The Anguillian
March 12th 2012
Dear Editor:
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. The more things change the more they remain the same. That phrase, attributed to the Frenchman Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr, seems to summarize the way things are inAnguilla. On Friday March the 2nd, we celebrated the 86th birthday of the esteemed father of our nation, Mr. Ronald Webster, an honor richly deserved. With the help of his adopted daughter, Patsy, Mr. Webster thanked those whom he wished to thank, but conspicuously absent from that list was Yanchie Richardson, the one man crusade who singlehandedly fought for and got Mr. Webster his day in the sun. Maybe it was an oversight on Mr. Webster’s part, or just a senior moment – lord knows we’re all beginning to have those of late. I’m sure the omission was not intended, and Mr. Webster, if he had it to do over again, would recognize Mr. Richardson before he did anyone else. Let us give him the benefit of the doubt.
Every time this day, or Anguilla Day, comes around, I can’t help but feel a sense of emptiness forAnguilla’s forgotten heroes who served without recognition, which brings me to my point of contention.
There is no question that in order forAnguillato be free of her yoke, all of us had to step up our game. And, yes, since we started to recognize our heroes, we need to do it properly. Not by some haphazard ad hoc committee which rewards its friends at the expense of others.
Many of us, past and present, fought for a free and independent Anguilla without any expectations other than to seeAnguillafree of the yoke of Bradshaw and his ilk.
Since our Government has chosen to recognize those citizens who performed above and beyond, then it should be done in such a manner that is fair and unbiased. (A committee made up of members of all seven districts would be a starting place.)
We talk about being a democracy in which transparency is evident, but yet we do things that seem to have been done in someone’s back office without any debate. A case in point comes to mind: The Clayton Lloyd International Airport. Who decided to name the airport after Mr. Lloyd? What were the criteria? Was there a debate? Did the general public have a say in this process? How was this done? Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Lloyd was a wonderful human being, but what qualified him over all others? Was it that he was the first Anguillian pilot? What did he do that the others didn’t? What about Michael Hughes, Maurice Connor, Beavan Hodge, Kenneth Fleming Bernard Richardson? Again let me reiterate, I’ve got nothing against the man. I’m just trying to understand the process. Any of the above-mentioned pilots could have been selected. Bernard Richardson, for example, is probably the most highly qualified pilot anywhere in the world and would have been an excellent choice. As a matter of fact, any of the names mentioned would have sufficed. I don’t want to belabor the point here, but it does make you stop and think. We tend to have short-term memories here inAnguilla. We seem to have forgotten those dark days when most everyone would have given his or her last drop of blood because we were so committed to the cause. We remember those who did not agree with our break with Mr. Bradshaw and would have been more than happy to maintain the status quo. What short memories we have? You didn’t lift a finger, but were quick to jump on the bandwagon. You know who you are. I’m not going to call you out. However, I do have one question though: whom do you see when you look into the mirror?
Either we recognize our heroes the proper way, or we don’t do it at all. I can hear the argument already: how can we recognize people if we don’t know who they are? This is where your committee comes in. Ask Keith Gumbs aboutSt. Thomasand the Sundowner Nightclub on Saturday evenings and what he and his band did after playing all-night and coming back on Sunday evenings. Ask anyone about Bevan Hodge, and Kenneth Fleming. These two are no longer with us, and there is no way that you can overlook their contributions. Our pilots need to be recognized, but to recognize one and not the others is a slap in the face ofo the families of those departed. THIS HAS TO BE FIXED!!!!!!! Our heroes are out there, and you just have to show an interest in finding them.
You may think I’m on a rant here and you’d be correct. I will keep on ranting till this injustice to those who served is remedied. There is quite a bit that we can do, but let’s not rush to judgment as to who is right for what. Atlin Harrigan was the catalyst of our Revolution. Had it not been for him, and a few brave souls, none of what we have now would have been possible. We want to, and should, recognize those people, not by sticking their name on some obscure building or some short stretch of street, but by putting them on display for all to see. Maybe this process has been so devalued that it means nothing anymore. To those who feel that way, that’s all right. Those that count know what you did.
So in closing, I say: if you are going to honor our heroes, do it properly. And for our leaders who think they know what’s best for everyone, I’ll leave you with a little poem, attributed to Mother Theresa, that says: People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish and ulterior motives, be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies, succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you, be honest anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight, build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous, be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow, do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough, give the world the best you have anyway. You see in the final analysis, it’s between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway.
