April 12th, 2014 -- On behalf of my family and me and behalf of all my constituents in the Town of Randolph in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is an honor and privilege to extend heartiest birthday greetings to Dr. the Rt. Hon. Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds, the First Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Much could be said and written about Sir Kennedy, yet any endeavor would fall woefully short in doing justice to this distinguished and remarkable son of the soil. Dr. Simmonds is a modern day icon, a leader, a luminary that looms large, a humble giant whose life will be memorialized in the annals of our history.
His remarkable influence on his peers, his countrymen and women, and the citizens of the region and the world, is unparalleled when compared to today’s political activists and leaders. Doing justice to the unprecedented service and accomplishments of a man who has inspired so many by his vision and his own actions is no easy task especially for mere mortals.
In the same vein as George Washington, having led his nation into independence, Dr. Simmonds has accomplished the remarkable feat of being one of about only two hundred men in world history with this rare distinction.
Despite the wear and tear of politics and notwithstanding the efforts of a few to besmirch and belittle his accomplishments, Dr. Simmonds emerges not as a man with malice or bitterness. Instead, he remains a man of supreme modesty and humility, a man committed to peace and reconciliation and a man grounded by what is in the best interest of the ordinary man and of the next generation.
On a personal level, simply put, had it not been for Dr. Simmonds, I would not be what I am today, an elected Representative in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the birthplace of American Independence. It is a place where I have been both honored and humbled to represent a diverse constituency comprised of a multiplicity of cultures, races and religions.
As a young man still in my early twenties, I had the unique and personal privilege to serve Dr. Simmonds in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs. My career in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is now history. But what is far from being history and is most present is the transformative and dramatic impact that Dr. Simmonds has had on my life and career. Indeed, some three decades later, as I reminisce, I know all too well, how fortunate and blessed I had been to serve this unique and extraordinary leader.
Often in public life, it is the little things that count. One of the things that I admired about Dr. Simmonds while travelling on government business was not necessarily the way he related to his fellow Prime Ministers and other Officials but the dignified manner in which he treated the hotel maids, the waiters and the ordinary workers. It was indeed a rare glimpse into his persona and, indeed, his character.
His judicious and thoughtful counsel, his visionary instinct, his open and warm heart of wisdom is now legendary. He is a man who has never abandoned any of his principles and convictions and who has shown to his nation and to the world that pure humility and grace and a commitment to the truth can be more powerful than the antics of autocrats.
Today as I endeavor to represent my constituents to the best of my abilities and as I wrestle with the challenges of the day, it is not uncommon for me to ask myself “What would Dr. Simmonds have done?”
He has taught us to remain dignified even in the face of difficulty and adversity. His dignity, his grace, his honesty, his humility and his relentless search for ideas that would better the lives of his people are values that are deeply embedded in his conscience and in his character.
He has shown the way; let us now finish the struggle. Let us emulate him, let us celebrate him.
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