Dear Mr. Hodge

Excuse me for my boldness, but what is our Minister of Social Development doing? And where is he in the midst of our social crises? Is the Minister of Tourism gauging what is going on socially, and calculating the cost on the tourism industry? I am not seekng to get personal and political, but we need to hear from you. What are your plans for steering Anguilla in the right direction socially?

I feel as if Government is abdicating its responsibilities to a few concerned organisations and the churches (I think Pastor Philip Gumbs is tired and overworked. The Optimists are trying.) We are tired of the sweet sounding speeches, the promises, the promises... It’s time we take to the street and start the social revolution that needs to get on its way. We need to reclaim our country!
We are devolving into social chaos. Nobody could argue with this. We need to take a pause from all these tourism ‘development’ projects to catch our breath, catch up with what is going on, and take care of our home business.
Who are we fooling? Tourism loses its value in a society that has no grip on itself.
The truth is that our ‘boys’ do not feel empowered. In some cases, they have done that to themselves. Some feel hopeless. Some are without dreams. Some are disappointed with life. Some are without ambition. Others are demotivated. Some are angry. And so, they are acting out. This is a simplistic rendering of our complex male social problems.
I do not want to raise an issue without proffering a solution. One of the biases I see is our scholarship programmes. Our scholarships and grants favour the academics: lawyers, teachers, doctors, engineers... The money that it would take to train one doctor (who would most likely defect) for 8 years could be used to train 10 of our ‘under the tree boys’. They just need some help in getting a vision and a dream. They need some help in (re)kindling a fire within them for a greater good.
Simpy creating construction jobs on another tourism ‘development’ project is not the answer. Simply creating another waitering job is not the way to get our boys off the street. Simply talking about them is not the answer. They need a new perspective. Taking them off this island and getting them some exposure and training elsewhere could help. We need scholarships that could give our young men a career, that could raise their skill base, that could give them a chance at empowerment. Let’s actually offer scholarships for training as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, tailors, shoe makers, graphic artists, photographers, upholsterers, automobile body repair men, professional tilers, furniture repair men, framers, music mixers, sound specialists, electronics repairmen... The possibilities are endless. Not only do we offer the scholarships, but also ensure that the guys who need the chance actually get it.
At this juncture, I would like to applaud the American couple who took it upon themselves to train the two young men from East End in the art of faux finish. I think that each of us could learn from their philanthropy.
Please, Mr. Powers That Be, stop the rhetoric. Stop the grinning before the cameras. Stop the official public appearances. Stop the posturing. Stop the seeming. Stop the charades. We do not want to play anymore. The games are dangerous, and we are tired. And we are afraid, for the nights are dark. We are not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s dark in here. Get us out! Switch on the lights in the tunnel. The end of the tunnel seems far.
Mr. Ministers, these are the real issues, and we need you to pay more attention to the state of our home affairs. Put the investors on hold (please, no more hotels amd mass importation of workers...) put your departments to work, and address this state of urgency, no rhetoric, just action, proaction.

Another Young Anguillian

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