, the sole newly elected Leader of the Opposition, also deserves a special round of applause for her tenacity, strength, courage and endurance, as well as her pledge to work amicably with the new Government of Anguilla.
Indeed, my sincerest congratulations’ is also extended to the voters of Anguilla, who stood in long lines in the hot sun for hours, to exercise their right to vote. You deserve an extra extended round of applause, for your tolerance and patience, in order to exercise your right to vote.
Although my name disappeared from the list of eligible voters, I made peace with the situation and did not bother to challenge it. I realized although, it was a historic occasion for me personally, ( as a first time voter on the island of Anguilla), at the end of the day it did not break my spirit.
Lastly, Anguilla….. the world was watching, the peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted, and the plea for acceptance of the voters choices, brings me to this point. The leader of the DOVE Party (Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge), and the AUM (Dr. Ellis Webster) are also to be commended for taking the high road, in extending their congratulations and an olive branch to the newly elected Government of Anguilla.
Anguillans at home and abroad, it is the dawning of a new day. Let us support and protect (our island nation, respect and support each other, our children and their families, our leaders, our traditonal values that got us over, our educational, health, economic and social institutions, our clergy and houses of worship, our tradition of self-help, business entrepreneurship (please support an Anguillan owned business today), our land and home ownership, our tradition of jollification (collective work and responsibility for the good of our communities) given to us by our African ancestral heritage, our tradition of growing and planting our food and cooking up a storm of traditional healthy nutritious Anguillan cuisine, our tradition of pet friendilines towards dogs and cats (each home had one or more back in the day, where our children learned a sense of responsibility and had fun caring for their family pets. Let us keep them on the homefront for the sake of our children.
Also, for the sake of our children and future generations, let us for their sake take homegrown pride, in upholding the genuine legacy of our sea-faring heritage, and share the history of all of our brave seafarring captains of yesteryear with fairness and inclusion. Let us do the right thing, and give credit to where it is rightfully due, to all of our seafaring captains of yesteryear, “who made Anguilla what it is today”.
Inasmuch, as some of our seafaring captains of yesteryear were honored on postage stamps that were displayed in the Anguilla Post Office; whereas some of our seafaring captains of yesteryear who were similarly situated, were excluded from being honored in the same manner it signals and sends a message of unfairness and exclusion. Moreover, it was all of our brave courageous seafaring captains of yesteryear, who risked their lives on the high seas many a day back in the day, to feed, clothe their families, friends and neighbours. They laid the “foundation to make Anguilla what it is today”, and gave rise to our national sport of boat racing. It is not too late to do the right thing for those who seem to be forgotten.
May God bless and long live Anguilla, born Anguillans at home and abroad, their children and families, friends and supporters…and may the ancestors continue to find them in their favor.
Name withheld upon request. The comments expressed herein, do not reflect the views of The Anguillian Newspaper, nor any of its employees.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
