Dear Editor,
It should be a matter of concern to all Anguillians when persons feel that it is within their liberty and right to go beyond our borders, using foreign media outlets and airwaves to disseminate uncharacteristic and misleading information, uncorroborated, and unclear, pure distortion of the country’s complex issues. Persons uninformed and unaware, having no understanding of the issues they speak to; using the country’s status to settling political scores and personal grievances, simple because they are “free to speak.”
In a well-governed society, the people are free to speak where personal freedoms and rights are upheld “the voice of the people is the voice of the nation.” This stands true in the philosophy of politics when the power of the legitimate government is empowered by the consent of the people. Through this means, political power is exercised. The authority of government depends on that consent as expressed by votes in elections.
The people have no right to speak for the government, otherwise ungoverned. In Anguilla our people talk out their frustration in defiance of government, and lay blame directly on those in the seats of power, as in any balanced democracy where often public policy is the target for the ills we face, whereas such is often of our very own making.
Too often the public media access is misused to settle personal scores, under the guise of “the people’s interest”. You cannot assist the public if you are not well informed or unaware. You otherwise become a malicious arm of disorder and discontent. This is often the case where hosts of such programs use malicious content to dishonour and disrespect honourable people.
During the past week we listened to a very popular radio program on St. Martin, which host is very popular for what he does. He informed his listeners that his guest would be an Anguillian who has a lot to say about what’s going on Anguilla. At the nine o’clock the guest was introduced, the first disappointment was the tone of speech, Anguillians are quick to be identified by the way they speak, likewise most of the region. We knew this person was a Kittitian by his tone and speech.
Calls began circulating through the Anguillian community because this person is well known for incidents of this kind of disorder. Much of what was said was unclear, confusing, issues raised were not well spoken to, hiccups of lies and misinformation. The guest claimed to have been an executive of the ruling party, and by that he was able to speak of the issue first hand. In contact with the chairman and president of said party, who declared the gentleman never occupied an executive position in that party, but indeed was a foot soldier of one of the candidates.
On this program it was clear that the host listened carefully and interacted with his guest. Much of the rant was about honourable Chief Minister, Victor Banks, and other ministers of Government and details of government policy which he muddled so badly and was unable to be clear on anything he spoke about, leaving many of the listeners confused.
His tone was disrespectful and chaotic, with a vicious tone of discontent and malice. Many of the details he talked about were confusing and incomplete. It was clear that this person was using the airways for malicious intent, causing the program host to express dismay of what he was hearing and said, he must speak to Victor Banks on these matters.
He spoke of the banking crisis of 2008, offering nothing new, while he jungle-talked the government with wild insinuations, dishonouring and insulting those he cannot communicate with directly, or who just care less to listen to him. The banking crisis the country faced since
2008 is not a matter of simple minds understanding deposits and withdrawals; this was a national crisis that was carefully analysed and reviewed by the British government, with its worldwide analytic observers and expert resources, including the World Bank, the IMF and the ECCB providing the government of Anguilla with valuable reviews and analysis of how to bring correction to a crisis the country faced, to move into the future on a sound footing.
There are those who still believe that Chief Minister Victor Banks should have taken their advice. Advice cooked up as so often heard on radio, not understanding the veracity of the crisis. The government was given expert advice through the best resources the world had to offer consented with and by the British government. Governments solve problems by acquiring the best possible advice and acting on it, not by chatter.
We who are Anguillian know our frame of mind, each of us is an island unto our very own opinions and it matters not whether one is a magistrate or a governor; the fisherman or farmer without even a school certificate feel they have the right to instruct and correct everyone through their justified rhetoric. It does not matter which level of authority one speaks from or the position they hold. It does not matter the scope or degree of importance of complex issues of the country. Seemingly, they have the answers, while the elected and those tasked with such responsibility are subjected to the volume of nonsense disseminated.
Our people must speak against such disrespect and demand better. One must be worthy of the trust of the people to speak for the people or seek that status through the election process. Governments are instituted among men, by the consent of the governed. When governments are formed, these rights are secured by consent of the people; government lays its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form. It takes only the rights of the people to abolish or alter such powers as instituted.
Be “Free to Speak. Be governed accordingly!”
Elliot J. Harrigan
