Dear Santa,
You know that is has been many moons since I last wrote to you for gifts for myself, brothers, sister and friends. However, this year I am not asking for myself, seeing that Christmas is for children and I have grown way past that age. I am asking for some very special gifts not only for children, but for all and sundry living in St. Kitts and Nevis.
I know that my list is longer than those in the past, but Santa please take time off from your busy schedule and give priority to it by stopping over with your team of reindeer, including Rudolph, in St. Kitts and Nevis when you would have left the North Pole.
Firstly Santa, there is a very serious problem among politicians in my country and I would like you to intervene. Men of the cloth had tried to resolve the situation, civil society in general had also tried but their efforts were to no avail.
You see, there are six political parties in the Federation - four in St. Kitts and two in Nevis - and there is a power struggle for leadership of my beloved country. Two of the parties in St. Kitts and one in Nevis have formed an alliance and call themselves Team Unity; while one each in St. Kitts and Nevis had already formed an alliance just after the last Federal Elections. The other party, which has so far only announced three of its candidates, has signalled its intension to merge with any party to form the Federal Government whenever Elections are held.
Both Team Unity and the other two parties have recently made known to the public that they have collaborating in the interest of the nation. Last week Wednesday while Team Unity signed the Charlestown Accord, the two other parties on the following evening strengthened their relationship with the signing of an agreement termed “Contract for Progress”.
Santa, this division among the political leaders is hurting us. Instead of building bridges, especially between the two islands, and working harmoniously together in the process of nation-building, some of them are placing emphasis on self-aggrandisement. And I am certain you are aware that self-aggrandisement leads to corruption and that corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Therefore, Santa, I am pleading to you to give our political leaders gifts of reconciliation, compromise, love for each other, goodwill to all men and the ability for equitable distribution of wealth.
Santa, my country is very small with a population of just over fifty thousand and Satan’s presence is being felt on a regular basis. His influence is so great that we are carrying a very high crime rate. For this year of our Lord, to date, we already have twenty-three murders, a large amount of break-ins, countless drug-related offences and a quantity of wounding with intent offences. And not to mention our penitentiary which is very overcrowded with a mixture of hard-core criminals, first offenders and juveniles.
The crime situation is adversely affecting citizens and residents on both islands and, while members of our Police Force have been busy throughout the year responding to the various forms of crime, it is proven that they are incapable of solving them, especially the murders.
Another thing Santa is the obvious non-cooperation among members of the Police High Command and the stagnation of qualified long-serving officers while their juniors continue to be elevated in ranks because of what some claimed to be political decisions.
Additionally, Santa, the police are not getting full cooperation from the public when they would have witnessed a crime, especially murder, for the fear of reprisals. Some persons claimed that many police officers cannot be trusted with confidential information, so they are afraid of disclosing same to them because it might reach the ears of the perpetrators of the crime.
I am therefore asking you Santa to provide the gift of attitude change to the gun-toting young men of this Federation in order for them to stop killing and stealing.
I am also asking of you to present a number of gifts to the Police Force. The first one is harmony within the High Command and the second is the gift of promotion by merit. The other is the gift of silence to all talkative officers including some members of the High Command. And last but not least, a gift that will greatly enhance investigators in solving murders.
Santa there is also a problem with parents. Many of them are aware of their sons’ criminal behaviour and instead of discouraging them they remain silent. And both you and I know that silence is consent. Kindly give to these parents the gift of truthfulness so that our young men will realise that even their loved ones are against the life they chose to live. I repeat, give them the gift of truthfulness, for it is these same parents who cry foul when their sons are apprehended, shed bitter tears and are remorseful when they are charged with the capital offence and when killed.
Santa the situation with the Basseterre High School needs to be remedied very quickly. It makes no sense repeating what transpired over the past two years because you were here in 2013 and heard the complaints from the students, teachers and the Teachers Union. So the gift I am asking for them is a new school.
I had wanted to ask you to give the Speaker of the House the gift of consent, but I have decided forgo that request because General Elections are imminent.
Time is running out and it has caused me not to mention the eight other areas in which I would like to see receiving gifts. And even thought this letter is late, Santa I know that you are sincere and have the ability to perform the seemingly impossible. Therefore, I am sincerely pleading with you to stop in St. Kitts and deliver the requested gifts.
And kindly remember to seek out some of those political leaders whose minds are taken over by power intoxication and also the one in the Police High Command who many members of the public said does not know when to talk, when to keep silent, when to supplant frank words with a diplomatic style, and when to take one step backwards so that he can take two steps forward.
PS. Ensure that you visit Canada before coming to St. Kitts because you will need a visa to visit that North American country.
