Would you stand up and see your country dying and never lend a helping hand?
By Mutryce A. Williams BBA CTM
On the eve of our nations twentieth Independence, we need to reflect. We need to get down on our knees and thank God that we were born in this great land and in this modern era. The nation of St. Kitts-Nevis may only be 104 square miles in size but we should boast to the world that there is no land greater or better than our federation. Our nation celebrates twenty (20) years of Independence. This is a great milestone for us as a people. We should rejoice and give thanks. Many may jeer or laugh at us. Only twenty years as an independent state, what is there to celebrate? St. Kitts-Nevis you young! My country/land has been independent for so long, twenty years and you celebrating? St. Kitts-Nevis, this is indeed a great milestone, for twenty years we have been steering our own ship.
We ought to be thankful, that we are citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis as we could have been born into different circumstances. Some of us may say, Yes, different and better, with more opportunities! Let us also take into consideration that different could also be worse. We are members of a global community. Technology aids us; it makes us aware that we do not exist in isolation. This is the twenty-first century, in parts of the world slavery still exists. Women are in bondage. We see nations being torn apart by civil war. Two years ago, America the Great was under attack. In parts of the world starvation exists! The rate of illiteracy is high and AIDS and other diseases are rampant. Healthcare and infrastructure are non-existent! There are areas in our global community where freedom of speech is prohibited and innocent people are persecuted for their beliefs.
We need not look far as, in our regional waters; some of our Caribbean brothers and sisters are suffering severe economic and financial hardship. There are governments who cannot guarantee civil servants their hard earned monthly salary. Kittitians-Nevisians, when we are talking and bawling let us consider these things. When we are ranting and raging, THINK, somebody out there have it worse than you. Let us consider the era that we are born into. Two hundred years ago our ancestors were enslaved and carted here to work on the plantations. We know the conditions they lived under. We heard of the hardships that they endured. Could we have survived in those times, those times when one was the possession of another? We should appreciate our freedom. We need only to go a few decades back, on our journey from colonialism to independence, to really appreciate what we have now. Our National Heroes Robert L. Bradshaw, C A Paul Southwell and Joseph N. France fought so that we could enjoy what we have now.
I have often heard my grandfather say when he was referring to one of his peers after an argument, Is a good thing I could read, he behaving so because he cant read, or after church he would comment about someone holding the hymnal upside down because the person couldnt read. I would look at my grandmother puzzled and remark, Mommy, well who cant read, as if reading is a big thing. My grandmother would explain, Darling, you see in we days everybody didnt get the chance to go to school and learn to read, so is a big, big thing to him. I understood and appreciated why my grandfather took such pride in his ability to read. This empowered and validated him. I realized that in this era we take too many things for granted. Really ask yourself, Now am I not grateful to be born in this country and era?
As we progress and as society changes we hear the cries, Things change! Things hard! What St. Kitts-Nevis coming to eh! Lord these things foreign to we! The country dying! I am surprised, the cries arent Well what is my St. Kitts-Nevis coming to or what can I do to help my country? The cries arent, Why am I allowing my country to die? The late President John F Kennedy of the USA stated, Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country! In nation building we would all benefit. As proud, proud Kittitians-Nevisians, we should reflect on our motto Country Above Self. Are we really putting our countrys needs before ours? How many of us actually ask this? How many of us live up to our civic duty as citizens of the federation of St. Kitts-Nevis? Kittitian-Nevisians we need to stop sleeping and ARISE. How many of us instead of criticizing actually lend a helping hand. This country is ours, all ours. How many of us do things just for the love of our country. A philosophic old friend of mine Mr. Joseph Smith who has contributed to the agricultural development of our nation and who I have admired throughout the years, told me Listen, get your business in order, it is love for the Almighty God, love for my country, love for my family and everything else after! Kittitians-Nevisians, do we all think like this?
I realize that in our country we tend to rely on the government for everything. We blame them for everything. We need to realize that the government isnt the parliamentarians that are elected to serve. These parliamentarians are few and they are not magicians. We shouldnt sit by and wait for them to provide or fix everything. We need to be assertive and industrious people. We are the government. The power lies in the people. If there is a road that need fixing why not get a group and lobby for that road to be fixed, instead of complaining and waiting for a politician to realize that it needs fixing. This may sound ludicrous to us. Why not raise funds or have a community drive to fix the road? We are going to say that this unheard of in these parts, After all man, we paying taxes and thats why we put them there ent? They are servants of the people Citizens, arise do away with this sort of thinking. In nation/community building we would all benefit. St. Kitts-Nevis is ours.
As Kittitians-Nevsians, we should declare our nationality and heritage to the world with utmost pride. I have always stated when asked, Who are you? I respond, A Kittittian first, West Indian second and my dear friend everything else comes after. I am Kitti to De Bone! St. Kitts-Nevis has a rich history. The Caribs and Arawaks inhabited this twin island paradise. St. Kitts was known as Liamuigua and these indigenous people called Nevis Oualie. Remember we were the Mother Colony, from our pristine shores; birth was given to other Caribbean islands. We boast the Gibralter of the West Indies, Brimestone Hill and over two hundred other historic sites. We are a people all of our own. We have an identity. We are a rich and unique blend. There are our picturesque landscapes, architecture, food, music, patois, and melting pot of people. It means so much to be Kittitian-Nevisian. Citizens we have witnessed the demise of great nations, I wouldnt want to live to see the day where David Rudders song is changed to, St. Kitts-Nevis, I am sorry, one day we would turn our heads and restore your glory. Citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis, this is our land of beauty. Citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis arise and lend a helping hand. This country is yours. ARISE CITIZENS ARISE!
