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A Madman’s Rant

Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool was on July 16, 2019 sworn in to the Virgin Islands House of Assembly as the elected Representative for the Fourth District. Photo: Facebook
by Whitfield Mason- Caribbean Political Commentator

Honourable MARK H. VANTERPOOL is known for throwing tantrums.

If you don’t believe me –watch his so-called resignation video.

After the general elections of last February – he threw a tantrum because his party had failed to win the elections.

He was mad with his constituents. He was mad with himself. He gave his supporters in District 4 in the [British] Virgin Islands the proverbial finger.

And then maybe after some talking to; after some political lobbying; and after perhaps taking his meds – or a combination of all lf those – he “calmed” down and changed his mind.

And then began the fight to get back to the House of Representatives.

There was a technicality he hung on to. The rules suggest that he could only resign through the Speaker.

When he sent his hasty, angry letter, a speaker was not technically in place. And so he addressed it to the clerk.

After months of wrangling, court battles and legal challenges – the Speaker Honourable Julian Willock relented and let him back in on July 16, 2019.

Opposition leader Honourable Marlon A. Penn (R8) and Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) all put in good words for him.

He returned to the House of Representative – and after being sworn in – immediately sought to make trouble. He baited the Speaker actually to throw him out; trying to paint himself as some kind of blue-ish martyr.

Then he threw another of those now legendary tantrums.

And so he went outside, and in a calculated, slanderous fit of rage went on an unprecedented tirade for a little over half an hour.

As he went on, all that came to mind was David Rudder’s son: Madman’s Rant. He was a grandpa fully unhinged.

One person aptly said that his tirade was filled with half furthers, innuendos and lies.

Even if you concede that he felt aggrieved with the four months he has been in the wilderness; it still does not excuse his embarrassing meltdown – almost like a badly trained sharpshooter on a suicide mission, who knows he is on borrowed time, and is just willing to take everyone with him.

Not that he got everything wrong. But he served up nuggets of truth in a swimming soup of distortions.

And, in doing so, he reminded everyone else what he is – a fading, failing politician on his last lap – who won’t make way for a new generation without a fight.

This new government has many faults; and has not gotten everything right – but Mark H. Vanterpool is not the one to call them out on anything – real or imagined.

He has too many questions unanswered, including stories of how he profited while his people pained after a hurricane disaster.

But he just does not care. In the Caribbean there is one word for that: Boldface!

“You could say I thief the port money. You can say whatever you want,“ he declared.

All along, I just had to reprise Rudder: “It was a chant of madman, in this tale of a strange land.”

11 Responses to “A Madman’s Rant”

  • True (17/07/2019, 13:04) Like (15) Dislike (4) Reply
    Case of when the fox couldn’t get his dirty paws on the grapes.

    Pathetic.
  • hah (17/07/2019, 13:38) Like (27) Dislike (4) Reply
    This is the perfect commentary for this embarrassing fiasco. Nobody, especially a politician should ever behave that way in public. It comes across as bitter and crazy.
  • Oilseed (17/07/2019, 14:15) Like (18) Dislike (4) Reply
    All I can say is that I hope he have millions put down somewhere because it will be lawsuits upon lawsuits. MHV, you have no immunity outside the HOA Chambers, I believe you thought you had but here again you caught yourself fooling yourself.
  • ... (17/07/2019, 14:27) Like (19) Dislike (5) Reply
    Mark is mental he said all kinds of libelous things so sad
  • 123 (17/07/2019, 14:33) Like (25) Dislike (5) Reply
    Mark should have never been sworn in
  • 4th Dist Voter (17/07/2019, 16:29) Like (23) Dislike (2) Reply
    The problem I have with Mark and his supporters, is the fail to realize that he is the creator/mastermind of this whole confusion. If he did not want another term in office, he should not have entered the race again. Remember every action creates a reaction. He just did not expect this outcome when he and his cronies plan this melee. Stop blaming everyone else for this and place the blame where it belongs. Solely at the feet of Mark H. Vanterpool.
  • tola (18/07/2019, 10:49) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    Very sad indeed...always respected MHV, but I cannot support nor respect this kind of disrespect to the members in the HOA...I am surprised that persons stood outside and listened to him make a fool of himself and melt down in that way and none of them, including his wife, a prominent woman and head of the college, did not try to stop him...I almost cry when I heard him and saw how he looked with the rage and anger and I was hoping someone of his supporters would have calmed him down for his mental well-being or otherwise.
    • 4th Dist Voter (18/07/2019, 13:25) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
      @ Tola
      Very sad indeed. I myself was shock to see prominent people who should know better supporting this foolishness. They outside cheering him like he in some kind of sporting event and they are his cheering squad. Mark has been our representative for over 10 yrs now and the district in in total despair and to think he was the Minister of Communication for most part. Instead of using this time to outline his plans for the improving the district, he using it to attack persons on decade old accusations that have never been proven true. The sad part about this whole shenanigan is we have four years of this. Tuesday is just the beginning of what to come. Stay tune.
  • Debra (19/07/2019, 08:22) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    not sure why the people wasting time with Mark leave him he is sick sick sick
  • Rant (20/07/2019, 05:31) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    No respect for himself or others.He should not be in the House. Throw him out. What did those who went around fighting for his return get? A slap in the face. Did he talk about helping those his representatives claimed are in need? No, he was slanderous.. Virginislanders do not behave that way. Thank God he is not one. This brings the point that only Virginislanders should sit in the House.


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