Dear Source:
There are persons who wear labels for convenience, for very personal reasons. There are those who claim to be a Christian, or a Catholic, or a Democrat or an Icmer.
However, many of these same people do not represent what they claim to be, because if you did not know the label they put on themselves one would never recognize them as such. In other words, a person can claim to be anything they chose, but the proof is in their behavior, which should reflect what they claim to be. As in the Scriptures:"you shall know them by their fruits."
Those persons who claim to be Icmers and do not respect nor promote the basic tenets of the party, which are Justice, Freedom and Progress, are not true Icmers. Justice is considered a universal moral principle that means to be just; to be fair and impartial. Freedom refers to a state of being free, of personal liberty. Freedom is also a universal concept. Progress is another universal concept; it refers to an action, of movement, to progression, to advancement or growth. Discipline, self-discipline is greatly lacking in our community and is causing no end of problems in our society. We need persons who are positive role models for our society, for our party.
The philosophy of the Independent Citizens Movement could be summarized in the following words that would be part of its mission statement. The promotion and practice of Justice universally, to promote and defend the right to freedom of all persons. Having achieved a full measure of justice for all and ensuring the freedom of all, progress would come as a consequence of having achieved Justice and Freedom in our society. We believe all persons, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and physical attributes have a right to contribute to the positive development of our society. In other words, all persons are expected and should be allowed to contribute to our society notwithstanding any handicaps they may have. Our goal is to achieve a society where all persons are respected, where there is harmony, where all persons are included in the enjoyment of all the benefits that derived from being a citizen of the US Virgin Islands.
We in the ICM Party, VI hold our representatives in government, those elected and those appointed, to the highest standard of performance and personal integrity. We promote excellence as our goal and standard and reject the culture of mediocrity. We believe we deserve the best; consequently, we must be our best in whatever we do. Those persons who claim to be Icmers and fail to keep the standard, fail to promote harmony and fail to adhere to the principles on which the party is based are not true Icmers. We know in any organization we would have the faithful, the true practitioners of the standard of the party and we know that there are those who are selfish and are there for their own selfish and personal advantage. The Scriptures admonish us: "let the weed grow alongside the wheat until the time of harvest, when they shall be separated."
The ICM Party, VI opens its doors to all people of goodwill who want to make a positive difference. We welcome persons who are willing to work with others, with their neighbors, their friends and people who are different, for the common good. Unity is very important for any community to have progress. We can address and solve many of our problems by working together as a community, by selecting and electing persons who have demonstrated a commitment to the community. True Icmers promote the party principles and encourage others to join the party. Those who are elected to public office or an office within the party and do not promote the increase in membership cannot be considered true Icmers. Let us all show our real love for the Virgin Islands by working together in harmony. May Allah-God grant us wisdom and courage to do what is right for our Virgin Islands.
J. J. Estemac
St. Thomas
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