Dear Source,
It is unbelievable that the world we live in today — and especially here in our Virgin Islands — has become the center of so much stress for most of us who live here in these islands of "paradise".
You would think that this "democratic" government would be for the people and by the people. However, these days it seems like every man is for himself. Why is it that our government can add a two-cent tax to everything that is imported to our territory with virtually no input from "we the people" until the last minute? This action seems strange to me, since everything we get in our isolated yet "paradise" islands is imported. This means that the prices will continue to go up to prices that are already too high. Why can they do this to our islands and get away with it?
What action can the people of this community take and why hasn't it been taken? This situation looks to me like we are digging a hole to fill a hole. When I heard that our government was going to impose such a ludicrous law I thought to myself: Are they out of their minds? How much of these extra taxes are they going to pay, if anything? This is like certain realities in a common household, where an unfit and abusive mother will eat and get fat while her children remain starving and struggling. The V.I. government officials are like such an abusive and neglectful mother and "we the people" are like the starving and struggling children. If our V.I. "household" continues like this, eventually everyone is going to be fighting and stealing amongst one another just for a piece of the pie that is becoming very sour and rotten. Is this the type of environment we want to breed within this territory? If your answer is "yes" then we should continue down this dead-end road.
However, if you are a genuinely concerned citizen your answer will be that there is a need for things to be different — as soon as possible. Let us not be part of the problem, but part of the solution. No longer will "we the people" be innocent bystanders being lied to, tricked and bamboozled as victims of an incompetent government. We must let our voices be heard! Let us not wait until Election Day 2004. There must be a change in the way things are done — immediately.
As citizens of these Virgin Islands, we are the government for without the people there is no government. We "elect" these officials giving them major control of our islands and future. However, if we continue along this path of destruction and hellfire they continue to pave for us, there will be no future for any of us, our children, our grandchildren or our generations to come. There must be a change in the way things are being done, for the only thing that is constant is change.
J. Goodwin
St. Croix
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
