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Mindset of cleanliness needed - NDP Radio panelists

Host of the NDP radio programme, Ms Eileene Parsons, agreed that a mindset of cleanliness was needed in the VI. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Pride goes a long way in development of our country. This was the view of Deputy Premier, Dr Kedrick Pickering.

This sentiment was expressed on the NDP radio programme which was aired last evening, September 17, 2012 on a local radio station. 

“Simple as these things are,” he added “just the national song and flag raising and standing at attention… it is that pride, that foundation that the Premier always speaks about that is going to help us to understand this is how [we need to behave].” 

“If I don’t keep my home clean, then I can’t invite other people to come into my house,” he stated, adding that they won’t feel welcome. 

It’s a mindset, Hon. Pickering felt in reference to the issue of maintaining cleanliness and pride in the country. 

At the time, the topic of the cleanliness in Singapore and Bermuda was being discussed. 

Host of the radio show, Ms Eileene L. Parsons had earlier agreed with the Minister saying that she too had visited Singapore, “it is almost a mindset in Singapore that you do not litter your street, when plants are planted along the roadside you do not pull them and carry them home.” “You can’t spit in the street in Singapore,” she continued “because it is against the law.” 

“Bermuda is a country that is four hundred years old, Signapore sixty-nine years old and they have a jump start on us,” he said. 

“Although we understand this is where we want to go, we also understand, appreciate and are realistic that this is going to take time,” he continued. 

He also added that we are going to build it from the ground up so that our children understand that cleanliness is next to Godliness. 

Earlier the members of the panel were discussing the issue of getting pride instilled in the children through the new measures implemented at the schools in the Ministry of Education and Culture led initiative. 

Hon. Delores Christopher added that “lately a lot has been said about that, I just want to emphasize that we do see the effort being made to keep the country clean… yet, there are some people who are still tossing their little bags and then the dogs and the chickens… they are trashing the [garbage] all over the place.”

10 Responses to “Mindset of cleanliness needed - NDP Radio panelists”

  • billyb (18/09/2012, 08:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    hmm, rememer when that american boy went singapore with his nonsense talking bout he graffiti some of the buildings and almost got flogged to death when they locked him up???? Daz wa some of our people need.

    Mrs. Parsons, we aint no way there and we will be no where there any time soon. Here in the BVI it's a free for all. Everybody comes here and do as they please because that is the way our culture operates. We have no discipline, no pride and no ambition. Take a look at who we hiring to represent us in government. Just because we want these hodlum off the street we hiring them as government workers. The young boys dem aint worth nothing, deh young girl dem show up on the job armed with their cell phones in constant contact with their man on the other line (dats if he ain in jail).

    Our country has gone to the dogs and there is nothing we can do about it.
    • Queen Mary (19/09/2012, 06:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Well if you think tis gone to the dogs let’s take it away from the dogs!
  • son of the soil (18/09/2012, 09:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    poor people are not allowed to enter those countries to live and given belongers status..so dont compare us with them....we get the dregs/filt from other countries coming here daily and settling...we got to be the septic tank for the rest of the third world
    • jonnesy (19/09/2012, 09:44) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Not all who com here are the dregs of their country, are you saying that those of us who have been here and helped to build this country up when most of yopu ran to the states and st thomas now calling us dregs, when most of us were here for twenty to fifty years, I find that to be embarrassing. Because all over the world have their dregs in society.
  • tell all (18/09/2012, 09:22) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    see how they set up to have all them supporters calling in..the show seems so fake! I could feel the tension between pickeing and the others
  • Virgin Son (18/09/2012, 11:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    everybody knows by now that this just more talk!!
  • It's a culture! (18/09/2012, 11:38) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    We are always quick to compare ourselves to what and what doesn't happen in a country. It boils down to Culture and consistency. We have no consistency in this Territory. With each new Government they want to say they did this and they did that, so they change things. I'm not saying that the changes brought forward are not good changes, but we have to put some type of legislation or something in place to ensure that some things/programs are carry over from Government to Government. If we don't we will continue to spin the wheels and get nowhere.

    When I was in primary school, I remember there were some things that were the norm here in our schools. Each morning we sang the Black National Anthem. Every child knew it word for word. In the schools and everywhere in the Territory there we trash cans with the green PitchIn stickers and it was the norm to not litter. Over the years, some smart Government see it fit to take away the trash cans and to this day, I do not see a trash can in Road Town. I've travel all over and every city have trash cans on every block. There are beautiful lines of receptacles out there that would enhance the beauty of the Territory. We have to tell people how to act when they come to our home. There are no signage advising people of what is and isn't allowed here. When you go to someone's country don't they tell you how to behave and what is and isn't allowed? And there is also signage telling people what the penalty is if they disobey. We need signage on our beaches and we need receptacles on the beaches. In addition to placing the receptacles, there then needs to be a process and accountability of having them maintained on a regular basis. If there are no receptacles anywhere.........Guess what........people are forced to litter.
  • What?! (18/09/2012, 13:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Am I missing something here? I have driven around Hon. Dr. Pic district and needless to say it is not the most clean! He has been the rep. for how long now and what difference or rather change for the better in terms of 'clean' have we seen?
  • bay yute (18/09/2012, 19:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    for ayo give people work so dem will got money to feed dem children you all here taking bout clean up strupppssss never me vote again mehson


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