America and its lifestyle

Dear Pastor Jackson,

Sir, with due respect to your clerical commitment I would like to comment on your recent Searchlight reply to Chad, a gay Vincentian.

It seems to me Sir, that like many across the West Indies you do enjoy some good old America bashing. It’s quite the popular past time in SVG (I am a Vincentian and recently lived there for 7 years).

Fact: The murder rate per capita is HIGHER in SVG than the United States…in fact; it is 127% higher (I crunched the numbers). So please do not delude your readers that they are safer here. {{more}}

Fact: Secular control of the US is not as high as it seems. The MEDIA of the US is largely secular, however the populace (still overwhelmingly in the small rural towns) is devoutly Christian and struggle daily to uphold Christian values. The secular media will not report advances made by the conservative right in the US, however they will report all day on liberal left advances, so Vincentians who view the US through the lens of CNN are seeing a very controlled viewpoint.

Fact: 9/11 (I am not here to debate if the US deserved it or not) has had the opposite effect from what you claim in your letter. It has brought many Americans back to their core values of fierce independence, religious faith (of all denominations) and commitment to ensuring their freedom. An example is the gun. America is a gun nation, forged by the gun, protected by the gun and delivered from oppression by the gun. Americans are consuming, using and training with military assault weapons in record numbers because it was a man and his rifle that set America free from British tyranny and it is a man and his rifle that will ensure it remains that way. Americans will defend themselves to the very last man from oppressors foreign and domestic. It is why the motto of one of our oldest states is Live Free or Die.

Unfortunately, I cannot say I know too many Vincentians who share this vigor for their nation as most Americans do…the Government there allows only a privileged few to possess weapons so I ask you Pastor…if our nation is invaded or oppressed by tyrannical rule, how shall the average Vincentian wrest control of their nation from a dictator?

The difference between a subject and a citizen is his gun…

J

Greetings J,

Thank you for your letter and I do appreciate the frankness of your expressions. I must say, Sir that you sound very committed to America and its lifestyle. Now I can’t confirm your “crunched numbers” but what I do know is except for the occasional horror stories, the type of crime that takes place here fades in comparison to the craziness that takes place there in the US. So forgive me for feeling much safer here.

In addition, I have never spoken to a Caribbean person who generally prefers the American lifestyle over that of the Caribbean. Note there must be people with that view but all I am saying is that I have not found any. Each person I have spoken to applauds the financial and educational opportunities but as far as lifestyle goes, they usually miss the sweet Caribbean life.

I also don’t share your passion for the gun and I am not worried about any tyrannical oppression either. If that takes place I do believe that out of the hearts of the people will arise the resilience to “fight the power”. Human beings are great adapters so if we come to that bridge, it will be crossed, I am sure of it. So put guns in every hand? No thank you, keep that in America … In the Caribbean and more specifically St Vincent and the Grenadines, we will relax, live and enjoy the sun.

Hey, I just had a thought, if the day comes when we are under siege, America can come and deliver us with its guns, what do you think about that?

Pastor Jackson

If you wish to comment or ask a question write to Dear Pastor
PO BOX 152, Kingstown,
St. Vincent or email:
pastorjackson1@hotmail.com