HomeSocial CommentaryI Applaud You Brother Mark Brantley, But!

I Applaud You Brother Mark Brantley, But!

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BY: EARLE CLARKE, April 21st, 2018

“If you work for a man, in heaven’s name, work for him, speak well of him and stand by the institution he represents. Remember, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must grunt, condemn, complain and eternally find fault – resign your position and, while you are outside, damn to your heart’s content – but, as long as you are a part of the institution, do not condemn it. If you do, the first high wind that comes along will blow you away and probably, you will never know why?” Elbert Hubbard.

Dear reader, the other day Brother Mark Brantley made some statements which triggered a lot of negative responses, but, were we to really sit down and analyze and parse what the Brother said, we will totally agree with him, for, didn’t our Independence Motto admonishes us to always place our country above self? If we work for the Government, even though we do not support it, we owe it a duty to carry out the policies of that particular Government. We are not expected to divulge the happenings of the Government to any outside agent or to go on any social media to criticize the Government for which you work. How can you perform such a treacherous act? How can you march with a placard decrying the Government for which you work and return next working day to work for the same Government you just marched against? The Government, for whom you work, should automatically become the Government of the land – your Government. If you do not relish is policies, resign pronto and go in search of employment elsewhere where you can criticize to your heart’s content but do not work for it and still stab it in its back?

Brother Mark Brantley is so correct when he called for loyalty to the Government of the day for whom you work. He was so correct when he asked that you give a full day’s work because this is what you are employed to do – “TO WORK!” Not to gossip, not to waste time or you will be drawing your weekly or monthly wages or salaries under false pretences. You come to work, you are paid to work, “SO WORK!” What Brother Mark was brave enough to expound was what every Government should have asked of all those in their employ – “Give Service For Monies Received.”

Another interesting feature about the Brother is the way in which he treated his leader, the Honourable Vance Amory. Mark bided his time the same way Sir Vivian Richards of West Indies Cricket bided his time and waited until Clive Lloyd his Captain was willing to abdicate the Captaincy of the Team. The man can be referred to as a born leader, for born leaders await their turn – they bide their time, for they are fully aware that it has been already prophesized for them to lead. Mark realized that it is the people who elect the leader of the party and that the voice of the people is the voice of God. It is far better to await the decision of the Captain or Leader to step down, than to cause rancor in removing him before the people have agreed to do so.

There has never been any instance foretold that he ever urged Vance to turn over the leadership of the Party to him. There have been no instances known or unknown when he confronted Vance to turn over the leadership to him, because he is there too long. Brother Mark Brantley’s grandmother must have scolded him well when she told him that “GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT!” And she has been proven correct, for he is now the Leader of CCM and the Party is in Contact; there is no acrimony between he and Vance and between he and any member of the Party which continues to run smoothly. Brother Mark is fully in control.

He is a man to be respected. A man who is to be admired. A man, who is a very brave Leader; a man who is not afraid to demand what he wants from those who work for his Government. And so, the island of Nevis and its residents have much to feel proud about. They have a Leader who does not have any negative adjectives describing him.

Whilst Brother Mark is surrounded by all these accolades heaped upon him above, he has forgotten to adhere to William Shakespeare’s quotation – “To thine own self be true and it must follow as the night the day; thou canst not then be false to any man.” He has sidestepped the Motto of his AL-MA MA-TA, the BASSETERRE HIGH SCHOOL, which is “PRINCIPIA NON HOMINES – Principles, not men!” How can the Brother display all the attributes of a Good Leader in Nevis, but turned around and joined Political Forces with a person who has done the complete opposite to him in St. Kitts? How did he get this done? Where was his Brimstone Hill Fortification when he let down his guard, when he sold out his Principles to join forces with such an agouti of a man?

Here is his boss in the Federal unity mirage who stabbed his way to the leadership of the mirage by betraying a whole organization and its supporters instead of waiting patiently like how he waited and he I now pally, pally with him? How did you get this do Brother Mark? Couldn’t you have advised him that this is not how it is done? Couldn’t you have pointed out to your boss how you did it? What was your rush to enter into such an arrangement with such a treacherous person? Didn’t you know that you become like those with whom you associate?

What you have done is like unto the proverbial cow which, having supplied a pail of milk, turned around and kicked it down. All those attributes which you so positively displayed to become the Leader of the CCM are now lying on the grass having been kicked down by you. Another transgression I wish to point out to you Brother Mark is your call to the Civil Servants in the Nevis Island Administration to perform their duties to the Government. When they come to work, they must perform such duties from 8 am – 4 pm with one hour for lunch. Now Brother Mark, you are getting 10 Thousand Dollars per month to be the Premier of Nevis and 12 Thousand Dollars to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Federal Government ($22 thousand in one month). I do not begrudge you if it was honestly and earnestly earned. Pray tell Brother, which one of these institutions do you supply with seven or eight hours of work daily? Remember that I supported you in demanding that when Civil Servants come to work that they should work. If I were to demand the same of you, would you be honest enough to point out which one of these institutions you have been short changing? Remember – Example set, example followed.

Do you see the faked person that you are Brother? Is it your policy that the Civil Servants must do as you say but not as you do Sir? Is it any wonder that Nevis, the land of my mother and my grandmother and grandfather by my father’s side which once prided itself as the place of tranquility, where people from St. Kitts journeyed over on a weekend to enjoy peace, comfort and relaxation and to unwind to return on Monday fully enthused to work, have now become a place of unease? When a youngster takes a gun and holds up a resident, he is taking the short cut on the grass just like you. He does not have to work for no seven or eight hours because he sees it being done by the politicians, for no man can work for the Nevis Island Administration for seven or eight hours a day and still work for the Federal Government for the same amount of hours per day. One of these institutions has to be short changed. I would like the Honourable Brother to answer me on his weekly radio programme – “ON THE MARK!” Mind you, I say reply to my questions, not to abuse me, please. Tell us how possible it is to serve the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration at the same time? I anxiously await your answers!

The other day, there was a post going the rounds of which I took a stance in your favour, for I AM NOT A HYPOCRITE. I prefer to be an honest sinner than a hypocrite Christian; I asked your accusers which one of them is without sin, kindly raise their hand. I did not receive any comments from anyone. The crime rate is escalating in our twin island Federation and it is going to get worst; the short cuts we are taking in order to become rich, are not good examples set for the younger generation to copy. The Good Book begs the question – “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” In order to get into power, your Al-ma Ma-ta was turned into a political football and the future of generations to come jeopardized and you have joined forces with such persons to form a Government. What do you stand for Brother Mark? Is there anything right or wrong in today’s political world? Ellen G Whyte the Founder of the Sabbath Faith said in a quote, “The greatest want of the world today (And this includes our Federation of St. Kitts – Nevis) is the want of Men: Men who are not afraid to call sin by its right name: Men who cannot be bought or sold: Men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall: Men whose inmost souls are true and honest:

Where do you feature in this quotation Brother Mark Brantley, for, were you to be featured in it at all, you would not be in the company of those who destroyed your Alma Mata? You would not be in the company of traitors and back stabbers. You would not be in the company of a man who was caught on camera selling the patrimony of the people when he was not so authorized to do. You would not have joined forces with those who claimed that the LAND FOR DEBT SWAP to our local National Bank was such a dreadful piece of Legislation because Dr. Douglas intended to sell the Land to foreigners, yet turning around and selling the same lands of which you and they accused the Douglas led Administration of doing.

You have been weighed in the balances and found to be woefully wanting. What do you really stand for Brother Mark Brantley? You are featured as the ROLLING STONE which does not gather the MOSS of RESPECT, because it does not stay long enough in any one position to do so! What is REALLY your STANCE BROTHER? What do you REALLY BELIEVE IN, Brother?

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