ANGUILLA: A SOCIETY AT RISK

Anguilla is no longer the small homogenous society populated by the grand children of slaves who suffered centuries of famine, drought and political neglect on a barren rock in the Caribbean Sea. Anguilla very claim to island status probably depends directly on its people and its exceptional white sand beaches. Anguilla is no longer the backward impoverished island not in terms of its GDP per capita or its crime rate. Anguilla has changed rapidly over the last four decades and such rapid social, political or economic change often lead to crisis and Anguilla as turned out to be no exception.

Today we have people who can remember cooking meals on three rocks with firewood, drank water from holes in the ground, grocery shopping consisted of buying three basic items, rice, flour, sugar. These people live in households with children who have never seen a phone that actually dialed the number. Yet many of the old customs remain, we still keep dark secrets of friends and family, causing us to ignore social issues that should be openly discussed with the intent to eradicate the behaviour. The only people who routinely gets their dirty laundry aired in public are the politicians but even then the issues are not addressed, those who oppose believe, those who support deny.

The Church as an institution of moral standing is as guilty as the secular society in covering up major social transgressions. Preachers/Pastors/Ministers/Priests whatever they are called are in several cases guilty of abuses, hides abuse or show no interest in investigating claims of abuse even when the claims are commonly held in the society. 

In the end we have a vicious cycle of rumour and back yard chatter and recently lawsuits and threats of lawsuits intended to silence discussion. We have selective passing of laws and policies against political abuse or corruption out of fear of possible entrapment of self, friends or family. Anguillians cannot claim to live by the morals of a Christian society or the laws of a modern society if they continue to allow such behaviour.

We may ask what are some of these social ills:

• Preachers involved in domestic violence against their spouse.
• Ministers of religion that live a moral life in total opposition to what they preach.
• Pastors who use their position to enrich themselves.
• Priests who molest children and go unchallenged.
• Accused and known child molesters becoming teachers, politicians, guidance counselors, social workers and various other positions.
• Politicians, Police officers and their children who facilitate the illegal sale of weapons.
• Drug crimes of a selected few never brought to trial while the prison over flow with the children of the politically unconnected.
• Potential criminals that are fore warned about possible police raids.
• Politicians, Permanent Secretaries and prominent Businessmen fathering and neglecting children around the island, sometimes by adolescent girls.
• Public and private sector managers who control employees and delegate authority through sexual favours.
• Insider trading by officials that develop unhealthy relationships and trade favours with investors and businessmen.
• People who assets exceed their known income.
• An administering power that turn a blind eye to issues of possible corruption.
• Foreign Administrators who develop unhealthy relationships with selected politicians and investors.
• Politically connected people sitting on various boards to provide political cover for otherwise illegal acts.
• High paying positions on boards granted as political reward.
• Politicians who openly work for both the Government and the private investor.
• Project funds wasted on political patronage.
• Politicians and senior civil servants with undeclared interests in companies they regulate.
• Ministers selectively overriding policy on planning, lands, labour, immigration etc.
• Contracts and public tenders designed for special friends or family.
• Politically connected contractors allowed remove merchandise.
• Investors guided to use particular contractors or trucking companies.
• Buildings rented for office space by the Govt. because of political or banking connections.

To be continued in your mind ………………………………..

By: Statchel Warner