Alred C. Frett. Photo: VINO/File

Even when we believe that we are on the wrong road, and our survival depends on the ability to change in order to make a better difference, we dread the unknown, and become too afraid to make the move... However, wrong roads will never lead to right destinations, and as Practice becomes Habit, Habits will become Tradition, Traditions will become Culture, and then we become the casualties of Customs.

After so many years of not getting Work Permits processed in a timely manner, it is a positive surprise to see a significant improvement…. Some feel I should be grateful, and I am always grateful for everything, but it goes to show that, what was taking a year to be done could be accomplished in less than 2 weeks, and what took months, could be done within Days... My concern is whether or not this will fade or last.

There is no doubt that the Blind can lead the Blind, and all that is unknown is the Destination... As we pass this misguided mentality on to our Children, they grow accustomed to the grip of ignorance, and rather than being sensible, they become sensitive… They truly believe that they were born to suffer, so they become lambs for the Slaughter, with no ambition, reason or desire to change or help themselves.

No wonder, they seem confused when I refuse to blindly follow, for while I fully acknowledge that our Physical Being is only here for a while, it is wrong to waste the opportunity in conflicts... Besides, it always seems that Persons who try to hurt, harm, or hinder me, do much more damage to themselves in the long run, so if some Super Force is victorious at fighting my battles, why would I get in their way?

No need to worry about those who will contradict or try to embarrass me... That is their right, for even if they see these things come to pass, I am still just an Ordinary Man, and these are not Prophercies or Miracles… No one invents Truth, and Facts will be Facts, so when South Africa and others denounce the actions of Israel as Genocide and Apartheid, they are simply speaking Truth and stating Facts.

Creating more Troubles to Solve less Problems:

Two wrongs will not make it right, and they may pretend to be innocent victims when they are the ones who threw the gasoline and lit the match… However, Actions have Consequences, and sooner or later, the International Community will acknowledge Palestinians as the real victims of a US and UK Religious bias and Propaganda... In the end Israel with UK’s and USA’s support will make herself a Global Pariah.

Our African Brothers and Sisters know what it means to be occupied and oppressed... The UK and US turned blind Eyes, and refused to restrain the false Judaism, Christianity, and Political Insanity, so our struggle is still not over... As pre-programmed Descendants of Slaves, we still remain the last ones to realise that we are being fooled and ruled by the invisible hands of the Masters and Imaginary Friends of our Foes.

If one fails to care for themselves then no one will, and it is ironic that those who seek to rule and instruct us, fail to follow their own advice... America prides herself as the World’s great Controller, but unable to control Trump or the Gunmen slaughtering her School Children by the scores... Meanwhile, UK acts like the Official Keeper of Moral Values while her leading Politicians are arrested for Homosexual Rape.

Don’t tell us; show us, for as they focus on making us homeless and landless, they teach us that by being meek and turning the other cheek, God will protect us, and we will inherit the Earth… Maybe, Palestinians believed this, until they finally realised that things got worse, and all they inherited was six feet of grave dirt after death… Meanwhile, the Oppressors remained intent on controlling every remaining inch of soil.

The Wickham’s Cay Palmgrove Shopping Centre was a Local Investment and Commercial Enterprise, designed to provide a living for its Owners, but due to Governmental Negligence, it is being treated like an abandoned Property, in a worse condition than Government’s RT O’Neal Admin Complex... Under such conditions, it is only fair that Government compensates these Owners for their loss of Earnings.

Instead, they seek to further deprive them of their Property... Some see it as mere grains of sand, but just as mustard seeds produce the Giant Trees that make the Forest, these grains of sand are what will make an Island... Wickhams Cay may be here long after we are gone, but this is not about us, but about generations still to come, and the empty Plot is evidence of Political Corruption and Fake Representation.

As We Become Unable to Survive in our own Homes:

The fight against injustice must continue because, the more we tolerate Wrongs, the sooner that time will come when the Prison cannot hold all the Criminals… No wonder the UK was only prepared to give us a Mental Ward and Prison, until I fought for a New Hospital… Clearly, they considered us as being no more than Crazy People or Criminals, and it seems that our Leaders are intent on proving them right.

We struggle in debt, but instead of building ladders to get us out, we are digging tunnels to take us back to the VI Days of Poverty… I speak of successes like the Bridge, Hospital, UK Passports, etc., but there were times when I tried and failed... Times like fighting to ensure VIslanders had a right to Fish and Taxi, because as Children, Fishing and Taxiing were the only ways for local Families to survive.

Without fresh Fish and Ground Provision, we would have gone hungry... Even now you hear exaggerated tales of how we fed the USVI... Today, it may be necessary to regulate foreign fishing within our Waters, but it is painfully wrong to watch our Governments impose and enforce harsh restrictions that would prevent local parents and the children of destitute families, from legally obtaining food for their survival.

We have now reached a point of having more Cars than Drivers, but not so long ago, the VI was so poor that it took a village or a huge family to pool their resources in order to buy a 2^nd Hand Car as a means of transportation and income generator… This was one of the building blocks for VIslanders, and it is sad to see the restrictions and difficulties imposed on our locals when trying to obtain a basic Taxi License.

Persons who claim ‘oversupply’ may prefer to see more restrictions than in a Communist State, but when restrictions become unrestricted, the People suffer… Capitalism is based on Supply and Demand, and a vibrant supply of Goods and Services, will self-regulate, as they control Prices and Inflation... This is necessary for the success of a Nation, but our Country is over-stressed and moving in the wrong direction.

Medicine Safety Week??

So far, we have been lucky to have survived Irma and Covid-19, but their residual effects plus all the modern pressures of the day, have compromised the Health of our people, and another Disaster or Pandemic could easily wipe out most of us… This means that Health Services, especially Preventative, should be top priority, but present conditions that place NHI in jeopardy, also place our People at risk.

While this may seem like a trivial matter, like everything, we never miss the Water until the Well runs dry... It should be clear to all concerned that NHI’s failure to meet its obligations could result in a chain reaction… With Providers unable to meet their obligations, the Suppliers will be unable to meet their obligations, and their Suppliers unable to meet their obligations, etc., etc… In the end, both Patients and Country will suffer.

With the Sick and Dead People unable to work for the Contributions to fund the NHI Scheme, this will certainly collapse... While this will mean the end of the Huge NHI and Government Salaries, it would also result in the destruction of our Economy, and a vibrant Brain Drain to wherever our Passports will take us... Once again, our Country would be reclaimed as a Bird Sanctuary, living off Handouts and British Aid.

 Of course, I may be wrong, so if you feel that we are going Right then continue, but if we are going Wrong, then the Necessary Changes may be our only hope for Salvation… Unfortunately, we learned to fear Change, even though there is no Progress without Change, and Stagnation is the absence of Change… Too often, it’s not the Change that’s to be blamed, but simply because it came too little and far too late.

Think about it... Some may feel that nothing matters, but you are too smart to be dumb... You know that everything within our Territory and the World, is interconnected, so there is no escaping the reality of Truth... We learned from the history of Persia, that Countries far larger than the US and UK have fallen... By comparison, we are less than the dot over the letter ‘i’, so, we are not invincible...  Just, think about it.

PS:Will continue addressing some of your Questions & Comments on Live BVP Radio Programmes