VI Independence is inevitable – Hon. Christopher
As part of a panel on the Speak Out BVI radio programme aired on June 11, 2013 consisting of Hon. Christopher, Director of Culture Luce Hodge-Smith and host Douglas Wheatley, Deputy Director of Culture Brenda Lettsome-Tye said, “The only step left for us to have is independence.”
Hon. Christopher said this would be the final advancement for the Territory while Mrs Lettsome-Tye added, “We have as much autonomy as the Territory can get at this point in time… we have actually scaled the gamut of development as a Territory.”
According to Hon. Christopher, getting policies, signs and symbols in place such as the Territorial Dress and the Territorial Song, are all measures in preparation for the next level – independence.
Together, the trio serve as part of the Territory Day Committee and discussed issues related to the holiday which will be observed on July 1, 2013. The panel expressed hopes that the holiday would become an annual one.
During its discussions, the panel reflected on the 1949 march and raised the issue of whether the Virgin Islands would still be celebrating Territory Day in twenty years’ time.
The general agreement was that the issue should remain under discussion for the meanwhile, “It is something for discussion,” Hon. Christopher said, “but I hope that we would be beyond that.”
The legislator, who also serves as the co-chair of the committee, reasoned that life is a journey and argued that if those men didn’t take a stand in that time, then the VI might still be somewhere trying to find its way.
She urged that there should be no complacency and felt that the Territory’s full potential should be exercised. “The journey has not ended, the journey continues,” Hon. Christopher said.
Though there may be no date on the horizon just yet for the ultimate event, Hon. Christopher suggested that the outcome is inevitable because Virgin Islanders are a resilient people. “We are a vigilant people, we are quiet but, we know and we are following the footsteps of our past leaders,” she stated.
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47 Responses to “VI Independence is inevitable – Hon. Christopher”
The financial services industry counts for some 80% of our annual income, what product or service do we have or will be bringing to offer to be able to bring in that same % of income? These people just talk because they have a whole in their faces that allows them to make noise. They have not done any proper research to show what our country will survive on when we go independent.
St. Maarten who had a booming tourist industry went independent a few years ago and is struggling because they thought they couldve been self sustainable but it has been proven that they were very wrong. Please sit and discuss with people who have done it and listen as they are experiencing the major financial issues that comes with going independent and having your own currency.
If these politicians and other government officials and so called educated people would stop being greedy and corrupt and look out for the best interest of the country instead of filling their own & friends pockets, things would be a lot better. Then the rules put in place to help grow and benefit our country would not cause such an uproar. Lots of food for thought
so stop ur crap!!!!
In the interest of our future (and the impending global financial/currency realignment or crash) I say we negotiate Now with the USA, Cananda or the UK, and exchange some of our finance system for the option of shared ownership (and residency rights) with the US, or Cananda.
Keep enough to remain viable (ie Isle of Man/New York) and work within the new global framework. We have no choice, right?
Gibraltar has such an arrangement - called a "condominium" arrangement.
I'd rather be a (semi) dependant of the US/UK/Canada than to risk independence!
Who'd want that under NDP-we cant feed or defend ourselves - my three cents
She must be think we crazy llike ...?
It's has taken us over 8 years to complete a hospital that we cannot afford to outfit with equipment, supplies and qualified employees.
Our sewage is running in the street in various communities and after million of dollars and several government, we still can't figure out what to do and how to fix it.
Our schools are full of mold, they are literally falling apart, funding for schools and programs are not available.
Our roads are crumbling under us as we drive. We are so fortunate that we do not have any serious accidents with all the undermine roads.
75% or more of our tourist reaches us through St. Thomas and by Ferry and we do not have adequate, reliable ferry services. Our ports looks like Sanford's Junk Yard.
Our roads are filthy and over grown with trees in various parts of the country.
We can't even figure out transportation to Anegada that is reliable.
The cost of living is off the chain, no regulations.
Oh yeah, and we spend the US $$$.....
GO AHEAD, FIGHT FOR INDEPENCE.........WE HAVE SOOOOOOO MUCH TO GAIN.
Tell this gang call government, please leave us alone. Tell them to Stop: ignoring crime, wasting our money, playing favourites, ignoring unemployment, promising projects which never materialise, avoiding giving us the true financial picture, travelling first class on our money and trying to censor the media from reporting about what is going on, they need to start answering questions in the House of Assembly and stop hiding behind the standing orders to cover up the fact that you are doing many things under the table that are not transparent. UK please do not leave us alone with this NDP gang.
Why?
Once you can answer that without offering some cock-n-bull nonsense about national pride and identity then we can have a discussion.
Those things are just fancy clothes and make-up you want to try on because you think you going to look better in them, and be a better person.
But in the end it's just self flattery, false pride and some stupid narcissistic feeling that we as a a people must be 'fulfilled'. Our forefathers marched for justice and fairness, not because they wanted our tiny islands to pretend at being a big nation in the world. They weren't foolish like we today.
That "last step" you fantasize about is nothing more than grass being greener on the other side and a desire to feel self important. Is a BVIslander disease - there's always someone or something holding us back from being this perfect, powerful big-shot. Who to blame, who to blame .... Nonsense. Check yes elf, BVI. aint nothing missing, just intelligence, principles and love.
Personally, as much as I love the VI I don't trust our politician to even lead us to water so I'll have to abandon ship.
1. Will we still retain the US dollar? - No
2. Will we still be able to obtain UK passport? - No
3. Will our financial services remain robust as the Premier calls it? - No
4. Will we have the protection of the British Navy and be a Red Ensign shipping Registry? - No
5. What about all the previous agreements made while we were a Dependent Territory. are they still in effect? - No
6. Will we sustain ourselves with the current two pillars in place? - No
Dolores has done no in depth research nor had any guidance from anyone in the field of constitutional law. Listening to fellow elected officials with grand ideas of development and trying to avoid the red tape is not the answer. Anyways for that sort of move for independence there would have to be a referendum and sure the people would vote against going independent.