HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY
 
By Cecil Lincoln Warner
 

GOD bless the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis and may He possess us with that common love that binds and makes us as one.

This is a day to rejoice and give thanks, so we should really thank God for His grace and mercies to us as a nation. We have come thus far and we need to love one another and our country more. Through our trying times we have come thus far and we need to love one another and our country more - through our trying times and challenges. May I remind all of us today that God has been good to us and we need to focus on his goodness more than all the other stuff. There is still a lot to be thankful for in spite of all that are going on around us.

Remember how it was on September 19, 1983 when national pride was at an all-time high? Thanks to all who made that possible! Remember how we all proudly wore our national colours and flew flags from our cars? Remember our beautiful design flag and anthem, the T-shirts, windshield and bumper stickers and banner?

We were celebrating then, proud to be Kittitians and Nevisians. Never before, as far as I can recall, had there been a time of greater patriotic fervour, and I have been around for some 50-plus years.

I wish we could be that way more often, even when we are not celebrating some internationally recognised achievement. It is easy enough to celebrate when an event puts us on top of the world, but I think it is important that we celebrate even when there is not some special occasion or accomplishment, because we should always be proud to be from St. Kitts and Nevis.

It is particularly important now, when there are some misguided people who seem determined to drive this country to ruin, that those of us who care stand up and express our patriotism, as well as our faith in the bright future that lies ahead.

We need to keep the ‘Sugar City and Queen City” flag flying to show our determination to take St. Kitts and Nevis back from the drugs and arms dealers, murderers, rapists and bandits and the other lawless elements who have been ravaging our land.

As a people, we need to stand firm in defence of our country. We should not be swayed by those hidden agendas of those who paint grim and dismal images of our country.

Regardless of where we stand politically, we must remember that the future is in our hands. We do not need to blindly follow political, economic and social leaders whose agenda is to satisfy a select few.

Crime, natural disasters and the impact of global trends may cause us to despair, to lose hope in our country and people. In the bad times, it is all to easy to bad talk St. Kitts and Nevis and predict national ruin and widespread suffering.

In this world today, let me remind you that we are not immune from crime, violence, national disasters and food shortages. I, for one, refuse to give up on St. Kitts and Nevis and I hope that you too as citizens will stand firm.

Our two islands are unique and blessed with natural resources that make us the envy of other countries of the world. Indeed, we have blessed the world with music and sports, just to name a few, so as we celebrate this 25th Anniversary of Independence. I would like to pay respect to “the man from under the breadfruit tree” Kings of Kings, “the maestro King Ellie Matt”. I want to wish him the best of health. I will remind you of the words once uttered by one of our national hero to another...“Hold strain”...remember these words? Well, Ellie please do likewise.

As I listened to the different radio stations, I realised that there are still many patriotic citizens and (I applaud that) playing the songs that remind us of our blessing as a nation. I must say that it did  my  soul well to hear these wonderful songs, and all the reminders of those who would have made significant contributions to this twin-isle country. ‘Arise, the country is yours’, ‘Viva St. Kitts, ‘The cracking of the whip’ and many more tunes too numerous to   mention, to all the artistes, continue to produce much more tunes.

As I am about to close the message to our Federation and its people, let me once again say that “I love this country, I love the people and all the other blessing we overlook. I hear many of us speak in terms of giving up, but one of my favourite gospel songs says that “I just can’t give up now, I’ve come too far from where I’ve started from! Nobody told me the road would be easy, but I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me.”

Maybe we can relate those words to our country - to inspire us to keep fighting the good fight of faith; faith in a loving God to deliver us, faith in our countrymen to stand up and do our best, and faith in ourselves to rally around sweet “Sugar City and Queen City. We just can’t give up now, we’ve come too far from where we started. Twenty-five years! Nobody told us the road would be easy, but I don’t believe He’s brought us thus far to leave us.

Like other countries, we have our fair share of challenges, and as one famous Caribbean calypsonian (Black Stalin) sang and reminds us, “We can make it if we try, just a little harder.” If we just give one more try, life will be much sweeter. St. Kitts and Nevis, let us try a little harder to make it as a people - as a nation.

We have so much going for us and probably have not yet realised it (maybe). My prayer is that we make a life as we focus on making a living. We reach out to our neighbours as much as we travel abroad. That we give to our country...after all, our country has given us so much.

To the government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis, to the Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglass and members of his Cabinet, to the Premier Hon. Joseph Parry and his Nevis Island Administration, to all the  Opposition Parties and their Leaders, distinguished citizens, to the first Prime Minister  the Right Hon. Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds, my brother and sisters, may God richly bless you  all, and as we set our sight on another 25 years may they be a challenge for excellence that will prosper our youths, elders, leaders and country to rise above all expectations.

To my mother Mrs. Alice Warner of Church Street, Basseterre, daughter Marueen, grandchildren Raheem and Shakima, much love and Happy Independence Anniversary.