Fellow Anguillians; The year was 1998 and I wrote and published my very first article in ‘The Light’ newspaper. In December 1998, ‘The Anguillian’ newspaper made its debut and soon thereafter, this article was also published by Mr. Hodge. It was entitled, “When will it stop!”
The article spoke to the sudden increase in fisticuffs between young men in the Road area (South Hill and Blowing Point) and young men in the Valley area. At the time , I was concerned that these fist fights would escalate and cause loss of life and limb.
Some years ago, I collaborated on the penmanship of a song called , “Why can’t we – why can’t West go East? Why can’t East go West.” The songs were sang by Pantha of Pantha Vibes and was due to the escalation in violence between the youth in the ‘East’ and those in the ‘West’ .
As we all know, I have addressed the public on the scourge of violence in particular, gun related violence for many, many years including a speech I made on July 23rd 2013 at the swearing in of Her Excellency the Governor, Ms Christina Scott. This speech came on the heels of the most gruesome and evil act in Anguilla’s history when a person or some persons armed with these weapons of mass destruction opened fire in residential community in Blowing Point. To add to the shock value, this criminal act was done in the vicinity of the very important Blowing Point Youth Development Center; a center that I believe in and have contributed to.
In my speech welcoming the Governor, I admonished her to use her good office and the power vested in her for our internal security to work with us to rid Anguilla of this alien scourge once and for all. Since that time , Her Excellency and I have discussed this matter on several occasions and I know she is committed to the cause.
As I have said in several speeches that I have given over the past four years ; this (violence) not only threatens our national security, our economy and our lifestyles but it has had a significant impact on the lives of too many families around the island. Every single person in Anguilla now can claim that they have had some family member or even them themselves affected by the proliferation of gun related crime on island. There are many persons who have lost lives and some, who will have to endure special care for the rest of their lives. This has placed strain on the financial resources of many of us more so, the families who are directly affected. I can only imagine the emotional stress of the parents and siblings of those affected. The strain of coping daily is difficult and I am sure many nights tears are shed as we all reflect on those who have been lost.
Ladies and gentlemen of Anguilla – I dare say that there has been more gun related crime in Anguilla since 2000 than in the prior 200 years of Anguilla’s existence. As I have been saying for the past sixteen (16) years , “NOW IS THE TIME TO STAMP OUT THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!”
– This is no time for us to shelter these perpetuators!
– This is no time for us to use a tit for tat approach to so important a matter!
– This is no time to score points and malign persons who work daily to rid our shores of guns and the mayhem that come along with them and
– There is never a time to be politicizing so serious a matter!
Fellow Anguillians; this morning I was the recipient of numerous calls regarding this meeting on the afternoon of February rz” 2014. All these calls pointed to a speech made by Mr. Curtis Richardson. In the speech it was insinuated that I, taped the meeting for malicious intent. I will say this now – “I did not tape one second of that meeting” which was an open meeting, contrary to what was stated by Mr. Richardson! He went on to state that within minutes after the meeting, someone went to the family ‘s home and attempted to imprison the minds of the family members for their own sinister purposes and ill gains. I am confident that he knows that I DID NOT record any of the meeting; after all, there was no need for me to do so as it was very well attended by a cross section of persons from the community.
I can categorically state that the only home I went to after this meeting ended was my own. As a matter of fact, I remained at the meeting site after the meeting was over. During this time, I spoke to a number of persons who were at the meeting. I must pause here to thank the many persons who attended, in particular, the young men who came and spoke in a direct, respectful and honest manner with the Commissioner of Police and Her Excellency the Governor. I must also thank her Excellency the Governor and the Commissioner of Police for stepping up to work with the communities to build bridges and we must not allow anything or
anyone to burn those bridges down.
Those persons who remained after the meeting can attest to the fact that I was there long after the meeting. As a matter of fact, during the meeting Mr. Richardson sat immediately in front of me and the two young men who sat on both my right and left can attest to the fact that at no time did I tape the meeting. I have already told Her Excellency that I am willing to subject myself to a polygraph test to prove that I did not record any of the same but let us say for argument sake that I did.
What if I did record the meeting and played it to any family?
How would that change what was said at the meeting when in fact, it was not a private meeting?
Another question I want to ask is why single me out when there were almost 100 persons at the center where the meeting was held?
To my mind, the address by Mr. Richardson is froth with politics in these serious times. If Mr. Richardson thought that I had done as he insinuated I did, he could have called me. Mr. Richardson and I spent over an hour together discussing a number of issues on the morning of Saturday 8th February at my property in South Hill. It was just yesterday that Mr. Richardson and I ate lunch together. As a matter of fact, I tried calling Mr. Richardson just this morning at 9:28am to speak to him after hearing what he insinuated about me. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful.
Fellow Anguillians; my record of speaking out, writing articles and songs denouncing gun violence and violence of any nature did not begin in 2004 when I decided to enter the political arena. It started almost two decades ago.
Neither will my admonishment to end gun play and violence on this island end now or any time before my days on this earth has expired. Over the last four years , I believe I have grown and recognized that it is better that we work together for a common purpose than to work apart for the same purpose. Where there is unity there is strength and together, we can defeat this pariah that has befallen us.
I will continue to speak out against this dangerous element and I will continue to work with anyone and everyone who is willing to work against violence. At the end of the day, Mr. Richardson and I want the same thing for Anguilla and that is; that the people of Anguilla can enjoy our paradise wrapped in blue without fear of harm by way of violence of any kind. It is time that we put the petty politics aside and work together for the good of the country.
The pain of the families who have been affected rests with me and I pray for them daily as I pray for Anguilla and they do not want to hear the politics. They want healing, they want solutions and they want justice.
My prayer is that God will place his healing hand on those who have been directly and indirectly affected and we, as a community will continue to unite and uplift those that need us most. Our very survival depends on it. After all, there is more that unites us than divides us.
I thank you for listening and may God bring peace and unity between our people and our politicians at this time and may he continue to bless Anguilla.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
