No Need to Apologise for GoodIntentions
There is a disquieting tendency in Caymanthat those who would dare to examine and expose the anomaliesin the society - whether in the conduct of government or the actionsof the private sector - are subject to opprobrium from officialand unofficial quarters.
There seems to be a national attitude that certain people, whetherby accident of birth, or social standing, have no right to commentor offer alternate suggestions, without their contribution beingconsidered an effrontery. Be quiet, or apologize, they are told.
The absence of any constitutionally enshrined right to freedomof expression has bred an unsettling fear that permeates the entiresociety. The frequency of publication of letters to newspapereditors bearing the signature, 'name withheld by request' is testamentto people's fear of being censured for daring to point out thatthe emperor has no clothes.
The question may well be asked: what has given rise to this fearand lack of transparency in public life? Can we attribute thisto the natural process of growth - which has been at an acceleratedpace - in these islands, thereby casting into positions of influenceand authority some inexperienced persons? Is this a consequenceof bigger government?
There is an oft-repeated argument that this is a small societyand criticism should therefore be tempered, lest one offends one'sfriends, family and of course, the hand that feeds. This approachignores the current reality of what the Cayman Islands has emergedto be today - the world's fifth largest financial centre, andas such a place that is under international scrutiny, not justin relation to its success as a major player of the world financialstage, but equally important in the way the society is orderedand the recognition of the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
The argument also does not recognize the dynamics of a modern,progressive society. The Cayman Islands is not what it was lastyear, five years ago, or even yesterday. Increasingly, the publicis demanding the opportunity to be heard, and defending its rightto express its concerns, from the community level, all the wayto the Legislative Assembly.
More and more educated Caymanians are returning to these shores,anxious to secure their place in the society and impatient tofind answers to their questions and people who are held accountablefor the governance of these islands. This is a tide that secrecyand a culture of fear cannot hold back.
What should be cultivated instead is a culture of openness anda willingness to be transparent to the public and responsive toits criticisms or demands for information. It is not only a governmentresponsibility. The private sector, which also relies heavilyon public acceptance and support of its enterprises, must be partof this process of responsive corporate citizenship.
Cayman Net News recognizes a responsibility to foster open dialogue,devoid of fear and malice. It is a mission to provide clear andaccurate coverage of the stories of today's Cayman. In the pursuitof this goal of excellence, we recognize a need to be proactive,interactive and innovative in how we present the news to a publicthat includes readers far beyond these shores.
As with any human enterprise, we may err at times, or hurt sensibilitiessometimes. Our inadvertence at these times should not be causeto castigate us or to decry our efforts at providing a servicethat is a critical part of all modern democracies. There is noneed to attempt to silence, or demand apologies for what is doneto inform the people and promote the good order of the CaymanIslands.
The changing times demand the proliferation of progressive ideas,openness and information in the public domain.