COMMENTARY: Elections over, time for ruling not for fooling

By Alred Frett, Contributor

It is over but persons still ask what I think about the election results, the Cabinet and resignation and re-application of an elected member?

Well, most of my selections won so I am hopeful … At the same time, they were the ones facing nightly stress and strain on the campaign trail so they – and not I – have the right to make their own decisions on any & all positions

We will judge their work. Although we were fully aware of their inexperience when we voted for them, we also expected them to know and get prepared for what they were begging to get into.

This will require rapid learning and execution because our people have been hurting too long to grin and bear it while their leaders make mistake after mistake.

At the same time, this three-month playhouse is not likely to be a solution. Our concerns about resignation and reapplication of elected members for personal reasons may seem valid and yet unfair because we always complain that candidates run for their own interests and yet we vote to put them in, so, there may be little justification for complaining if they flipflop for personal reasons.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to let UK handle these issues to prevent local liabilities.

Recognizing those placing themselves above the Law

Meanwhile, being quick to claim today’s democracy as based on fairness and justice with no one being above the law ignores the practices of democracies where monarchs, judges and even presidents feel are above the law.

Judge TSz. Ellis demonstrated his unilateral authority to ignore established guidelines, whenever and however he deemed fit. He became the law. So said, he granted Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, a sentence of 47 months in prison, far less than the guideline minimum of 228 months.

He even claimed Manafort “lived an otherwise blameless life & earned admiration of a number of people,” when in fact, Manafort was a federal criminal for decades; acting as if he too was above the law.

His crimes were labelled white-collar crimes and even in this we see blacks habitually given longer Prison sentences as compared to whites. Furthermore, we often join them in maligning and destroying black heroes and role models like Bill Cosby, Martin Luther King Jr, Michael Jackson or anyone they feel provide aspiration and inspiration for the upward mobility of African descendants.

Like Trump targets Obama, they seek to disenfranchise and strike us from history.

However, before being quick to join them in eating your own, first ask about their demons — slave trader, Sir John Hawkins, racist President Trump and mass murderer President Jackson, who’s trail of tears killed many slaves and American Indians.

Who will cast them down from their high perches in gistory?

We see Trump’s false pride in vetoing Bills and Andrew Jackson still being featured on the popular US$20 Bill… The ordinary man may not be aware of the atrocities of President Jackson – please research it – but they are fully known in high places to the point where it has been approved for him to be replaced by Harriet Tubb, who liberated slaves, and, only racism has kept on delaying this.

The effects of racism demands a reject of racism

Think about it. Many of you get upset when I say victimization still happens to slave descendants here in the BVI and what we experience daily is a continuation of plantation practices.

You know I have always told you truth even while encouraging you not to just take my word but research how slavery affected the Virgin Islands. You may be surprised to find this mentality and practice still exist.

The intent is not to make you guilty for only knowing about slavery in the Greater Antilles and not Slavery in the Virgin Islands but to encourage you to find the pages that expose what happened here in the absence of fairness and justice.

Willful failure in not knowing our own history feeds the failure to overcome victimization and leaves us victims to the same old master and slave mentality.

This affliction is international as Human Rights leaders openly acknowledge the recent action of this manmade pestilence by noting that the horrific, racist attack on two New Zealand mosques that killed 50 persons was fueled by racism, nationalism and anti-immigrant feelings that seem to be rising worldwide — a tide of hatred that is taking many of its cues from the United States of America.

The custom for Nations to assess their values based on the suppression and oppression of others will not police itself even when it means the eventual fall of the oppressor.

In this process Victors often become victims and many who now flex their muscles, sprang from those they now overpower and newly displaced empires find themselves scratching for semblance of self-worth and identity.

It is impossible to see reality unless we face it

In less than two weeks UK is scheduled to exit the European Union because of the sentimentalities of the same nationalistic, anti-immigrant and racism agenda. Yet, even as they demand that we, their colonies, must have plans and foresight in order to secure their approval for our existence, they have been unable to formulate a plan for their own Brexit experiment after some two years.

One may question whether blind is leading blind when they never contemplated that a ‘No Deal Brexit’ could destroy their economy as truck deliveries face new pressures on their cargos resulting in delays, shortages of fresh produce and a need for UK’s Health Services to stockpile medicines.

If ‘Mama Country’ have difficulty looking out for herself then what about us, her helpless children? Isn’t it ordained by the God of nature and laws of balance that parents are obliged to secure what is best for their offspring?

This could be a valid argument for those US parents accused of cheating to get their children into the best schools. So what? We have always wished for level playing fields but history &and hard knocks have taught us well so public exposure of their cheating in no news to us.

Fact is, we are conditioned to know that we have to be several times better than other races in order to simply stand a chance.

Much of this result from our ancestors and children being held back or denied education and even when allowed to attend school, the best ones are segregated, privatized or too expensive for the children of poor black families. This is another way of locking us out.

Learning to Lead requires learning to heed

In addition, the practice of employment based on institutional certification – even if faked – creates a class structure where those fortunate enough to enter are quick to lock the door behind them and create obstacles in their own interest rather than the national interest.

This has now become a feature in our public health system and let’s hope this new government is not that deaf and dumb.

Let’s hope they learn quickly from others so my suggestion to newly elected ministers is to use and appreciate the experience and expertise of civil servants while being careful not to be handicapped by their ambitions and self-importance.

The English sitcom ‘Yes Minister’ may be a helpful teacher about permanent secretaries and ministers so study it as if your success depended on it. It does.

Meanwhile, we must recognize our potential as well as limitations and thereby realize agriculture, property ownership and social services like health and education are no less important than tourism, financial services and recreation.

Our people have suffered too long. We deserve much better so it would be most unwise to oppress us with abuses or disrespect us with excuses.