Letter to the Editor
Alienated by Cayman's ElectionProcess
Dear Sir,
With the greatest respect,Sir, calling our recent election "democratic" (yourEditorial in Issue #34) was a little misleading. It was democraticonly in the tribal sense, not in the national sense.
The voters (and the candidates) were drawn from a single ethnicgroup, as used to be done in the old South Africa. There, votingwas for the White communities only; here it is for Caymaniansonly. The principle is exactly the same, which is why the word'apartheid' is in common usage these days among the outsiders.
Even immigrants of 20-30 years' residence are kept off the electoralrolls! By normal international standards, this makes our GeneralElection invalid, and our Legislative Assembly illegitimate. Amajority of Cayman's long-term residents are not allowed any representation.
In the words of that TV programme, "The tribe has spoken".So it has, but not to 75% of the people of the Cayman Islands,and certainly not FOR us.
Where do we go from here? Perhaps, it will depend on whether theproposed Human Rights Law applies to all the people of the CaymanIslands, or to native Caymanians alone. Actually, the new Lawis unnecessary, since international human-rights CONVENTIONS applyworldwide. (That is how they catch war criminals and the like.Serbia doesn't have a human-rights Law.) The eventual lawsuitsin Cayman will be for breaches of international laws, not locallaws.
Now, a little while back, I called for the establishment of aCommunity Relations Board along the lines of the Miami Board,as a good way to stop a Fiji-type situation developing here. Ihope the new MLAs will consider such a Board, though I am notoptimistic; and here's why.
When speaking to their Caymanian electorate, the Caymanian candidates,WITHOUT EXCEPTION, ruled out granting full civil rights to ANYmore non-Caymanians, except through marriage. Furthermore, everycandidate said that foreign applicants, for even limited 'tenure',would have to pass the 'no offence' test. So much for promisesof fair dealings!
(For any readers not aware of it, the code is in the phrase "providedan applicant [for Permanent Residence] has contributed to thecommunity." What that MEANS is "provided the applicanthas not offended any native Caymanian, at any time."
Why do so few Brits, Latinos or Jamaicans volunteer for servicein community clubs etc? Because they know that one disagreementwith a native Caymanian might (MIGHT) result in a secret letterto the Immigration Board, and the loss of their jobs and homes.That fact is ritually denied, but we all know it is true.)
Cayman today is on the brink of an abyss, and its 'leaders' areplanning to take a giant step forward. Oh, great! I personallyhave never felt more alienated than now, or more unwelcome tohelp Cayman. All of us immigrants remain desperately vulnerableto those secret letters to the Immigration Board, and there areno signs of any improvement in our situation. So if the intelligenthalf of the native Caymanian community is too scared to standup for us, or too uncaring, then we have no future here.
We can sell our local assets now, or we will be forced to sellthem later. Which is it to be?
Gordon Barlow
George Town
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Mr. Barlow seems to forget one thing: He and so many others wereattracted to the Cayman Islands and its people because of whothey were -- and in most instances, they stand out as the friendliesttribe one can find in any modern country anywhere in the world.
The Cayman Islands also continue to offer great opportunity foreveryone -- particularly those who recognize that a good thing(like the Cayman Islands) needs to be protected so that theirlot do not end up on the endangered species list, as is happeningnow in Britain and Miami.
As for his comments on the democratic process of elections heldhere, one day after that of the United States, the most powerfulnation in the world -- they are still trying to sort out theirs... while we are moving forward to the new day ... the new governmentthe people of the Cayman Islands have voted in.
Cayman Net News has contributed without fear or favour, to sponsoringand promoting so many areas of good order which have in most casebeen non-existent in the Cayman Islands.
We will continue to sound out issues ... in an effort to produceanswers. The fact that Mr. Barlow's contribution is printed inthis column is a demonstration that everyone given the privilegeto live here has the opportunity to speak his or her mind throughthis column.
So come on Mr. Barlow, instead of crying down the tribal habitsof the people of the Cayman Islands, try earning the right tobecome a national of these islands.