Letter to the Editor

Recall the Status - Save the future of Cayman Islands

Friday, January 23, 2004

Dear Sir,

I personally must commend the Cayman Bar Association (CBA) for their foresight and prudent decision to consider the illegal procedures in which the present masses of statuses were granted.

Correct wrong: "To ignore injustice is to become an accomplice to it".

At this time when many are waiting for someone in authority to lead the path for justice, I can truly say to the CBA, the time to take action is now. Surely, you are not alone.

Should not justice prevail, so that those who are deserving, be justified?

Opposition must come: There are some who will always challenge the hands of justice and will even seek to input fear in the hearts of the innocents. However, no-one should be so naïve as not to recognize that to overturn such a catastrophe carries a cost, which could have been avoided had such a poor decision not been taken in the first place. Does the cost outweigh the benefits of justice? Of course not.

Future implications: Will the present born Caymanian, Status Holders and their dependents enjoy a bright future? Will the government not have to increase the cost of living to pay for the loss of revenue from the work permit? With the increase in population will there not be a need for additional landfill, as the present one is full to capacity? If so, then who will pay for a larger landfill?

With the additional new Caymanians and having no limits on the number of dependent- children who can live on our small island, where will they attend school? Are not our schools overcrowded? Overcrowding, only leads to the deterioration in educational standard of our children. Thus, these children will not be able to hold managerial positions. Therefore, the cycle of importing foreign nationals continues. Then, will the government also grant these nationals status within one or two years or less? We need to save Cayman. Let's do it now. Recall the status and do it right.

Recall necessary: Cayman is not an unlawful country and as such the law must be enforceable legally. The legal criteria set for granting status should be adhered to. Therefore, let's use these criteria to filter out those who are ineligible. In addition, background checks must be made to ensure that these applicants will be valuable citizens of the Cayman Islands.

What about those who have contributed 20 to 30 years to our country, yet we have not seen it fit to include then in our family? Who will fight for them?

I call upon the CBA and those with a heart for justice to enforce the law and agree with me the only way to do this is to recall status and put the integrity back into our laws.

Save Our Isle: CBA, I implore you to consider the implications of the decision. Don't just consider your future, but that of your children. The Cabinet acted unlawfully; the procedure and amount of status granted under "Special Reason" is not legal, as British Barrister David Pannick has confirmed (Cayman Net News, 14 January)

The foundation of your profession is built on justice. As a member of the CBA, one has taken an oath to establish justice where there is injustice. Let's collectively correct this injustice and save this our precious island, Cayman. 

R Dixon

Back...