By Denys Springer
As I ponder on the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Bill, I must point out that it is not about party but saving the soul of the nation that our forefathers fought so hard for. The BILL is a draconian law thrust upon a democratic society that belongs in ancient times. And what every Saint Lucian must be aware of is that Grenadian legal fraternities and civil society declined such draconian law last month.
More than ever we must all begin to think of Saint Lucian first and together save the soul of the nation from draconian laws that will send wrong signals to the international community. If not, Saint Lucia will be on the brink of a revolution. What happened in Grenada in 1979 is not far-fetched to be repeated here on the consequent of draconian law coming into effect with the unconstitutional and illegal effect in the Senate last Friday.
The muddled message from the government of Saint Lucia is further proof that the selected who run the affairs of the people are self-centred and hell-bent in supporting a tin-pot dictatorship. And for whom the bell tolls, because it has began for the accomplices and the Chastanet-led government – #Chastanet Must Go.
I remember my English Literature days at St Mary’s College. The seven important words that been the driving force in my academic life “opportunities lost can never be regained”. This philosophy should have been embedded in Chastanet’s mind. Ah well, he could not stay at St Mary’s College that long, because the school is ahead of his level of intelligence. Had he stayed on he would have learnt about the likes of Pharaoh, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler and many dictatorial leaders that ever lived? He would have learned some of the ideas that brought their downfall.
I have repeatedly stated my mea culpa with this government on coming into power. I never envisaged then that we would come to this. I thought then that it would be a better Saint Lucia that would accommodate our children and their children. But alas, how wrong I was to now witness the making of a dictatorial leader accompanied by a spineless and thoughtless Cabinet. Lessons are always learnt in life and it is one I will never forget.
However, having said that as I sit back and look around me I am somewhat speechless to see the many who can do something sitting on the side-lines waiting to see how the pendulum swings before standing up for what is right and just. They are still, in theory, playing the waiting game. The parasites who live off those who worked hard but are blurred out by their parasitic nature. This must never happen again. Truth is forever on the throne and those who think that wrong is being done must show some guts in standing up for what is right.
Therefore, in being balanced in what I write I am categorically saying aloud that we would not have been in this situation if certain individuals and organizations had stood up to this government and be counted for what is right and just. And maybe, just maybe, these dictatorial men and women in the government would have come to their senses and would try to make amends by putting the country first and on the right course.
But alas because of the ineptitude of these individuals and organizations we are now confronted with a situation that must involve the High Court because our civil liberties have been infringed with a COVID-19 Bill that is unlawful. It infringes the rule of law and the Constitution that is sacrosanct. It is at this juncture I want to point out to the singer at the last elections who sang the song “Captain the Ship is Sinking” in terms of the then labour government that he should now alter the titled of the song to “Captain the Ship has Sunk” under the United Workers Party (UWP) government.
I feel the pain of anguish knowing that I was at the forefront of getting this government elected through my writings, never once getting paid because I believed at the time change was needed. I believed then that the government was losing touch. However, this present government is now literally fumbling in the dark so much so that dark clouds are hovering over every nook and cranny of this country. The COVID 19 Bill brought the truth to light that this government had squandered what is left of their credibility, political value and the economic excuse, to validate their ineptitude and dishonesty.
COVID-19 in a sense has unmasked the Chastanet-led government use of flashing mirrors. Yes, COVID-19 has exposed them royally, a botched administration that enables colonialism for as long as they can for their economic advantage. Yet the leader who professed to be white did not envisage that when he made his onerous statement did not realize that they did not have a conscience.
That is why he looked for an all-women group in the Senate to pass this COVID-19 bill. What amazes me is that some of these individuals are staunch Catholics. Over the years they have failed to realize how we have been taken to the cleaners with the idea that God is white. We have accepted that conscience even to the extent when coming into the church in Castries St Michael can be seen standing over the Devil who was black with his spear. That is the conscience they subjugated us to.
The government is clutching at straws caught like a rat in a trap, suffering a crisis of credibility. Saint Lucia is at a crossroad. History and common sense must prevail [ seven-times British, seven times French ] on the verge of another Caribbean revolution.
