Donald E. de Castro

Let me start with Rights.

Everyone has a right to make an honest living.

Everyone one has a right to qualify himself or herself for the job that he or she would like to do.

Everyone has the right to the best medical care.

Everyone has the right to want to improve their living condition and if this requires relocating to another man’s country he/she has the right to seek the opportunity to do so.

Everyone has the right to respect the laws of the country in which they live.

Every expat in this country has the right to be treated with respect and dignity once they are legally admitted to visit or to work.

Every expatriate has the right to respect the culture of the country in which they choose to live and or work.

Every employer has the right and moral obligation to employ Belongers.

Every employer has the right to hire the best qualified person.

Every citizen has the right to vote.

Everyone has the right to free speech.

Everyone has the right to their opinion.

Everyone have the right to legal representation.

Everyone has the right to a decent place to live.

Our politicians have a right to make clear the law as it pertains to children born to expatriates.

No expatriate has the right to permanent Residence or Belonger Status based solely on the length of time they have been here on a work permit or otherwise and POLITICIANS have the right to make this perfectly clear.

Every employee has the right to practice the proper work ethics and give their employer their best.

Every employee has the right to prove that they he or she worth more than they are being paid.

Every employer has the right to expect employees to produce.

Every Virgin Islander has the right to be respected in his or her country.

Every Virgin Islander has the right to act in a manner in which he is able to earn respect.

Persons that have no idea what they are speaking about have the RIGHT to keep their mouth closed and the RIGHT to LISTEN and to LEARN.

The Minister of Immigration, through the Chief Immigration Officer, has the Right to inform applicants when their applications are denied and have them leave the country rather than having people live in hope year after year for years.

Those are some RIGHTS

Finally, there are those of us that can remember when The Virgin Islands were practically isolated from the rest of the World. Yet we were able to take care of ourselves and families and were still able and willing to welcome strangers with open arms. Today we have seen the World evolved and it is now referred to as a Global Village of which we are a part. And while we have citizens from more than one hundred and one different countries living and or working here, this does not mean that we have to give up our RIGHTS as Virgin Islanders to them because the politicians want to be elected at election time and ruin our country.

We are responsible for our corner of the village, same as each individual or family is responsible for his or her home. Would you allow friends, family or strangers into your home and then permit them to run your household? Of course not. So why are we allowing our country to be run by outsiders with the help of our political leaders?

Privileges;

Many people in this Territory have difficulty understanding the difference between Rights and Privileges. Many people believe that because they were born here they have the right to certain things such as a licence. ANY type of LICENCE is a PRIVILEGE. For example, driver’s licence or a trade licence is a privilege that can be refused or if issued can be revoked. There are certain conditions under which licenses are approved and which the applicant must adhere to. There is only two licenses that I know of, once ISSUED and EXECUTED, cannot be revoked and they are MARRIAGE and a BURIAL licences.

When one is admitted to a country, whether to visit, work or live that is a privilege and such privileges can be revoked at any time with or without a reason.

Persons given the opportunity to apply for Residence, Belongers status or Naturalization must accept and understand that these are privileges and if granted, that they must and should cherish them, and that these privileges can be revoked.

The length of time one lives in a country by itself does not qualify you to any particular privilege.

Privileges are few and rare and that is why when we are granted them, we must cherish and respect them, for when they are taken away from us some get depressed, frustrated and just wish they could disappear from society.

There are many expatriates that understand the problem surrounding the issue of children being born here and the smart ones go back home and those with U.S Visas go to the U.S or one of its Territories to have their children. The others, with the help of the politicians and others that do not care about the country are the ones that help to create the situation that we are now facing.

What shall come is an eventual financial crisis that will be a burden on this and future governments not to mention generations to come unless the government enforces all applicable laws or make laws to combat this planned takeover by expatriates and their supporters. But how can this happen when so many, if not all our lawmakers, are encouraging the takeover?