Ah born Vin-Sent-Shun

Ah reading way it says dat “a Common-wealth citizen is a citizen of the member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.”

Sin-Vin-Sin, Can-ada, Australia and ah number of African countries are Common-wealth States, which explains why African students residing in SVG qualify to vote.

On de other hand, de USA, Venezuela, Cuba and many other counties are not members of de Common-wealth.In 2011, as ah Common-wealth citizen, ah was able to jump on ah plane, pass thru de Airports in Bo-bathe-us and Canada, by simply showing my valid Common-Wealth Passport, indicated way ah staying, and foh how long.

Ah would ah like to spend ah few days in de USA, but ah was told ah had to apply foh ah Visa and ah whole set ah rig-mah-roll dat would take weeks or months. Dey is great benefit (health, education, pen-shun) to have Dual citizenship, especially if de second citizenship is US, Canada or Britain.

But my cherished Vincentian Citizenship is untouchable. To know my father and mother born hey, their father and mother born hey, and now me, myself and I, born and bread hey, is like ah joy dat cometh in de morning.This brings me to de ULP’s Dr God-win Fry-dey Side Show. Fry-dey was born, bread and read hey; his parents and grand-parents born, bread and read hey; he migrated to further study in another Commonwealth country – Canada.

He married another Commonwealth citizen – a Trinidadian. Fry-dey, who became an adopted citizen of another Commonwealth Country, decided to give up his job, health and education benefits, returned wid his family to share his expertise, professional skills etc. in his beloved homeland. Not only was he welcomed back by his community, but was selected by dem as dey Representative in Parliament foh de last 17 years.

Ole people say is “too much tongue cattle got why it can’t talk” and is “too much brain jack-ass got why it so darm ignorant!” Is ah lot dat can be said, but foh absolutely no justifiable reason, except foh idle mischief, there is a big debate by a few on de legality, or Nah-shun-all Status of God-win Fry-dey, ah Born Vincentian, being ah Parliamentarian.

One could say practically de same foh Sir Louis Straker and even Camillo, a citizen who was not born hey, but bread and read hey; both are citizens of SVG and de Common-wealth, but had to renounce dey US Citizenship. Dis topic should not even be up foh discussion. Something has to be radically wrong wid de Laws or Rules of ah country, dat restricts de Rights of ah Born and Bred Citizen, wid ah clean record, to serve at ah high level in his country.

It is as foolish as those of us who are fanning de flames to uphold it.BALLS TAMPERINGStephen Joking was again stopped and searched by Security Officers at Argyle Inter-nah-shun-all Airport (AIA). Stephen complains dat dis time de Scanner did not make a sound, but de security officer decided to use bare hands and do ah ‘pat down’, including touching his testicles through his pants.

Embarrassing and upsetting! And Stephen, who is into Sports – Squash and Cricket – knows de Rules and Penalties, especially in de game of Cricket, and “balls tampering”is a serious matter. He blew his top when Security asked him to remove his belt, obviously wanting him to drop his pants. He let loose his pet noun/adjective 4-letter word ending in ‘ing’ ah Gerund I think. And he was not allowed to depart.

I assume good customer service would have dictated dat de Security Head shoud/would asked Stephen to apologize. But he walked away. Before completion of de AIA, de Opposition and others were calling foh Ah-counter-bill-at-Tea of de AIA Finances; Stephen was vociferous, he evoked de wrath of de PM one morning on Boom FM Radio Station. Ah believe after dat show-down, ah decision was made to deal wid Stephen later.

Today it is Stephen, tomorrow it could be Bassy, or You. Security at any departure point should not be uncomfortable, or embarrassing to passengers. Mr Miller, as head of Security, use your police experience and make leaving SVG at de AIA ah pleasant experience. Test cricketers get suspended and fined for “Balls Tampering!” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.