BVP (Truth for the Youth)… A GOVERNOR’S PROMISE FOR AUGUST 1ST
Alred C. Frett - Thursday, August 9th, 2012 at 7:26 AM
Alred C. Frett
There is much to be said & done and although Today marks Week #4 since I was thrown off ZBVI for telling Truth we will not waste time on that issue because they know they are wrong & can correct it if they so chose… I am thankful for positive International Feedback and grateful that Local Stations ZROD 103.7 FM & ZVCR 106.9FM will carry us at 6pm on Saturdays.
Over the past weeks I’ve withheld my Internet Articles so as to allow the Festival Organizers & our People unimpeded chance to experience the process although Reports suggest that Questions still remain as to Why & What we are celebrating and whether those who understand care?… The Official Holidays are now over except for recently created Events for Out District Participation.
Some appear to have Politically Personalized the Period and while I remain a staunch believer in putting BV-Islanders first we should never overlook the fact that Caribbean Brothers & Sisters not only shared our fate of Slavery but made positive contribution to our Country and should share in these Celebrations… To claim otherwise shows an open ignorance of our joint Histories,
Records show that even before Abe Lincoln’s 1862 ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ and 13th Amendment of 1865 the West Indies had their own Emancipation of 1838- [ some claim 1834].
Sadly many of our own People are unaware of these Documents and would rather that we remain the only People destined to walk behind like lost Sheep rather than in front or alongside.
We have been so well programmed to erect & worship Portraits of Masters, Imaginary Gods, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, Last Supper & other Religious Relics that we totally ignore evidence of our own History including Copies of Emancipation Proclamations and 13th Amendment of the Constitution … Festival is now merely a time for Intoxication & Vulgarity.
This self-defeating ignorance as regards the Facts behind our Ancestors Emancipation have led me to reproduce a Copy of this Document as told to Field Slaves in 1838…Please research the underlined sections to see if the present Ill-effects being suffered by us as Descendants of these Slaves cannot be directly traced to the Political, Legal & Religious hypocrisy of this Document,
WEST INDIES ‘EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION’
Governor Lionel Smith
“In a few days more you will all become Free Labourers — the Legislature of the Island having relinquished the remaining two years of your apprenticeship… The 1st of August next is the happy day when you will become free — under the same laws as other free men, whether white, black, or coloured. I, as your Governor, give you joy of this great blessing.
Remember that in freedom you will have to depend on your own exertions for your livelihood, and to maintain and bring up your families. You will work for such wages as you can agree upon with your employers. It is their interest to treat you fairly. It is your interest to be civil, respectful, and industrious.
Where you can agree and continue happy with your own masters, I strongly recommend you to remain on those properties on which you have been born, and where your parents are buried. But you must not mistake in supposing that your present houses, gardens, or provision grounds, are your own property.
They belong to the proprietors of the estates, and you will have to pay rent for them in money or labour, according as you and your employers may agree together. Idle people who will not take employment, but go wandering about the country, will be taken up as vagrants, and punished in the same manner, as they are in England…
The ministers of religion have been kind friends to you — listen to them — they will keep you out of troubles and difficulties… Recollect what is expected of you by the people of England, who have paid such a large price for your liberty…
They not only expect that you will behave yourselves as The Queen’s good subjects, by obeying the laws, as I am happy to say you always have done as apprentices; but that the prosperity of the Island will be increased by your willing labour, greater beyond what it ever was in slavery.
Be honest towards all men — be kind to your wives and children — spare your wives from heavy field work, as much as you can — make them attend to their duties at home, in bringing up your children, and in taking care of your stock — above all, make your children attend Divine Service and School.
If you follow this advice, you will, under God’s blessing, be happy and prosperous”.
Given under my hands & seal at arms, at Saint Jago de la Vega, this 9th day of July, in the 2nd Year of Her Majesty’s Reign. Annoque Dommi, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. — By His Excellency’s Command, C H Darling, Sec.
This month of August can be a month of Knowledge by researching this & other Documents in order to ascertain whether Physical Freedom can ever exist in the presence of Mental Bondage… We may find that whoever denies our Children Knowledge denies them Life – BVI-News, VINO, ZROD & ZVCR should all be lauded for carrying BVP with ‘Truth for the Youth’
This article was posted in its entirety as received by bvinews.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of bvinews.com, its sponsors or advertisers.
25 Comments
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I don’t really got much time for most of Alred’s hot air, though I appreciate his putting that interesting document out there and agree we should all look to LEARN more.
But I strongly agree with Mr. Nonsense. For one, religion is not required for goodness to abide in the hearts of men and women. That, you cannot deny.
Two, the church people really are the ones who have to justify their beliefs. They are the ones who believe in imaginary forces that listen in to our thoughts and get upset if we think, say or do the wrong thing. This force gets jealous of other gods and angry at the drop of a hat. It’s so quick to judge that it causes people to fight and kill in its name even while it has the power to stop it. It can do ANYTHING it wants. They believe in stories in a book that was cobbled together over more than a thousand years of adding, subtracting, editing and translating, usually by people with a personal or political agenda. It contradicts itself from start to finish, but they choose to believe different sections on different occasions. So, we don’t,as the Bible says, stone people to death for looking at another man’s wife, but aside from that and the thousand other lunacies it contains, we must do exactly as this random set of documents tells us. And if you don’t, you are bad – worse than those that do. Lower class. A lesser human.
So, while I do not have a big problem people going to church, I do have a problem with those people judging others if they don’t go to the same or any church.
And people need to watch it. It’s not coincidence the speech that governor gave ended by telling them they must go to church. This always been one way the powerful control the population – by keeping them ignorant and superstitious.
Go to church, fine. But don’t spread hate in its name.
I don’t really got much time for most of Alred’s hot air, though I appreciate his putting that interesting document out there and agree we should all look to LEARN more.
But I strongly agree with Mr. Nonsense. For one, religion is not required for goodness to abide in the hearts of men and women. That, you cannot deny.
Two, the church people really are the ones who have to justify their beliefs. They are the ones who believe in imaginary forces that listen in to our thoughts and get upset if we think, say or do the wrong thing. This force gets jealous of other gods and angry at the drop of a hat. It’s so quick to judge that it causes people to fight and kill in its name even while it has the power to stop it. It can do ANYTHING it wants. They believe in stories in a book that was cobbled together over more than a thousand years of adding, subtracting, editing and translating, usually by people with a personal or political agenda. It contradicts itself from start to finish, but they choose to believe different sections on different occasions. So, we don’t,as the Bible says, stone people to death for looking at another man’s wife, but aside from that and the thousand other lunacies it contains, we must do exactly as this random set of documents tells us. And if you don’t, you are bad – worse than those that do. Lower class. A lesser human.
So, while I do not have a big problem people going to church, I do have a problem with those people judging others if they don’t go to the same or any church.
And people need to watch it. It’s not coincidence the speech that governor gave ended by telling them they must go to church. This always been one way the powerful control the population – by keeping them ignorant and superstitious.
Go to church, fine. But don’t spread hate in its name.
I do not remember this West Indies Emancipation Proclamation document being discussed in either primary or secondary school. Admittedly and regrettably I was absent for far too many days. Perhaps, it was during my frequent absences that this document was discussed. But I do remember but vaguely the discussion on the War of Roses, Hundred Year War, John Hawkins, Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, Christopher Columbus, Henry VIII…….etc. Nonetheless, this Proclamation is an interesting and somewhat condescending document though. Our foreparents were viewed not as free men and women as other subjects but as free labourers.
Clearly, inspite of what the Proclamation intended, our foreparents were not viewed as equals. They had to continue to fight for equality and their descendants are still waging a battle for freedom and equality.
Labourers had no power to negotiate wages then just as they do now. The Proclamation give our foreparents the right to leave the plantations and negotiate their own deals. But they were not really free. The plantation owners were are an oligarchy and had power, influence and leverage over the supposedly free labourers. They had no choice but to stay on the plantations and continue to be abused and exploited.
Like it was in 1834, the few today that has the economic resources control the many. politicians and the masses have the authority and the vote and apparent power but the rich, powerful and connected has true power.
We are nearing the end of this year’s Emancipation celebrations but are Virgin Islanders coming away with a greater appreciation for and meaning of the celebration? Will the “Bruk it Down” song be more meaningful than the celebration? We need to value the celebration more, for we cannot appreciate what we do not value. Lets appreciate and value the blood, sweat, tears, abuse, and sacrifices endured by our foreparents. If they can see us, let them shed tears of joy and satisfaction, not sadness.
True emancipation is political, social and economic independence.
The BVI needs all of the above–but we seem to lack the psychological and mental will to grasp our destiny.
That is the point of Alred Frett’s article.
Robert, well stated. True and insightful. In many of our regional independent, sister countries, the populace have the power of the vote to elect a goverment and, in turn, the government is empowered to establish laws, regulations, policies…….etc to govern the countries. Yet they do not have true power; they are beholden to external forces who often times are not interested in the long-term interest of the countries but rather attaining large returns on their investment.
Political, social and economical power are foundational for independence. Thus, if the BVI is truly serious about self determination/independence, these three forces must drive the debate. They go together like brick and mortar, bread and butter…..etc. Recently, there has been much talk about independence. Well, if we are going to have the debate, it must start with and include these core, foundational drivers.
Thanks, Quiet Storm!
Our forefathers were set free on 01 August 1834 with just the rags on their backs to fend for themselves. Yes they were free on paper yet due to circumstances they were reenslaved and exploited on the plantations. They were not in any position to negotiate fair and reasonable wages with the masters; it was a take it or leave it situation(it was Hobson’s choice). Lets remember they own no land, equipment, money, or housing. All they had was labour. They were free and indepependent.
Silmilarly like forefathers was not ready for their freedom or independence then so too is the BVI not ready for independence today. The BVI does not have the strategic and stable natural resources to earn the hard currency to be independent. Financial services and tourism are at best fragile industries and will be highly risky to base intependence on. We can explore the possibilities but a cost-benefit analysis will show that the cost outweigh the benefits by miles. Remember income is not a strategic natural resource. Income can flow from natural resources but it is not a resource.
As such our best bet is to pursue more autonomy as an OT or some other status with the UK or some regional grouping. AC thanks for the info.
Why should ‘nonsense’ grow a brain? I don’t agree with what he/she says all the time but they’re right. There are good people that are not christian and bad people that claim to be christian. That is no lie and you are proving it with those harsh words with nothing to back it up.
Mr. Frett, thank you for sharing that information on the “Emancipation Declaration”. I had never read it before, and it is surely something to ponder. I see much negative comments about it, but you are right with at least one thing: people need to read and try to understand what they read…you call it research but when others have done the researching and bring the material to the public, the least the public can do is to try to appreciate the fact that here is some new knowledge, or fact that they didn’t have before, rather than castigate the person who brings the information. I do not see anyone writing disparaging comments about some of the philospphers of the past, some who had very radical ideas as well. Maybe they are ignorant to such things, but the point is, we all have a mind and the potential to be reasonable, but some people do not give themselves the chance to reason with what they read. They see something that their conditioning tells them is not so, or something that is opposite to what they have been taught, and immediately they take offence and becomes violent against the person who is expressing an idea that is alien to them.
It is not unusual to find the closest of persons having different views on a matter. This does not mean that you must disqualify everything that the other person has to offer because you do not agree with a particular thing. People grow and become better as human beings when they learn to respect other people’s opinions even if they do not agree with it.
Again, thanks for sharing this information. It reflects the mentality of the master class at the time, and although there are some good in it, such as the advice about treating your family well, the part about being picked up as vagrants because you do not have employment by your former master is somewhat unsettling. I wonder if persons were able to be self-employed under the system at that time. If you have the information to continue enlightening the public about the emancipation issue, I’d appreciate your continued contribution on this subject.
Thanks.
People that are brainwashed have no sense of reason. Whatever they believe is the be all end all and everything and everyone else can go to ‘hell’. They don’t need your information because their ‘PASTAH’ already told them anybody trying to tell them anything other than what he’s teaching, is the devil trying to entrap them. Not realizing that being closeted behind the church walls, ignoring facts when they’re right in front their faces is what’s killing them and why they can’t get any further. As the idiot below said, if you don’t believe in God and Christianity, you are bad for the youth. I’m considered ‘youth’ and the best thing that every happened to me is when I opened my mind to realize that life is a lot more about being scared about things you know nothing of and castigating others for the same. It’s hilarious to see how they get so antsy when you confront them about the BS. These people will throw their own family and kids under the bus, but don’t dare touch their ‘PASTAH’.
Believe not because some old manuscripts are produced, believe not because it is your national belief, believe not because you have been made to believe from your childhood, but reason truth out, and after you have analyzed it, then if you find it will do good to one and all, believe it, live up to it and help others live up to it.
The history of religious belief on Earth with all of it concepts, doctrines and rituals of all sorts designed to propitate and beseech any number of gods and goddesses. Although many people believe religion to be a good and necessary thing, no ideology is more divisive than religion, which rends humanity in a number of ways through extreme racism,sexism and even speciesism.
Religion, in fact is dependent
on division, because it requires an enemy, whetheer it be earthly or in another dimension. Religion dictates that some people are special or even chosen while others are immoral and evil, and it too often insists that it is the duty of the “chosen” to destroy the others. Religion
puts a face on the devine itself that is sectarian, sexist and racist, portraying a male god of particulr ethnicity, for example, The result is that, over the centuries, humankind has become utterly divided among itself and disconnected fron mature and life around it, such that it stands on the verge of chaos. More horrors have been caused in the name of God and religion than can be chronicled……..
just a thought
since alred frett knows all tell us the the fate of mankind and what will happen in the end
of TIME . are you a god? where did we come from
where are we going. can you bring peace to this
earth. if you have the power prove yourself.
i bet if you did not have your babylonian wealth making you a god unto yourself’ you would not be all knowing and self righteous.
you can kick all you want. what is your reality do you really know what is to come
can you save the world can you bring back the
dead!!! WHO ARE YOU PLEASE TELL US CAN YOU SAVE THE WORLD> GODRED THE ALL KNOWING !!!!!
give us SOLUTIONS
Oh Boy!!! I think that is like putting a little bit too much presure on a brother.
Silly WABBIT.
Somebody needs to extend help to Mr Frett does he has any family member that cares for him to help him. When you reach to the point of complaining about everything and you are not a part of the solution, and it has gone beyond the point where he is now criticizing GOD it is sad. He looks normal to me but he is not acting that way. SOMNEBODY PLEASE PLEASE HELP HIM. thank you.
ALRED the document that you published for the people to read about our freedom and emancipation, what is your point? Did you read and understand it, and if you did, do you believe the instructions if followed will lead you to a quality life? It stated that we should listen to our Ministers of Religion, behave yourselves, and send your children to Divine School. The reasoning in your commentary that people are programmed to erect false Gods, and suggesting that the Lord’s prayer is one of those false relics, has blown me out of the water. I am not judging you, but from reading your commentary, I deduced from it that you are an ATHEIST. This being said, you are not good for the YOUTHS, because you are going to teach them to misbehave and not have respect for authorities, and to believe that there is no GOD. So ALRED, are you saying that believing in GOD, (A power greater than ourselves), being Civil, and abiding by laws and regulations, (all stated in the Emancipation Manifesto), are BELITTLING? Are you saying that choosing ROGUE behaviour, and not holding anything SACRED is a better way? Well do not have any young children, but I have young nieces, nephews and cousins, and I will warn them not to listen to a word you have to see, because you will lead them astray.
So not believing in ‘God’ means you condone misbehaving? WTF?? So all Muslims and non-christian folks living amongst us are evil doers who cannot behave themselves? Do you realize how DUMB you sound? We have more Churches and Prisons now than ever, are things any better? What does that tell you? I beg you hush from spewing brainwashed bullshit to people. You can LOVE and RESPECT without being brainwashed or subscribing and holding on to ‘one thing’ or another!!
@Nonsense
You sound just ALRED, you read but don’t understand what you read. . You sound very angry, maybe you and Mr. Frett should seek theraphy together.
Therapy? I don’t believe in ghosts and goblins my friend, those people are the ones that need therapy, trust me. You said he’s an Athiest, which by definition means he does not believe in religion and by that fact he’s bad for the youth. That’s what you said! read your own post over again as you seem to have issues with what you wrote. There are good people that don’t believe in god and really bad people who do, that’s life. That’s why nothing is in ‘black’ and ‘white’ like some of you think.
To Nonsense – Please, Please GROW A BRAIN!
@nonsense
You talk just like what your screen name suggests, PURE NONSENSE. I will not be answering your comments again, because you won’t understand anyway, because you are not rational.
I have a brain and use it, too bad you need fairy tales to justify your being. How Christian of you to disrespect me just because I don’t share your stupid ideology!!??!! You all are some really sick people, living completely opposite to what you claim to believe in.
And I bet you believe Jesus was a blue eyed white man right? Cause the pictures you were shown in sunday school right? Not taking into the fact the region Jesus was born right?
nonsense i am wondering if alred is your family u sound like him soon start act like him
You obviously someone over the age of 100. Take your blood pressure pills and HUSH YOUR ASS!
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