Dear Source:
Although we all should act in loving kindness toward each other, regardless of so-called race, gender, religion beliefs, sexual orientation, etc. and treat each other like we would like to be treated, when people do not follow the golden rules of many religions, it is necessary to counteract their discrimination, hatred, violence, etc. so that they will be discouraged from doing something similar again. As an example, although thou shall not kill, when people kill others because of different religions beliefs, it may be necessary to kill them or to incarcerate them to keep them from killing more people based on personal belief rather than love for all human beings. Thus, when people discriminate against others, it may be vitally necessary to educate and to prepare for the worst so that the best can more easily occur in the future.
People in the Virgin Islands should hope for the best but prepare for the worst. We all should hope that natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. do not arrive on our islands; yet we should be prepared in the event that something bad, evil or unjust reaches us. We also need to prepare for the unnatural disaster such as the possibility, not probability, of the 5th Constitutional draft being positively voted on by ancestral and Native Virgin Islanders. While it is improbable that Congress will send the draft back as it is presently written, it is possible! If that possibility occurs and the discriminatory draft is accepted by ancestral and Native Virgin Islanders, non-native Virgin Islanders should prepare now to file a class action lawsuit with the Federal Civil Rights Commission against the individuals of the 5th Constitutional Convention who voted to accept a document that does not grant the Revised Organic Act equal protection guarantee of the U. S. Constitution. Those who are still trying to get it passed as written should be held responsible since the VI Attorney General, VI Governor, President of the United States, many Virgin Islanders and the legal counsel for the 5th Constitutional Convention have agreed not to accept the discrimination and the un-constitutionality of the draft. We should hold those who have consistently ignored the legal advice personally responsible for the excess in money it has cost the island taxpayers, for time wasted and the discrimination against non ancestral or Native Virgin Islanders.
In addition to filing a class action suit, the public should also mandate that each candidate running for a senate position or governor this fall specifically address, in writing, whether ancestral and Native Virgin Islanders should accept the document as presently written before we vote for them in November, 2010. If the 5th Constitutional draft is accepted by voters in the fall, as presently written, we should also consider requesting the U.S. Government or state governments to charge the approximate 59,000 native Virgin Islanders, who presently reside in the U. S. according to Senator Hill, extra property tax fees to help compensate the non-native born and non-ancestral Virgin Islanders for the taxes that they will have to pay here if the draft passes. Since there are not laws in any state that grant generous property tax abatements to state born individuals, (that my be my ignorance), it may be reasonable to establish an equitable system in various states that helps to support their native born people who live in the Virgin Islander. Ironically, such laws would suggest equal treatment in paying property taxes similar to laws that penalize non-native islanders residing on our islands. A similar request may also be made to other islands where some ancestral and Native Virgin Islanders live because their native born people will also be discriminated against.
Rather than getting people to follow the previous suggestions, I would prefer that our senators speak out against the 5th Constitutional draft, as the governor has, and not provide funds for it to be voted upon.
Hap Clark, St. Croix
