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'Don't mistake calm for peace'- Claude O. Skelton-Cline

- says VI should reconcile relationship with UK
Commentator and clergyman Mr Claude O. Skelton-Cline has admonished the Virgin Islands (VI) to reconcile its relationships with the United Kingdom (VI) and not mistake calm for peace.. Photo: VINO/File
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI- The Virgin Islands (VI) is being encouraged to reconcile its relationships with the United Kingdom (VI) and not mistake calm for peace.

According to the talk show host, the VI must find a path to peace with the UK.

Relationships with the UK and the VI have been strained recently, with the colonial power accused of trying to block the VI's path to self-determination and plotting to re-colonise the territory either by controlling its finances or imposing direct rule.

The VI has so far managed to resist both; however, the relationship remains a tense one, in the wake of the UK-sponsored Commission of Inquiry in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Order in Council to suspend the local constitution if the VI fails to implement CoI recommendations within a certain timeframe.

'Don't mistake calm for peace'

According to Skelton-Cline, there are spirits loose in the air that is violating everything that is held as dear and cause for cohesions, collaborations and partnerships. It was at that point that he said, "Even with us the reconciling of our relationship with the UK," Mr Skelton-Cline said on his Honestly Speaking show on ZBVI 780AM on January 10, 2023.

"We have to find a path to peace and we cannot mistake calmness for peace, we cannot mistake calm for peace. When you have peace there would be calm but you can have calm without having peace."

The clergyman reminded the people of the territory of the need to remain prayerful, and mindful.

23 Responses to “'Don't mistake calm for peace'- Claude O. Skelton-Cline”

  • HMMM (15/01/2023, 22:23) Like (17) Dislike (9) Reply
    You can never expect peace nor calm when dealing with the colonial empire that have deceived and destroyed countries far bigger than the BVI. Their history informs who they are and what to expect.
  • asking for a friend (15/01/2023, 22:29) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    He start to sell out like the slow man?
  • Stay Woke (15/01/2023, 22:31) Like (13) Dislike (10) Reply
    The BVI should know that the UK will stop at nothing to get what they want and at all of our expense as this was clear when they used an 1880 COI Act in the 21st century to champion their pre-arranged COI and recommendations to try to justify their actions. Slavery was abolished in the BVI in 1834 so the COI Act was only 46 years after slavery was abolished which is why it was outdated and not democratic. We need to take legal actions against this high-handed abuse of power. We agree that things need improving but not in a way that goes after who they hate whether justified or not and leaving themselves and who they love out.
  • Black Lives Matter (15/01/2023, 22:35) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Any country that has any leader above the law and instead have them being the law is a country under a dictatorship. Currently the President of America and former President have to answer questions about concerns raised about their questionable actions. The system and not "a one man" or "a small group of senior public Officers" will determine the process and outcome. However, in modern times, the 21st century, the Governor of the UK is above the law and will become the law by suspending a constitution and run a country how they see fit through two orders in council. This is dictatorship. In the 21st century when the Governor alone can call a COI & determine the terms of reference and he alone hire the Commissioner for the COI and the staff with no transparent process or procurement, then this is dictatorship. To add insult to injury that no one can call a COI on him or have him looked into as he alone is over the police force and audit, and he alone can call a COI. THIS IS DICTATORSHIP!!! In the 21st century when a Governor can fail the police force especially in terms of development of the human capital & fail the public service but have these and more failures and questionable actions covered up by high handed actions geared at showing the apparent failure of others is not democracy but dictatorship. If the president of the USA is allowed to be held accountable by the law and the people, then so can the Governor and those UK senior public Officials over the Governor. Let us stop letting them play games with our minds and our future. It is time for balance. It is time for fairness. It is time to eliminate this kind of double standards. There should not be any discrepancy between how leaders are handled by the law and the judiciary and audit and the overall system.
  • Hold the Uk & Governor accountable (15/01/2023, 22:38) Like (8) Dislike (8) Reply
    The Governor must be made to make public what did he write in his document to the UK to get the Parliament in UK and the Privy Council to issue the Order in Council. Also ask him the same thing about the financial services with public registry where he has another pending order in council to force down our throats. Those two pieces of information and everything related to them needs to be made public. I am sure that in both will reveal that the facts were massaged to fit their devious purpose. The people of the BVI need to know what was in those documents sent by the Governor so that they can have a fair and transparent opportunity to defend themselves. In a time of when the Governor and UK is calling for transparency, they have acted under a cloud of secrecy and deceit. This information must be known & known now. They should have no reason to keep this information private while they are using it to act publicly. This is our only hope of trying to put an end to these colonial dictatorship actions.
    • pat (16/01/2023, 08:20) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      The people of the BVI and anyone worldwide can access this information because the COI was done publically.The information is available to all of us to see the transparent COI hearings and the 900 page COI report and our governments framework agreement with the UK these are the links. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyn16Lamjc0trQoAz-ukWMABritish https://www.bvibeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/COI-Report-Print-Version.pdf https://bvi.gov.vg/sites/default/files/resources/revised_report_summary_-_november_2022_002.pdf
  • here we go again (15/01/2023, 22:41) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    The Governor is over the public service and has failed it for the past 30yrs but did a COI to get the blame shift from highlighting their failures and make our people think we are failures. This is so wrong.
  • wake up bvi (15/01/2023, 22:44) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    You have all the below rejecting the Governor and UK Authority dictatorship moves especially with the Order in Council for direct rule:
    1) The United Nations
    2) CARICOM
    3) USVI GOVERNOR
    4) OECS
    If all these were against actions of our public servants, local and Caribbean people and our politicians’ decisions and all of them kept moving forward regardless, the majority of us would have been hitting the ceiling if they failed to listen to them but we want to give the Governor and his UK Authorities a free pass. It is time to end dictatorships of any kind. It is time to end colonialism. It is time to end the two orders in council or any order in council and their attempt at direct rule. It is anti-democratic. We have to come together to stop this wicked act.
  • The law verses right & wrong (15/01/2023, 22:51) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    People of the BVI and elected officials please please please get up and fight for your people. There was a time in America (USA) when it was the law that black people could not go certain places in the country and when they were finally allowed to go, there were assigned places for them like in the back of the bus or at the back of the restaurant in a corner. Failure to adhere to these laws they were arrested. This was against the law the whites in authority implemented but it was a crime against mankind & against true democracy. Although some of these laws has changed, the tactics and mentality remain the same but are administered in a modern way that makes it seem like good trying to stomp out bad. The question is who determines what is bad and is the bad for all sides being sought out. In those days there were blacks telling other blacks not to argue just adhere to the law. Some even said to each other that they (the blacks) caused it on themselves. The Order in Council by the UK Officials who happen to be all caucasians is saying that no matter what your judiciary, policies, or Constitution says, the UK Officials has the right to get rid of them and rule the entire country through their Governor in the way they see best by them and claim it is in the best interest of the people but really is in the best interest of them while they attempt to cover up their failures and try to highlight those of everyone else. Just like in the days of old with slavery and segregation, it is legal but against human rights and democracy. The problem is that they also determine what is democracy and how it should be administered. We agree that there needs to be improvements at all levels but not through dictatorship and fear and the fulfillment of an agenda at the expense of true democracy and the people that can never be in the best interest of the people they want to enslave. As a matter of fact, history has showed that the slave masters were never satisfied with anything those enslaved did as it is hard and downright impossible to negotiate with devil like mentality persons who feel that they are angels and saviors and that all other race is inferior to them.
  • The reality we fight (15/01/2023, 22:55) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    The UK needs to justify to the international world why they need to implement the two Orders of Council. They now have full control of the police force by design with a full senior part of it being persons from the UK. This is their so-called transparent vehicle being used to drive them towards fulfilling their goal of the take over for the money in financial services and other areas. It is not about we the people like some of us think. If we play dead, then we will suffer for a very long time. Prayer without works is useless.
  • fake (16/01/2023, 03:36) Like (8) Dislike (4) Reply
    Fake man of cloth with fake comments.
  • Calm and Peace (16/01/2023, 04:09) Like (7) Dislike (4) Reply
    Calm will come when a loudmouth is arrested, and peace will come for as long as his sentence keeps him quiet.
  • VIP destroy the relationship... (16/01/2023, 05:16) Like (9) Dislike (7) Reply
    Britains knows the high level of corruption and greed that's going on in the BVI with high officials, Britain also knows that the wailing and begging for independent is to protect, shield and to continue their greed and corruption without fear or been checked.. Believe it or not Britain has tbe interest of the citizen at heart.. Don't we forget that Fahie and VIP were the ones calling for investigation into the wall and the plane and when the investigation took place a lot more wrongs were discovered and a lot of it involved the same Fahie and VIP. . Time to come clean and be honest.
    • @VIP destroy the relationship (16/01/2023, 08:10) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
      Totally not factual. This is a political post as the VIP never called for the COI as you are implying. The fact is that there were those who never wanted VIP in power and they lived down by the last guavana carrying false and malicious information to get the VIP out of power and get them back in. They never realized that the devil had his own plans. Some were assured as repayment they would be protected but time will tell. These events is about control of finances and not the people so don't fool yourself otherwise. Now stop playing politics and let's move forward together.
  • Which is it (16/01/2023, 05:49) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
    This player is either grasshopping or moonwalking , but he sure has a way with words , ( while saint andrew playing his rodeo game , this pimp was doing the hassle on him / like slipping and sliding everywhere ????
  • l (16/01/2023, 06:42) Like (0) Dislike (3) Reply
    The part that got me is cracking up is "the BVI resisted both" referring to the allegation that the UK is blocking the BVI's path to self-determination and attempting to recolonize the territory. RESISTED?
  • andrew ghost (16/01/2023, 07:47) Like (9) Dislike (8) Reply
    only now yall want to reconcile with UK, fraud cline we're tired of your [Ms. cleo card readings] ,from the get go that was to be.
  • Things to ponder (16/01/2023, 08:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    How come the COI overlooked all the wrong under the Governor and his responsibilities for the most part and the ones it identified it allowed them to address them without penalty or investigations. People wake up and see that this is a well organized plot to enslave.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (16/01/2023, 10:17) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Mr. Clause Skelron Cline quietness may not be peace, but calm is. In the scripure tbat you do claimed you ministered to others, it is recorded that esus said to the rough sea;: "Peace be still." After He had spoken the sea immediately became calm.

    You are a very contradictory and decieved man. You do decieved many, but not many and me.

    The more you talk is the more you exposed your ignorance to the public. Do yourself a favour, learn to think first before you talk. Doing so will help you greatly.
  • PT09 (16/01/2023, 10:32) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
    Black Lives Matter, The Govenor didn't call the COI we all know it was Andrew Fahie.
  • 2023 (16/01/2023, 14:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    pay attention to the pizza man one moment he is in the river another moment he is on the bank. play the tape one moment NDP another moment VIP……these dam talkshow host
  • Tamara Green (16/01/2023, 15:20) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Don't interpret the hate for you as God's love.
  • @ pt 109 (16/01/2023, 22:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's called selective amnesia , those jokers seems live it , eat it and bathe in it / just like how bees love honey


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