Min. Walwyn, cut the politics & stand by the people – Shane M. Winter
He was particularly referring to the Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn who in certain sections of the media was seen to have been attempting to imply political motive.
Speaking with the Virgin Islands News Online today February 21, 2014, Mr Winter said that he is cognisant of the fact that there needs to be certain strategies to get a certain group of especially youths to attend a forum such as was successfully executed last night February 20, 2014.
“I was very candid. Persons would tell you everything was done at my expense. There was [nothing] on sale, water was distributed free. That was to show my full commitment to the cause and not for any other personal gains,” said Winter.
He said that no Member of the Government or Opposition had an isolated invitation but that in the public notice, “I was loud in my call for all the ministers, opposition, for everybody to come out in their numbers to this meeting and that was so because I am a roots man. I know how these guys think.”
“Had I done it in a way telling them this and that minister would have been there to address them they would not have come out in the numbers that they did,” said an obviously hurt Mr Winter.
“There is no politics to what we did as concerned residents, mothers, fathers, youths, district leaders did last night. This was something very clean to address something dear to our hearts and the Minister could have even contacted me before making such remarks,” said Winter.
Winter was quick to point out that the members of his panel were roots men, “not a single politician was at that head table, it was the straight roots men… people that involved deep with this issue and for the minister to say that Hon Fraser was playing an ‘active’ role was totally out of place,” added Winter.
He said that those present would attest to the fact that Third District Representative Honourable Julian Fraser, RA, was way to the back of the audience, for the greater part, all by himself and was unexpectedly called upon to make brief remarks. “When Minister Vanterpool came I was very happy to see him take the position that he did, among the people he didn’t rush to the front seat, he was at the extreme back and was given the same courtesies as Hon Fraser.”
Winter said that the forum was planned to have the government and other leaders take the back bench and listen to the heart and soul of the people who elected them to serve. “This was not a front row, plait-foot forum and I am sorry the TV and radio stations were not there to carrying this live or in full for everyone to get the depth of what this thing was all about,” said winter.
Minister Walwyn would have been off key with his alleged comment as he is quoted in some sections of the media as saying, “We can’t play politics with such an important thing happening here because, when somebody loses a life, it touches all of us – no matter what political party they might be from. We have to stop playing politics with things that are so important to this country. We are losing the lives of our young people. I find a lot of them are not wearing their helmets. Even sometimes when they wear them, in many cases, it is not the appropriate helmets.”
For those present at the meeting it would have been abundantly clear that this issue of deaths among the biking population had taken a back seat. While the participants were very empathetic to the families who would have lost loved ones the point was clear that “bikes do not kill people” but the actions of persons using these and other types of motor vehicles that were to blame.
The message was very clear and had hit home to even the un-learned that there needs to be stiff laws; bikers to respect those laws and the law enforcement agencies must do their jobs when it comes to violators.
Mr Winter said that he is still open to dialogue with any and every lawmaker in the land as that was one of the many request of the participants of the Forum. “We want the message to be understood clearly by the people who are responsible for making laws, to see that this thing is way beyond a few deaths. It’s about an industry that has the potential of opening vast employment for VI youths; it’s about expanding the tourism sector; it’s about us waving the flag of the Virgin Islands in the Virgin Islands,” Winter emphasised.
Many of the bikers residing in the VI are seen as master daredevils in the sport when they travel the world and participate carrying the flag of the VI. “You don’t know how it hurts us as born BVIslanders that go all over this world and excel in something that our own country does not allow us to practice and yet we carry the BVI flag,” Winter said. “We never sought to be adopted by other countries we maintain that the BVI gets the glory. We need the lawmakers to sit with us understand the depths and fix the laws that need to be fixed as it regards this thing.”
Winter appealed to Hon Walwyn, “Come on Minister Walwyn; let’s not be babies on a serious matter like this. There is no political agenda here. This is a serious thing that you need to get to the soul of and see through our eyes. He who feels it knows it.”
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48 Responses to “Min. Walwyn, cut the politics & stand by the people – Shane M. Winter”
who gives a rat a.. about who is the real GoonSquad or not..just another punk behind a computer typing p..s. The fact is Myron has become the most hated and rude politician in the BVI. he has no credibity to ask for respect as he shows none. he from the lower class so we cannot expect better
HOW YOU ASKING A ROCKIE POLITIAN TO CUT POLTICS THAT IS HIS LIFE HE WILL S..T HE SELF NEXT ELECTIONS
I am waiting to see which ship you and your crew jump on for the next election.