Memorial Service held for local 911 victim

On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste has sent out an appeal for young people to be more sensitive.{{more}}

Her appeal was made on Saturday, September 11, 2010, at a memorial service held at the Botanic Gardens for Andre Colin Cox, the lone Vincentian who died on that tragic day.

“On 911, 2001, it was one Vincentian, thousands of Americans, hundreds of other nationalities (who died); dare we say, dare we ever say: ‘It could never happen here?’,” the Minister asked rhetorically, referring to September 11, 2001.

Baptiste asked the small gathering whether they were not troubled when they read in the newspapers about crimes, such as robberies, which never happened here before.

“Those things never used to happen here!” she exclaimed.

“So we are losing some sensitivity, we are losing a sense of love. How do you grab a woman’s bag just after paying her water bill… That’s somebody’s child who did that. So is Osama bin Laden, somebody’s child. So is Al Qaeda, so are the Jihadists. They all have mothers and fathers,” the Minister said.

She urged parents to correct their children from wrong doing at a very early age. She also suggested they discuss any problems with other parents, teachers or counselors.

“What are we facing in this new century? The blood of a Vincentian has been shed by a terrorist with whom we have no war, we have no quarrel,” she said.

Cox, who was 29-years-old at the time of his death, was working as a chef in the World Trade Centre Twin Towers on the day of the terrorist attack.

Baptiste, who is also the parliamentary representative for West Kingstown, the community from which Cox originated, said this will be her last ceremony to mark the 9/11 terrorist Act and our loss.

“I hope that someone will remember this next year, and join Mrs. Cox to remember her son. I may or may not be in St. Vincent.”

Dean Patrick McIntosh, who shared the Word, said that it is important for us to acknowledge that there are two forces present in the world: good and evil. Human beings he said, are given a choice to be with the force of love or evil.

While he said he believes that the two forces will be with us until the end of time, in the end, God will triumph and goodness will prevail. He called on the gathering to be assured that God will never leave them nor forsake them and reminded them that once they trust and believe in God, they can be conquerors.

Princina Cox, Andre’s mother, thanked all those who rallied with her family over the years. She expressed special thanks to Baptiste, to whom a bouquet was presented, for “her faithfulness”. Special mention was made of the Red Cross Society, who initiated the planting of the tree in the Botanic Gardens in Andre’s memory.

A moment’s silence was held in Andre’s honour, during which Baptiste and Andre’s niece laid flowers at the base of the memorial tree.

The ceremony was attended by students from the Kingstown Government School, the South Leeward Adolescent Red Cross Group, the principal of the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School, Cox’s relatives and friends, residents of Cox’s New Montrose neighbourhood and Senior Education Officer Carlton Hall. A musical interlude was done by the Genesis Pan side. Sean Jack and Dilano Bristol played the national anthem on pan. The Master of Ceremonies was Anthony Theobalds.