Portraying the wrong image

Friday, June 23, 2006

Dear Sir:

Some time ago, probably about 3-5 months ago, I remember visiting a club on Seven Mile Beach. As I entered the club, I noticed there was a quarrel taking place between a female security guard and a female patron who was in the process of leaving the establishment.

The security guard, from one of the smaller islands (I recognized the island from her accent), was speaking to the patron in a cool voice, telling the female patron that she had to leave. Apparently the female patron seemed very inebriated.

I stopped to listen to what was going on (perhaps foolishly so), and came to understand from the content of the conversation, and from onlookers nearby, that the female patron had apparently had too much to drink, and as she was being escorted out by her friend, I understood that the security guard had previously asked her to leave.

The patron became very abusive, and exclaimed for all to hear, that she was "a Caymanian and an immigration worker", and that that security guard can't tell her what to do because it is her country. Then she proceeded to ask the security guard for her name and ID number so that she could "fix her" in the morning.

She also made claim to returning "later" to "deal with" the security guard.

I found the whole behaviour abhorring. For one thing, to use the fact that you are Caymanian to threaten a law-abiding officer, was totally out of place. That the patron was also as she claimed (without denial from any of her so-called friends), that she worked in the Immigration Department, was also very crude and threatening.

At this time when there are so many issues taking place with the visa system, roll-over policy and others, and minds are fraught with worry, and xenophobia is rampant over the island, occurrences like this does not make things any better.

We have to learn to be more tolerant, and cannot use our positions of nationality or job status to rule over others in the despicable manner with which this patron carried on.

Alcohol is definitely not an excuse.

Let us learn to be more tolerant, more careful of others' feelings, and not use our race, nationality or job positions as a rod over others and bring disgrace to ourselves.

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