Observing St. Ursula’s Day is a waste of time- Alred Frett
St. Ursula’s Day, celebrated on the October 21, commemorates the Roman Catholic Saint after whom Columbus named the whole archipelago of islands. Columbus gave them the fanciful name Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins), shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins). The figure on the Territory’s crest is also supposed to represent St. Ursula and the lamps, the Virgins.
“It is pure, pure foolishness. Persons don’t even know what it is about and they pretend as though it is of some humongous value. The only value it is about is to cost money because when persons are off on this holiday Government must still pay their salaries…so at the end of the day what you find happening is that we end up already broke and becoming broker,” Mr. Frett told Virgin Islands News Online.
Mr. Frett noted that one of his objectives of his “One-Man March” on October 19, 2011, was against ignorance, which he would especially like to see youths delivered from. “First thing is they have to be taken out of their ignorance… They don’t have an idea that this phantom holiday, among other things, is going to cost the territory money it can’t afford. They don’t know what it is about. It’s frightening. So they end up all the time following the blind and not understanding enough is enough.”
According to Mr. Frett, the march, which started from the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park and ended at the House of Assembly, was also against “Injustice, Greed & Corruption” and said the main objective was to enlighten the people one way or the other about those issues. “Very often you find that people are afraid to stand up and speak out for their rights and someone has to do it. I am doing it now but at the end of the day it is all for the children, the youth of today, the adults of tomorrow.”
He said that even though he marched alone he was not alone in his struggles as many persons have called him to show solidarity, which means that they are also aware of what is happening. “Now what they do for themselves is going to be their responsibility. I am not there to budge nor nudge them. They are the ones who are supposed to do something if they claim they want to lead our country.”
As he made his way along the road in the morning sun, persons could be heard encouraging him on in the comfort of their vehicles. One person even asked if he was running for elections! “Rather than answering with a yes or no I would say that Nomination Day is not until the 24th. I prefer to wait until that day and then let whatever happens speak for itself,” Mr. Frett told Virgin Islands News Online.
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