It is now almost six months after the 2010 general election, and the establishment of the new Government, yet Anguilla is being torn to pieces as if the heated electioneering campaign is still on.

This is creating much stress on the island, its people and the forward movement of the territory and it is not doing anybody any good. Yes, admittedly, there are thorny issues, and probably much stalemate to deal with but, for goodness sake, everybody, including seasoned and rookie politicians, those who want to unreasonably control or curtail freedom of expression, the so-called bush lawyers and those involved in the type of talk shows and blogs that make matters worse, should now lay off the hullabaloo and give peace and unity a chance.

There is much ground to cover to enable Anguilla to regain its footing in the area of economic development and financial viability. We are a far cry from the days of plenty when our GDP showed double figures to the envy of some of our less-prosperous Caribbean neighbours. Recovery will come one day, but it is left to us to do whatever we can to speed it up. The proposed projects, which the Chief Minister talks about, may not materialise or may be unduly delayed, if it is perceived that there is political confusion and restlessness in Anguilla. Some of us may not like this expression, but there is a need to form “a united front” to combat and stave off the challenges that loom ominously over us.
Among the difficulties we need to work at, is the ugly head of crime in all of its forms. Luckily, for us, serious crimes are not really stalking our island to any great extent, but when armed and masked bandits threaten our fickle tourism industry in particular, it sends a wake-up call to all of us. No wonder the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association was so concerned over an unfortunate incident recently. The regular burglaries and thefts, sometimes high, and other times low, in numbers, are already causing much concern. An escalation in this behaviour would be gravely unfortunate and dangerous. It is something which our leaders and immigration personnel must pay particular attention to as it is thought that many of the attacks are made by persons not native to Anguilla.
Crime is only one matter as there are many other social development issues to deal with in moving Anguilla forward. There is, however, a preoccupation to fix the economy and the financial situation that must be understandable and foremost. We must not lose sight, however, of that fact that, in giving consideration to this malady, we should also concentrate on all areas of life and problems on the island that can cause us to make two steps backward when we take one stride forward.

A unified Anguilla and a people settled and free from fear from any quarter, and the absence of political babblings and strife, will provide the necessary fortitude for us to face the varied challenges of life, and to succeed in moving forward.

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