Mr. Emmanuel Nanthan, I am addressing your comment on my post, Diaspora for Change. Which you wrote yesterday. Since it was my special weekend, I made a concerted effort not to respond to that comment. I however, will respond to it in a new post that I would like to share with the rest of Dominica. First of all, were you being facetious in your comment to me? I got the impression that this was your objective since you did not address the content of my original post. You started off by saying that we grew up on rented properties with pit toilets. Just a slight correction, we did not have pit toilet, we had bucket toilet since the people of Portsmouth Proper experienced difficulties with pit latrines due to the flatness of the land where we resided. The majority of Portsmouth residents employed that system. But pit or bucket, what is the difference anyway? The fact is, we were not privileged to have grown up with flushing toilets back then, and this could have been applied to at least 90% of the Portsmouth population then. I have no qualms saying that because that was the way it was back then. But you know what Mr. Emmanuel Nanthan, at the age of 17, I became a teacher, and one of the very first responsibilities I took on was to obtain a loan of $10,000EC from the Barclays bank at the time, to equip our home with a flushing toilet and a renovated kitchen. Thus began my date with independence. I am sure that there are many like me who can share the very same story because back then, people especially young people, had a greater sense of pride and self worth, and no one looked to the government to equip them with flushing toilets or handouts where they would later be marginalized on political platforms. Now, you went on to state that certain individuals in the community own homes because the Labour Party gave them homes. You even went further to name names because in your estimation of these people, it is not possible for their hard work to enable them to own homes. Why is that? What does that mean? Are you saying that because things are so hopeless for the people of Portsmouth that all the DLP can do is to hand these hopeless people of Portsmouth homes? Mano, I will call that marginalization of a whole class of people who have the ability to earn an honest days work through sustainable employment. These peoples self worth can be elevated through subsidized housing where they are made to be responsible for a percentage of what they own. Rather, you talk of these people as if they are handicapped because of your policies that have turned them into mendicants. And that is what you are proud of Mano? The person who fostered community pride and independent thinking through our involvement in PAC (Portsmouth Action Committee) back in the late 80s and early 90s? Dont forget, you were the President and an advocate for young independent thinkers and doers. You continue by talking about the street that you all have fixed at the front of my mothers house. Why did it have to be my mothers house? Is my mother the only one who resides on Habour Lane Street? What, am I supposed to chant, like you so eloquently put it in your comment, thank God for Skerrit too? You think that I owe something to you or Skerrit because you do the job that you were elected to do by the people and for the people? Arent my mother, brother, sisters, aunts, nenen, pawe, and friend contributing enough to the government through VAT to have their road fixed? You are fixing Habour Lane Street where people own businesses and live. The same road that has been sitting in limbo for over a year and a half unfinished because it took your government that long to fix it. What is the cost? &250,000 EC? The cost of 2 foreign artists during an election campaign? (Beres Hammond and Destra?) What about the shoddy job that you all did that allows the roads to be regularly flooded because like everything thing else in the Labour Party, the right people were not assigned to the right jobs. There was no road engineer to ensure proper planning and procedures were followed to rebuild the road. Again, a system of cronyism and nepotism, but I dont have to remind you, since you wrote the book on it, if you know what I mean. The fisheries is still incomplete and has not been efficiently utilized to serve the purpose that it was built for. The United Workers Party instituted universal education which your party has continued. To date, there are errors and flaws in the system that have not been properly addressed by your administration. College for all young people you say, but where are the jobs for all when 75% of young people between the ages of 18-30 are unemployed. You mention the Benjamins Park; why is there no inter-regional competitions held at this venue? A place with such potential. Today, there should be a state of the art indoor and outdoor track and field complex to boost sports tourism in Dominica. Several Caribbean countries should be participating in track and field events at a complex of that magnitude in the town of Portsmouth. That alone would stir significant growth for the town in the forms of affordable hotels and guest houses restaurants and entertainment to accommodate participants of those events. Where is the community center for the young people so that they could engage in more productive activities to keep them out of vagrancy. You say when I put Destra people and them in Picard, they say how come that part of the island so nice? Did you really read what you were writing? I dont know whether I should laugh or cry at this statent of yours Mano because you have single handedly exposed the flaws of your party throughout the island of Dominica. And just remember that what exists in Picard today is not because of the Skerrit administration; it is because of the hard work of Dominicans in Dominica and abroad. The question is, why werent communities such as these planned and developed under your administrations watch? Why dont more of these communities exist throughout Dominica? Why doesnt Chance, the one you boast about contain better planning and infrastructural development? Why are these people in Chance still being pacified by your administration? You mention the Morrocan hotel; based on my knowledge of that project, it remains incomplete and has no end in sight. My sources tell me that it is ridden with problems, from a consistently flooded basement, to leaky light switches and fixtures whenever it rains. Yes, regarding the Bellhall hotel you mentioned, Ill believe it when pigs grow wings. But then again, it might just happen based on ownership. And all that free stuff youve been touting, free bus rides for school children, I see nothing wrong with that since it is under your administration that energy was supposed to be the cheapest with the subsidies from Petro Caribe. But since the money is mismanaged and bobolled, you all have no choice but to give free bus rides. The free health care you boast of, ever since I knew myself, there were always people who got subsidized health care, and as a working person, the social security would kick in when need be. You speak about it like we never had free health care before. What I would have preferred you write in your comment is the fact that under this DLP administration, Dominica still does not own a proper hospital and instead of using $27 million to upgrade what already existed, it was used to build a monstrosity that has no relevance or benefit for the people of Dominica. What I would have preferred to read is that, Dominica obtained a state of the art hospital that was so well equipped, that even Skerrits son was fortunate enough to be born in the country of his mom and dad birthplace, in the hospital that his dad fought hard to give to Dominicans. That, in itself would be a great legacy for Skerrit. Now finally Mano, I sense an undertone of a personal attack in your post toward me. The same disrespect, and belittling with the word girl. Let me make this fundamentally clear to you and all those who feel that by trying to debase my person, you have accomplished much. STOP IT BECAUSE IT WILL NOT WORK. I have every right to speak against the current government if I choose to. Yes, I was vilified and maligned recently by a male because of my political side that I have taken. Other Portsmouth males found it fit to agree and say that I had asked for it. Even females were rejoicing. Imagine some of these individuals have wives and daughters. One in particular who lives in NJ, said, I deserved it. Yes Mano, your good buddy. I laughed because it is the same one who contacted me when I worked in the Real Estate business some 8 years ago to get an apartment for his girlfriend in NY. I guess he did not think of me so disrespectfully back then when he was seeking help to house his girlfriend while his wife enjoyed the charms at their home in NJ. I see the disrespect of females and the constant demoralization. You think you can embarrass me by talking about my use of pit toilets? Or mentioning my mother? You think personalizing it will shut me up? Well, I have news for you Emmanuel Nanthan, when you and the rest will put your foot in my shoes and walk a mile in it, then we will sit and talk. I make no apologies or excuses for my choices I have made. I know my worth. Yes some have even tried chastising my use of adjectives, the English Grammar, and education. I laugh because I am the same one that some of them and their relatives come to and ask for assistance and advice when it is needed. I am always willing and ready to help because I am happy to know that I am in a position to do just that. I have never once heard any parent tell their child, do not learn. We encourage our children and each other to reach for the stars because we know that one of the greatest methods of lifting ourselves out of the despair of poverty is through education. So why chastise someone for doing just that? It is so hypocritical. Obviously, if I had written in support of the DLP, then it would be all nice and dandy. In closing, Mano, I expect better from you. When we know better, we do better. I am a proud strong woman who have been fighting my battles, Addies battles, from day one. I have never been handed anything by the government and I hope that I will never have to. The values that ere instilled in me as a child are the same values I instill in my son; work hard and smart for what you want, be honest, never be envious because you do not know where it came from, reach for the stars, never give up, persistence and determination will pay off at some point, embrace change...STOP THE MARGINALIZATION OF WOMEN AND THE LESS FORTUNATE...Nothing lasts forever because easy comes, easy goes!
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 18:23:48 +0000