By: Thinking Citizen

Not so long ago, Team Unity celebrated its third year in office and one of the ways in which the Team Unity Government celebrated its third year in office is by cutting in half the gratuity of certain class of public servants.

In addition to that, the Government still continues to advertise regularly on radio and on television that it is “working for you and you and you”. How can robbing Public Servants of half of their gratuity be deemed as working for “you and you and for you.”

The Government does not seem to be able to understand what is says or what it does. On entering office as government, Team Unity fired a number of Civil Servants “working for them.”

Certain stories making the rounds seem to suggest that the Team Unity Government Cabinet gave permission for a certain wealthy Canadian investor to establish a Project to conduct Stem Cell Research at the J.N.F General Hospital here in St. Kitts, and that the Project was not properly approved by all of the relevant Boards and Authorities.

The same stories that have been making the rounds suggest that certain powerful and influential individuals in our society were handsomely rewarded for the part they played in bringing the Stem Cell Project to St. Kitts.

The Team Unity Government works for its people and so it has been suggested that the Team Unity Government looked after the powerful and influential individuals who assisted in bringing the Stem Cell Project to St. Kitts.

It has been rumored also that certain powerful and influential individuals in St. Kitts close to the Team Unity Government Cabinet have made large sums of money for having sheltered protected and accommodated a Chinese national whom it is claimed is a refugee from justice. The Team Unity people do not “work for you and you and you” but only for a certain group of people.

The Team Unity Government still insists that it is “working for you and you and you” although the Government had reduced the level of financial assistance formerly granted to students seeking further education right here in St. Kitts.

It is said that certain Government Ministers are in business competition with private sector. This surely constitutes ‘Conflict of Interest’ but according to the word on the street, the Prime Minister can do nothing about it because it is suspected that perhaps that he is involved himself.

No one who has been following the trend of politics in St. Kitts and Nevis is surprised that Team Unity is thinking about abolishing the right of overseas nationals to vote in our General Elections.

The PAM party gave to our overseas nationals the right to vote in our General Elections. PAM introduced the right of overseas nationals to vote in our Elections as it would have been almost impossible for PAM to beat the Labour Party at the polls in any other way.
At this stage in life of our Government, it must be apparent that “big talk” and boasting and lies and propaganda cannot solve the nation’s problems.

The Government has the aid of two experts to assist in the fight against Crime and Violence. It seems as if the Government needs two more experts as the two experts we have here already seem to be making things worse.

In the matter of Crime Control and Crime Reduction, Dr. Denzil Douglas is making Dr. Timothy Harris look like a real old-time nincompoop.

Who Caused The Fork In The Road To The Cross (part two Continued)

Historically those who were followers of Jesus after His resurrection did suffer a traumatic lasting setback. For them their Messiah had died and nothing had happened. The kingdom they were expecting to arrive at once did not come to past. This is how Luke records it,“On that same daytwo of Jesus’ followers were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. As they talked and discussed, Jesus himself drew near and walked along with them; they saw him, but somehow did not recognize him. Jesus said to them, ‘What are you talking about to each other, as you walk along?’They stood still, with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, ‘Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been happening there these last few days?”’… “Our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and he was crucified. And we had hoped that he would be the one who was going to set Israel free! Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened.” (Luke 24:13-18).

The Followers were scattered because they were without hope but sometime subsequently they seemed to have become convicted that something in the resurrection was in their faviour.Their perspective as to Who Jesus was and what He meant for the way forward for their movement became clear. Though they were not clear as to what happened in the resurrection, they came to understand that His resurrection took place; and that Jesus had been taken away into heaven as “a vindication of His messianic identity.” So He becamethe crucified and risen Lord. Matthew says, “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come; see where his body was lying” (28:6).

Indeed theresurrection story at this point brings a different understanding to the minds of Jesus’ followers. For them Jesus was the Prophet, the Messenger of God Who has risen from the dead. He is the Messiah; and He is the One Who has been vindicated by God by being exalted into heaven as the son of God.

It is believed by most theologians that it was probably in these early days after the death of Jesus that the movement really starts to organize itself around His memory. However, it was also the belief that the earliest form of the movement was still thoroughly a sect within Judaism – A Jewish movement organized by Jewish Messiah. The reasoning was, “They are followers of a Jewish apocalyptic tradition. They were expecting the coming of the kingdom of God on earth. It’s a Jewish movement.”

This earliest forms of the Jesus movement wasalso deemed small sectarian groups, with one based in Jerusalem, one or more in Galilee, as wellwith others spreading throughout the countryside. So, in the earliest days of the Jesus’ groups, one can safely say that there were small pockets of sectarian activity all focused on the identity of Jesus as the Messiah.
Though not a complete list, the New Testament tells us who some of the earliest followers of Jesus were. In Jerusalem there was James, the brother of Jesus, who was the leader of the group for the contemporary age. There was Mary; Peter and some of the other original disciples of Jesus (see Acts 1:13-14).

Among the earliest groups of the Jesus movement is what was called the “wandering charismatic,” this was traveling preachers and prophets, who went around declaring the kingdom of heaven is at hand. They were continuing the bequest of Jesus’ own preaching. They travelledaround without money and no extra clothes. They begged for food. They performed some miracles and healed some sick people (see Luke 10: 1-24; Acts 3:1-10). Even in Paul’s day there were people who came from Judeawho were about preaching and teaching; sometime he had to make clear to them, the Jesus they were proclaiming (see Acts 17:23).

It is at this point that the Jesus movement was considered a sect – “Nonmainstream Religious Group.” Since then there was always tension with their environment; this tension hadalways manifested itselfin a variety of ways – controversies over beliefs and practices; differences in ideas of purity and piety; and chief among them was the manifestation of that tension and the tendency to spread the message around that wouldhave convinced others that the truth is real.

By: Joseph Jones

Workers! Ill health and disability can have a major impact on our lives, becoming physically paralysed in some instances. Hear this: You were once active, a healthy person but you then became deeply depressed. Your strength, courage, power drained away. You felt destroyed. This experience reminds me that none of us have complete control over health and safety, but you can create an ‘Awareness’ that can take reasonable measures to reduce the risks of ill health and added safety? Let us consider  some  principles that promote good health. I am wondering if you realise that I am using a lubricant, the oil of helpfulness to make our lives  much easier at the workplace, because I believe nearly every day we encounter problems; some of us as workers carry unbearable burdens and long for a word of advice. Well the oil will lubricate, sympathetic words with education.Workers! We need encouragement. Just one drop of it could restore hope. Still some of us are mean and hardened. Workers again, lend a listening ear. Sometimes I do get a bit frustrated concerning the behaviour at the workplaces. I can only hope from my writing on the above subject that you are appreciating the fact to avoid taking needless risks on the work. At this moment a thrill is not worth a life of disability. Please insist that you receive the proper health and safety gears. Before I close, I want you to keep at it. Be a detective – observe your surrounding at your workplace, fexamine accident records, near-miss records and sickness figures and let me leave this last one with you. Occupational Safety and Health as I said many times before, it is:(1) The promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupation.  (2) The prevention among workers of departures from ill health caused by working conditions.(3) The protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health.(4) The placing of and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to physical and mental needs.Hello! Looking at these definitions, I hereby ask: Is it not worth considering? Yes of course because you will be physically and mentally fit at work.*NOTE WELL* Workers, I must shut up now and encourage you to please focus on positive thoughts. Wisdom is invaluable; without it, we would make one foolish mistake after another.Thank you

Their Hidden Agenda

Listeners to Winn FM last Tuesday night, 17th April, will have heard Mr. Dwyer Astaphan holding forth about some aspects of what is wrong with our electoral system, and what needs to be done to correct it, all from his perspective of course.

To those who were unable to tune it to that particular programme, as well as to those who simply do not care to have their ears bothered by anything which the likes of Dwyer Astaphan has to throw out, we would say that, in a certain sense, you really did not miss anything, as it was all ‘more of the same’, with a slight rehashing here, and a bit of re-dressing there.

However, in another sense, his utterances will have helped, even the least discerning amongst us, with spotting several of the items on the hidden agenda of SCHEME UNITY, the main one of which relates to the dilution of the voting power of Kittitians in particular.
When Mr. Astaphan ‘recommends’ that Commonwealth citizens should have to reside here for seven years before being eligible to participate in our electoral process, while at the same time advocating that persons of ALL nationalities should likewise be able to vote here, it shows, quite clearly, that even though he is ‘learned in the law’ and has had three parliamentary terms in office as a minister of the crown, his understanding of most of these matters appears to be, at best, superficial.

His ‘observations’ and his so-called recommendations indicate that he is either ignorant of (or just does not care about) the fact that the provisions relating to Commonwealth citizens are based on a very strong background of history buttressed by a powerful element of reciprocity. Then again maybe he knows but just does not care to address those aspects of the matter, as is so often the case with many others of his particular ilk.

If Germans, Russians, Chinese, Arabs and others are made eligible to vote here after seven years of residence, as Mr. Astaphan appears to have been advocating, will Germany, Russia, China and Arabia allow citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis to vote in their countries under reciprocal arrangements? Were such matters considered before the utterances were made, or was it a case of just mouthing off (shooting filth) simply for the sake of having something to say?

There was that time, not too long ago, when we, the people of St. Kitts, were like one large family. We had our personal differences, we argued and fought amongst ourselves, but just like real family, where it came to ‘outsiders’ we were ONE. Undoubtedly there are still with us many who can recall the saying that ‘if you touched one Kittitian you touched ALL’.
Over the years we have sought to enlighten our people about the many ways in which attempts have been made to undermine the people of St. Kitts. One of the major devices employed has been that of fostering disunity amongst us. During the era of the plantocracy the ‘house nigger’ was one of their main tools. Rather unfortunately those traits seem to linger in the character of some of our brothers and sisters.

Another artifice used by oligarchs was that of always ‘importing’ outsiders to undercut the industrial bargaining strength of our people. The use of ‘scab’ labour was common. As recently as the very early 1980’s, PAM indulged in that practice, and our workers in the sugar industry, domestics, gardeners, craftsmen, mechanics, and those of many other categories, ALL suffered, very, very badly.

Thousands had to flee the country in order to seek elsewhere employment which paid them at or near the levels to which they had become accustomed. One result was that a tiny sliver of the Kittitian and Nevisian ‘well-to-do’ benefitted enormously. Another was that large numbers of Labour supporters were removed from the lists of voters, of course a major benefit to PAM.

For those who have always remained on St. Kitts the attempt to further divide us has been an unrelenting effort on the part of that economically powerful minority which is fully determined to rule us, come what may. In 1952 when universal adult suffrage was introduced into what was then St. Kitts Nevis and Anguilla it drove them almost senseless. They have never forgiven Robert Bradshaw and the other leaders of the Labour Movement, neither have they ever forgiven the British authorities for allowing it. They have always seen it as a betrayal, and an undermining of their interests.

In the same way that they were, have always been, and continue to be concerned first and foremost with what is ‘in their interests’, likewise should we the people of St. Kitts and Nevis be always mindful of what is in our best interests.

Over the years they have successfully wooed some of our brothers and sisters into believing that they really care for them, and they in turn have sought to turn many of us against ourselves. The extent to which they have been thus successful is indeed a matter for great concern.

Indeed, the ongoing antics of the Deceiver-in-Chief and many of his minions are glaring examples of just how deeply they have penetrated our ranks, and the extent to which they have succeeded in confusing our people. Their behaviours also remind us of the need to recall and heed the warnings of our forebears.

We of this newspaper appeal to all Kittitians in particular, but to all Nevisians as well, to carefully examine and reflect on the many things which have been said by those now in office, especially what was said when they were trying to get into office, to compare the spoken and written word with their deeds, and to make calm and cool assessments of their real motives and intentions, even as matters play out before our very eyes.

What we advocate is that ALL of our people should pay very careful attention to anything and everything ever said by members and agents of SCHEME UNITY. But we are advising that you should pay even greater attention to what they DO NOT SAY. We are confident that everyone will find such an exercise most illuminating.

So it is with things which are said from time to time by Dwyer Astaphan and others like him. We recommend that you pay very careful attention to whatever he and the others may say from time to time, but pay even more careful attention to what they DO NOT SAY.
Mr. Astaphan’s spiel on Tuesday night will at first strike many as being grounded in objectivity, but, were such a proposition ever to be entertained and implemented, the end result will be that of further diluting the voting power of Kittitians and Nevisians, but especially that of Kittitians.

Kittitians in particular MUST be prepared to reject out of hand anything that even remotely resembles what Astaphan is apparently recommending. It MUST be greeted with a most resounding NO! We have had had far too much of that sort of thing in the past.

But, dear people, do not put anything past these people. The proposal put out on Tuesday night is a warning about one of many items on the hidden agenda of SCHEME UNITY.

When juxtaposed with the proposed legislation now before parliament, it soon becomes clear to all that the real agenda of SCHEME UNITY is hiding in plain view.