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| Join The Discussion The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer welcomes your e-mails and letters. Submissions should be limited to 1,000 words and are subject to editing. We assume all submissions are meant for publication unless otherwise stated. Submissions may be published on The Observer Web Site, in the print edition or both. Submissions must include the writer's name and a contact number for verification purposes. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of this newspaper. Submissions may be e-mailed to: stevethomas@ thestkittsnevisobserver.com |
| Commentary |
| A 'Toon To Tell? The Observer welcomes submissions of editorial cartoons for use in the print and/or online editions. For submission guidelines, see the bottom of this page. |
Oct. 22, 2008
No Answers, Again
By Steve Thomas
Observer Nevis Editor
stevethomas@thestkittsnevisobserver.com
On the front page of The Observer's Web edition today, there are two stories that originated with the Royal St.
Kitts and Nevis Police. The first story is about a man sought in a shooting incident. The second is about a
temporary ban on explosive fireworks.
In order to better tell these stories, I phoned the police. I wanted to request a photo of the wanted man. I also
wanted to ask some questions about the temporary ban on fireworks, including: Who proposed and who
authorized the ban? Under what power can such a ban be imposed? How long will it be in place? And for the
sake of clarification, does the ban cover the entire Federation?
The telephone operator at police headquarters said the persons who could answer those questions were
gone for the day and no one else could answer those questions. She also said she had no way of reaching
the person who could answer those questions.
I sure hope that police official isn't needed for any other reason.
Because if that person can be reached, it means the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police have adopted lying as
an official practice - a very bad thing for an organization that depends on public trust for its survival.
No Answers, Again
By Steve Thomas
Observer Nevis Editor
stevethomas@thestkittsnevisobserver.com
On the front page of The Observer's Web edition today, there are two stories that originated with the Royal St.
Kitts and Nevis Police. The first story is about a man sought in a shooting incident. The second is about a
temporary ban on explosive fireworks.
In order to better tell these stories, I phoned the police. I wanted to request a photo of the wanted man. I also
wanted to ask some questions about the temporary ban on fireworks, including: Who proposed and who
authorized the ban? Under what power can such a ban be imposed? How long will it be in place? And for the
sake of clarification, does the ban cover the entire Federation?
The telephone operator at police headquarters said the persons who could answer those questions were
gone for the day and no one else could answer those questions. She also said she had no way of reaching
the person who could answer those questions.
I sure hope that police official isn't needed for any other reason.
Because if that person can be reached, it means the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police have adopted lying as
an official practice - a very bad thing for an organization that depends on public trust for its survival.
Sept. 30, 2008
Convenience At Too High A Price
By Anna Gaskell
Observer Reporter
On the roads, in the gutters, dangling from tree branches; plastic bags are everywhere. They’re on the shore,
in the sea, and no doubt in your back yard. They’re an ugly choice of decoration for Charlestown. Head-less
palm trees are dotted all over the island, and plastic bags drift along the roads and clog up the gutters. We
are letting Nevis go to waste. But I still hope we can be better at looking after this place.
The scary thing about these plastic bags is that they break down into tiny toxic particles that get into the soil
and the sea, and then end up in the stomachs of the livestock and fish that we eat. We are poisoning our
own food chain. Are we doing this just out of convenience?
Plastic bags are made from crude oil, of which the earth does not have limitless supplies. Manufacturing
plastic bags for the huge world market requires a lot of energy. We are wasting oil and energy to keep plastic
bags in our lives. Again, are we doing this just out of convenience?
It seems that we’re addicted to convenience. We want to be as lazy as we can possibly get away with. But is it
actually easier to carry five plastic bags from the shops, worrying which one will break first, than to bring one
or two strong bags with you each time you go shopping? These strong bags you can reuse until the threads
start coming loose, and even then, you can just sew them up.
I know it might be hard to phase out plastic bags overnight, but the truth is that we just don’t need them. They’
re not even as convenient as they pretend to be. When they tear, that’s game over. Instead, you could get
yourself a nice strong bag, made of cloth or something like that, and end this slavery to plastic bags. For
good.
Convenience At Too High A Price
By Anna Gaskell
Observer Reporter
On the roads, in the gutters, dangling from tree branches; plastic bags are everywhere. They’re on the shore,
in the sea, and no doubt in your back yard. They’re an ugly choice of decoration for Charlestown. Head-less
palm trees are dotted all over the island, and plastic bags drift along the roads and clog up the gutters. We
are letting Nevis go to waste. But I still hope we can be better at looking after this place.
The scary thing about these plastic bags is that they break down into tiny toxic particles that get into the soil
and the sea, and then end up in the stomachs of the livestock and fish that we eat. We are poisoning our
own food chain. Are we doing this just out of convenience?
Plastic bags are made from crude oil, of which the earth does not have limitless supplies. Manufacturing
plastic bags for the huge world market requires a lot of energy. We are wasting oil and energy to keep plastic
bags in our lives. Again, are we doing this just out of convenience?
It seems that we’re addicted to convenience. We want to be as lazy as we can possibly get away with. But is it
actually easier to carry five plastic bags from the shops, worrying which one will break first, than to bring one
or two strong bags with you each time you go shopping? These strong bags you can reuse until the threads
start coming loose, and even then, you can just sew them up.
I know it might be hard to phase out plastic bags overnight, but the truth is that we just don’t need them. They’
re not even as convenient as they pretend to be. When they tear, that’s game over. Instead, you could get
yourself a nice strong bag, made of cloth or something like that, and end this slavery to plastic bags. For
good.
Oct. 3, 2008
A Few More Questions, Please
By John Denny
Observer Reporter
At a recent press conference, a minister of government said the media has a place to play in social
transformation by tuning down the bad news, and ratcheting up the good news.
Another of the panel members in the employ of the government suggested the media put a more positive
“spin” on the things we report. “Putting it on page six, instead of page one,” said a voice from the back of the
room, in the conference room at the Ministry of Trade’s office.
The same week, a man had been murdered in his front yard on his way to work, a few blocks from where we
sat. The same week, this media house learned of an out-of-control burglary problem in Jone’s
Estate/Spring Hill/Fountain from someone buying an ad, offering a reward for effects he lost in a burglary. We
learn this from the victim, not from the police. As a reporter, here are some questions I believe ought to be
answered:
Is murder and burglary so common that it should go on page six instead of page one? How do you put a
positive “spin” on murder and burglary? Should the police tell the public when their neighbors are being
robbed? Do you think it is their obligation? Until we in Nevis and the Federation and the Caribbean as a
whole, can answer these questions – how can we possibly fix this?
I would love to report on the good things the NIA does, if only I would find out about them before they happen.
As it is, I only get to look at what happened through the filter of the government information service.
The truly righteous are proud of what they do and need no filter. A recent survey of countries’ corruption in
government revealed that the Federation had too little data available to make an assessment. That puts the
Federation below last place in being open about what they do. There is room for improvement.
The more I talk to the public about burglaries, the more stories I hear. So many of our neighbors are being
ripped off and we are not being told. As it stands, the only information the police release is convictions and
arrests, not the crimes reported.
Here are a few more questions that need to be answered:
Would you like to know about crimes being committed in your neighborhood?
How much crime do you think goes unreported?
Much news on Nevis is transmitted by word of mouth. Many of my stories are “old news” by the time this
paper goes to press, but we shouldn’t rely on word of mouth for the facts. The police need to inform the
public when criminal activities are reported. Awareness and education are the first steps in correcting
problems. Both require information to flow, from those who know to those who don’t. This is the job the
media does. The media is not the enemy of government and law enforcement, but it is the moral obligation
of the media to be the enemy of bad government and bad law enforcement. Cohesion here will start when
we are outraged at having killers and thieves living among us in such a potentially safe, peaceful,
prosperous and healthy Nevis.
A Few More Questions, Please
By John Denny
Observer Reporter
At a recent press conference, a minister of government said the media has a place to play in social
transformation by tuning down the bad news, and ratcheting up the good news.
Another of the panel members in the employ of the government suggested the media put a more positive
“spin” on the things we report. “Putting it on page six, instead of page one,” said a voice from the back of the
room, in the conference room at the Ministry of Trade’s office.
The same week, a man had been murdered in his front yard on his way to work, a few blocks from where we
sat. The same week, this media house learned of an out-of-control burglary problem in Jone’s
Estate/Spring Hill/Fountain from someone buying an ad, offering a reward for effects he lost in a burglary. We
learn this from the victim, not from the police. As a reporter, here are some questions I believe ought to be
answered:
Is murder and burglary so common that it should go on page six instead of page one? How do you put a
positive “spin” on murder and burglary? Should the police tell the public when their neighbors are being
robbed? Do you think it is their obligation? Until we in Nevis and the Federation and the Caribbean as a
whole, can answer these questions – how can we possibly fix this?
I would love to report on the good things the NIA does, if only I would find out about them before they happen.
As it is, I only get to look at what happened through the filter of the government information service.
The truly righteous are proud of what they do and need no filter. A recent survey of countries’ corruption in
government revealed that the Federation had too little data available to make an assessment. That puts the
Federation below last place in being open about what they do. There is room for improvement.
The more I talk to the public about burglaries, the more stories I hear. So many of our neighbors are being
ripped off and we are not being told. As it stands, the only information the police release is convictions and
arrests, not the crimes reported.
Here are a few more questions that need to be answered:
Would you like to know about crimes being committed in your neighborhood?
How much crime do you think goes unreported?
Much news on Nevis is transmitted by word of mouth. Many of my stories are “old news” by the time this
paper goes to press, but we shouldn’t rely on word of mouth for the facts. The police need to inform the
public when criminal activities are reported. Awareness and education are the first steps in correcting
problems. Both require information to flow, from those who know to those who don’t. This is the job the
media does. The media is not the enemy of government and law enforcement, but it is the moral obligation
of the media to be the enemy of bad government and bad law enforcement. Cohesion here will start when
we are outraged at having killers and thieves living among us in such a potentially safe, peaceful,
prosperous and healthy Nevis.
Oct. 10, 2008
Why not secession?
By John Denny
Observer Reporter
During a lunch break at a recent conference, the conversation at our table turned to the topic of the secession
of Nevis from the Federation. I expressed my view that Nevis could stand on her own. The first response I
heard was, “You have only been here six months. You have a lot to learn.”
Another response that others at the table seemed to agree with was, “Why would you want to break up the
country and what good would it do?” This is a tale of two islands that used to be three. Anguilla left because
they felt they were getting the short end of the stick. They remain under the Crown, but likely will not be forever.
The question I have asked many people since I have been here is: What does St. Kitts have that Nevis needs
for her survival? The answers I get usually depend on whether I ask a Kittian or a Nevisian. Overwhelmingly,
Kittians scoff at the idea and speak of Nevis as an island of children (I have actually heard this reference
more than once), that Nevis couldn’t possibly run their own affairs without the help of their big sister.
Many Nevisians believe Nevis could be fully independent, but don’t think it will happen any time soon.
Although I am not Nevisian, I agree: it could happen, but not soon. Nothing happens quickly in Nevis.
Independence for Nevis and a united Caribbean are not mutually exclusive. We can go in both directions- an
independent state of a much bigger union. I do believe in a united Caribbean and I feel it is on its way with the
OECS Supreme Court in place and the emerging Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
Laws and commerce are the most sensible reason for uniting. Fairness and equality are the reasons for
independence. Skeptics of secession say independence would complicate travel between the two islands.
Europe and Africa are uniting. For the most part, travel between their states and countries are becoming
easier. In my county of origin, the United States, the only way one knows they have left one state and entered
another, are if you see the sign that says, “Welcome to Illinois,” or where ever. With the right laws in place and
a method to enforce those laws, the Caribbean could be the same. It will take time, vision and leadership, but
I believe it will happen - but then again, I am an optimist.
The secessionists of Nevis feel, much like Anguilla did, that they are getting the short end of the stick. Their
statistics claim that St. Kitts has taken an unfair portion of foreign assistance and that the government in
Basseterre is not fiscally responsible enough to rule over the finances of themselves, much less Nevis.
With one exception, Nevis has all the resources it needs to be an independent state. Those resources are:
*Good soil to grow plenty of food.
*The people that live here - Nevisians – that already differentiate themselves from Kittians.
*Many beautiful beaches and a rainforest covered mountain that millions of people around the world would
love to visit.
*And, in time, an endless supply of clean energy.
The exception – the resource Nevis lacks is confidence.
This resource will, some day, come in the form of a candidate. A candidate with the confidence in eventual
success and the will to accomplish - a candidate who is not afraid to say, “Yes We Can.”
Why not secession?
By John Denny
Observer Reporter
During a lunch break at a recent conference, the conversation at our table turned to the topic of the secession
of Nevis from the Federation. I expressed my view that Nevis could stand on her own. The first response I
heard was, “You have only been here six months. You have a lot to learn.”
Another response that others at the table seemed to agree with was, “Why would you want to break up the
country and what good would it do?” This is a tale of two islands that used to be three. Anguilla left because
they felt they were getting the short end of the stick. They remain under the Crown, but likely will not be forever.
The question I have asked many people since I have been here is: What does St. Kitts have that Nevis needs
for her survival? The answers I get usually depend on whether I ask a Kittian or a Nevisian. Overwhelmingly,
Kittians scoff at the idea and speak of Nevis as an island of children (I have actually heard this reference
more than once), that Nevis couldn’t possibly run their own affairs without the help of their big sister.
Many Nevisians believe Nevis could be fully independent, but don’t think it will happen any time soon.
Although I am not Nevisian, I agree: it could happen, but not soon. Nothing happens quickly in Nevis.
Independence for Nevis and a united Caribbean are not mutually exclusive. We can go in both directions- an
independent state of a much bigger union. I do believe in a united Caribbean and I feel it is on its way with the
OECS Supreme Court in place and the emerging Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
Laws and commerce are the most sensible reason for uniting. Fairness and equality are the reasons for
independence. Skeptics of secession say independence would complicate travel between the two islands.
Europe and Africa are uniting. For the most part, travel between their states and countries are becoming
easier. In my county of origin, the United States, the only way one knows they have left one state and entered
another, are if you see the sign that says, “Welcome to Illinois,” or where ever. With the right laws in place and
a method to enforce those laws, the Caribbean could be the same. It will take time, vision and leadership, but
I believe it will happen - but then again, I am an optimist.
The secessionists of Nevis feel, much like Anguilla did, that they are getting the short end of the stick. Their
statistics claim that St. Kitts has taken an unfair portion of foreign assistance and that the government in
Basseterre is not fiscally responsible enough to rule over the finances of themselves, much less Nevis.
With one exception, Nevis has all the resources it needs to be an independent state. Those resources are:
*Good soil to grow plenty of food.
*The people that live here - Nevisians – that already differentiate themselves from Kittians.
*Many beautiful beaches and a rainforest covered mountain that millions of people around the world would
love to visit.
*And, in time, an endless supply of clean energy.
The exception – the resource Nevis lacks is confidence.
This resource will, some day, come in the form of a candidate. A candidate with the confidence in eventual
success and the will to accomplish - a candidate who is not afraid to say, “Yes We Can.”
| Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Kenneth Williams This Newspaper is updated on the internet on or before the Thursday following publication. Copyright © 2008 The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer. All rights reserved. |