JAGS McCartney is a hero in the Turks and Caicos Islands. He was a politician and leader in the 1970s. He died in a plane crash and with that crushed the spirits of his people who considered him a hero. Why do I bring up JAGS now? JAGS was the political father. He was the example of what a grassroots political movement can do. He showed us that freedom is a right that we have to work for to overcome white colonialism. He was an example to all of us.
The politics of the Caribbean is a fragile balancing act of power and internal deals juggled by several white nations. In Haiti, colonial influence has helped to create a fragile political climate thanks to the French and the United States. In Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Cayman and Anguilla, the politics remains fragile because of British interference.
In Turks and Caicos Islands the political upheaval has been unbearable. The British have set back the progress of Turks and Caicos by taking direct rule and failing to enforce the policies that Britain promised in their 1999 White Paper called Partnership for Progress and Prosperity: Britain and the Overseas Territories, promising overseas territories Self-determination, Democratic autonomy and Provision for help and assistance. The British government changed their mind about the policies in the territories and threw out the white paper.
On 14 August 2009 the UK decided to act on a plan that was started in the early 2000s to cause fragility in Turks and Caicos by dismantling the government and occupying the island. Turks and Caicos economic prosperity was built on a house of cards as the Turks and Caicos government did not realise that the British government was nurturing a fragile political climate.
Hon. Dr. Michael Misick was the Premier during the time that the British government informed them that they must take over because of government corruption and irresponsibility. The British had solicited complaints from people that lived in Turks and Caicos and arranged a bashing by opposition political leaders and expatriates that the British suggested were not treated fairly by not getting voting rights. Michael Misick resigned because of the intense allegations saying that he had to clear his name. A new premier was elected, Galmo Williams, but the British still said it wasn’t good enough. The British demanded that they needed to take down the government.
The British didn’t want the Turks and Caicos people involved so they took everyone’s democracy and threaten the citizens to stay out of the way because the British were investigating so many people for corruption that nobody could get involved or they looked to be covering up corruption.
That all started on 14 August 2009 and has been going on ever since. But there is no proof of corruption and not even one prosecution. Still, nobody can vote, not even on a new constitution that the British have rewritten. The British will not allow a democratic leader elected by the Turks and Caicos people to represent them in constitutional talks.
JAGS goal was to give Turks and Caicos self-determination. He fought and assembled with the young people to challenge the colonial political involvement. Maybe JAGS was a fortune teller and could see forty years ago that the British would try to take the country back. JAGS fought and won the freedoms and rights of Turks and Caicos Islanders by making a new constitution to prevent any interference with the Turks and Caicos Islanders’ rights.
JAGS is turning over in his grave seeing the British take away rights from the Turks and Caicos people without their consent. The new British constitution was not the vision of JAGS and he is looking down on Turks and Caicos in disappointment because it will take away autonomy from the people and put power in the hands of a UK unelected governor.
What is really sad is last month JAGS’ son crashed into a Foreign Commonwealth Office in Turks and Caicos meeting passionately pleading to the British Foreign Commonwealth Office to let the people go. He said "look at me, JAGS McCartney’s son living like a bum in his own country." He said the people are hungry and forced to commit crimes because there are no jobs and no money for food because the British have made the economy much worse off. He said that they accused Michael Misick of messing up when they are making things much worse.
The most heart breaking thing he said was that he feels like killing himself because he can’t find food or work and cannot live with the British getting over on God fearing people.
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