Letters & Opinion

NEVER GIVE UP!

“POLITICS, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.”– Richard Armour

Image of Edward Harris
Harris at Large by Edward Harris

In spite of the surge in the COVID 19 Pandemic, it is with a sense of hope that I write this column. I was glued to my television all day watching the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. I told my friends at the start of the Democratic Primaries that VP Joe Biden was the man for the job to bring change from the Trump doctrine to an orderly democratic government.

We can now look forward to the return of a world that will be humane, where dignity and respect will be honoured. The words – God bless America will be real once again. Congratulations to President Joseph Biden, and his Vice President Kamala Harris who is the first female and first black Vice President of the United States of America. The world can now breathe again.

During this week, we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, when we the people of the world shared his dream which is very likely to come alive under the Biden/Harris administration. In spite of the disruption to the Capitol, a well choreographed ceremony was held to introduce the new President and Vice President to the nation of the United States of America, and the rest of the world.

It has been a long road to the White House for President Biden. After two failed attempts at the Presidency, he finally succeeded on the third. Never give up! President Biden is well prepared for the job and will definitely hit the ground running. His heart is in the right place, and equality and justice will prevail. Unifying the nation will be a huge challenge for him but if there is anyone who can achieve this feat, that person is President Biden.

Going forward, the world is left to grapple with the COVID 19 pandemic and the economic fallout as a result. While the development and production of vaccines have been encouraging, it will take some time for the world’s population to be vaccinated. It has been reported in the USA that putting shots in arms have been slow, and supplies are not at the expected level. Hopefully, this situation will be corrected shortly.

On the economic front, President Biden’s 1.9 trillion dollar assistance package will put some money into circulation which will help citizens to settle some bills, and assist those with relatives overseas with remittances. In so many ways, the people of the Caribbean region are dependent upon what happens in the USA to determine their level of survival. The USA based Diaspora means a lot to the poor people in the world.

It is unfortunate, that we in Saint Lucia, just when business persons were beginning to feel that the COVID 19 surge will not affect them in relation to the level of economic activity that returned to the country, it was necessary for the government once again to hold back and return to restrictions that were previously instituted. Hopefully, the duration of 10 and 21 days will be all that will be necessary. With the new strain of the virus and increasing number of cases in the USA which is our major source for tourists, it is time for serious concern.

The time has come for the Government of Saint Lucia to initiate an Economic Council that will engage the public and private sectors, and civil society to make recommendations to navigate the challenges of maintaining economic balance, while taking care of the health issues in general, and the pandemic in particular. There should be opportunities for citizens to contribute by hosting town hall meetings to get ideas and feedback. The challenges that confront us require all hands on deck. This is a good time to encourage participatory governance.

I encourage my fellow Saint Lucians to seek out information in relation to political and economic developments in the USA. Our future is inextricably linked to the state of affairs in the United States of America. It is a great time to be alive! We, the people will Never Give Up!

Remember Always, Yahweh is in charge; dream big and expect daily Miracles!

Edward Harris
Freelance Journalist/Realtor/Business Consultant
Email: [email protected]
Websites: https://stluciagreatpropertydeals.com
www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Send this to a friend