On Sunday, May 20, 2012, we celebrated the life of another stalwart, Mr. David Webster, who was decorated as a hero of the Anguilla Revolution on Anguilla Day 2006. The late Mr. David Ezra Webster, like so many young men of that period, made his mark in the annals of the Revolution by his willingness to stand up for the cause of freedom against mistreatment from a hostile central government. He later dedicated a part of his time to law and order through service as a Special Constable in the Royal Anguilla Police Force for many years. He was a polite, courteous, quiet, honest and hardworking man who made his living, for the most part, in the tradition of his parents before him – from the land and the waters aroundAnguilla- as a farmer and a fisherman. From this simple lifestyle he and his wife, Beulah, raised their eight children and cared for many more. They were a great team, reminiscent of the kind of family enterprise that kept our communities together in the early days. We mourn his loss, along with the other heroes and heroines who have passed on, as we celebrate this Forty-fifth Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution.
Like the late David Webster, young men of the 1967 period were preoccupied with thoughts and ideas of howAnguillawould emerge from the uncertainties of the period, especially after the expulsion of the last vestiges of Bradshaw’s Central Government on the island, namely, the St-Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla Police Force. It is nothing short of a miraculous outcome to that situation that, despite the absence of a formal law and order body, for the most part peace prevailed. And it may be a reasonable assumption that the frequent occurrence of gunshots ringing out through the night was more a form of intimidation rather than any intent to do any harm to Anguillian citizens. Of course, that is easy to say when one did not have the experience of being under gunfire. For example, the attack on my godfather, the late Hon. David S. Lloyd’s hotel and residence – and on the business and residence of Mr. Albert Lake, just next door to our family home. There is no question that guns were very prevalent among young men inAnguillaat that time. But there are no parallels that can be made with this current period when guns are being used to willfully kill and maim fellow citizens for no apparent or sensible reason.
I have no choice but to continue the dialogue about guns, violence among youth, and crime, that I began over the last three weeks in my column and especially so because of the discussions that are taking place at all levels within the community at this time. I commend all of them for what appears to be an acceptance of the fact that it is high time that we launch a sustained attack on this dangerous trend. Several groups and organizations are calling for constructive exchanges and, as a consequence, many of us have received invitations to participate in panel discussions, brainstorming sessions, workshops and campaigns on these issues. I continue to believe, as I intimated last week, that the death of young Gustave Hodge, the latest fatality, may be a catalyst for breaking this cycle of violence that is ripping our communities asunder. Thankfully, it appears that there is a deliberate move to take politics out of the equation and a growing level of awareness that this has got to be a national effort.
In Commissioner Rudolph Proctor’s remarks at a recent press conference, reported in The Anguillian, I took particular note of two phrases, namely: “a wall of silenceand fear” and “emboldening the youth who are committing the violence”. The Commissioner made it quite clear that he was preparing Anguillians for a “Crackdown” especially in the two focal areas where these incidents are most prevalent. I am sure that many Anguillian residents will be very happy that there seems to be a robust response being planned by the Police, and are hopeful that they have the resources to implement it. Inevitably, there are several thousand policing consultants trained in most cases through regular viewing of CSI; Law and Order; NCIS and other TV crime shows, living on Anguilla who have their own ideas.
These ideas range from bringing in specialist expertise for a short period to focus on the problem, to firing the entire top hierarchy of the Police Force. The former comes from a lack of confidence in the technical ability of the Force, while the latter springs from the usual perception that when things go wrong it is the personality rather than the system that is at fault. Obviously, the latter is both extreme and subjective while the former should be the Commissioner’s call. In fact, the Commissioner has called for improved resources, in his press conference, that could imply an acceptance of the need for technical equipment and/or specialist support. At the end of the day, it should be praiseworthy to the Commissioner and his top staff once matters are solved whether he decided to bring in specialist support or not. This is no time for egos!
But where the Commissioner was specific was when he spoke about the “wall of silence and fear”. The question must be asked whether the wall of silence is triggered by fear or other factors? It is indeed disheartening to know that even when acts are committed in broad daylight — not a single witness is forthcoming. A number of reasons have been advanced for this phenomenon, the most prevalent of which being that persons are afraid to give evidence to the Police out of fear that their information would not be kept confidential. On every occasion that I have examined this point of view I have discovered that the grounds on which it is based are anecdotal rather than factual. It usual comes down to the story that “someone told someone who told ‘me’ that this happened in the case of someone else”.
But, rightly or wrongly, it must be realized that what happens when this kind of attitude takes root is that the criminals are “emboldened”. And it becomes a poor excuse that we allow a callous murderer to go free, and continue to kill and maim, simply because we feel that perhaps our information will not be kept confidential. The truth is that chances are that the perpetrator saw you seeing him/her so whether you give information or not you may become his/her next victim — just in case you may decide to give evidence later. The Commissioner is right because recent events have clearly shown that the perpetrators have committed their heinous crimes in crowded surroundings, without masks and without concern for eyewitnesses. They are indeed becoming increasingly emboldened.
There is also the inconvenient truth that there may be another cause for this “wall of silence” besides fear. We should give some thought to that possibility as a concerned community. Are eyewitnesses silent because they know whothe perpetrators are and are seeking to protect them from arrest and prosecution for some reason? What could those reasons be? Family relationships? Friendship? Complicity? I would like to suggest that any of these reasons would make us guilty of being “an accessory after the fact”, in my opinion, or in the least case scenario a contributor to this cycle of violence and death. There can be no plausible excuse for anyone to turn a blind eye to the willful and merciless killing of another human being, and feel justified in not reporting that information to the relevant authorities whether the perpetrator is a sibling or a friend. Let us not hide behind the cloak of innocence simply because we did not pull the trigger— because the blood of the next victim caused by the same emboldened criminal will be on our hands!
There is yet another inconvenient truth that must be exposed. There are those among us who declare quite seriously: “Just let them be! They will eventually kill off each other and it will be all over!” Three things! First of all, a number of uninvolved bystanders have been shot in recent times! Secondly, killerswill continue to use killing as their means of resolving issues! Thirdly, these acts negatively affect both our social and economic environment and as such impact our national growth and development. Simply put: these acts can destroyAnguilla!
But there is also the other aspect of this dilemma facing our country. The Commissioner spoke mainly about arrests and prosecution but there is also prevention in the first place which, though it can be facilitated through strong interventions by law enforcement, also requires specific programs to enhance its effectiveness. I have noted the views advanced in the Editorial Section of The Anguillian captioned: “Solving Crime Through Education”. It was suggested that: “education is the key not only to employment and income but to addressing matters of violence and crime, and to promoting goodwill in the community as well.” While there is no doubt that education is critical, there are many other factors which cause youth to exhibit these forms of behaviour which stem from other social and family situations that we cannot afford to ignore. It is all these various agencies and groups working together that will make a difference in the cause of reducing violence among youth in our communities.
As we approach Anguilla Day, and the celebration which that entails, we need to reflect on this scourge of violence and crime that is threatening to destroy the vision fashioned by the architects of the Revolution and their pledge to build a nation “proud, strong and free”. We should not allow our fear and cowardice to embolden those elements in our community who have no regard for the lives of others, or any thought for the future of our island and its people.
I believe that, under the theme: “Rejoice, Rebuild and Reconcile” in this forty-fifth year of the Revolution, we should pledge to stand up to this challenge ready to do what is necessary — with as much hope for the future as those wide-eyed youngsters of 1967. And — let’s take our country back!
