For 30 pieces of Silver

Ian Pinard (l.), Denise Charles (r.)
Courtesy Dominica News Online

Benjamin Franklin once said "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety".

The people of the Soufriere constituency voted today and a significant majority of the voters have chosen to sacrifice their liberty for the temporary safety of plywood, galvanize, rum, and envelopes of cash. For the second time in eighteen months they have boarded a ship that is captained by a kleptomaniac and includes crooks and child molesters.

Let us not be mistaken, they knew what was at stake. The people of that constituency had a choice to vote for a man who is part of the fabric of their community. Hidges Adams is by all accounts, a real stand-up guy. Mr. Adams has been part of his community for as long as anyone can remember. He is well-liked and spoken of admiringly. Mr. Adams had laid out a path to progress for his community, one that would benefit the entire constituency.

Mr. Adams' opponent, Ms. Denise Charles, is a tool of Roosevelt Skerrit. Ms. Charles was put forward to replace disgraced former MP Ian Pinard, an accused child molester. Mr. Pinard was arrested and charged with engaging in unlawful acts with a minor. The minor in this case of child sexual molestation is a 15-year old girl from his constituency. Subsequent to his arrest, Mr. Pinard was bailed by Ms. Charles. We learned from an informant that Ms. Charles was also instrumental in numerous failed attempts to pay off the family of the minor, all in an effort to pervert the course of justice. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, our confidant stated that Ms. Charles was the point person in negotiations with the family, offering $50,000 as an initial down-payment with promises of more to come when the accusations have been withdrawn and the case disappears.

Those are facts the people of the Soufriere constituency were aware of before they cast their votes. In any other democracy, the behavior of Mr. Pinard and Ms. Charles would be more than sufficient to reject them at the polls. Mr. Skerrit knew this also, which is why he deployed a tried and tested strategy; ply them with rum, sheets of plywood, and envelopes of cash and they will sacrifice their dignity at the altar of corruption. It worked, again, as we knew it would.

The people of the Soufriere constituency and by extension a large segment of Dominica's population are locked in an abusive domestic relationship with Roosevelt Skerrit. Mr. Skerrit continues to rape the country of its resources. He is getting fat and rich while his subjects drown their sorrows with the rum he provides. Our disappointment in the results of today cannot be overstated. We sincerely hoped that the people of the Soufriere constituency would have found the gumption to reject Skerrit and his enterprise. Most did not, and so we move on.

Our children lost today. This election today was a referendum on whether we protect our children. The people of the Soufriere constituency who voted in Ms. Charles have told our young girls that they will stand with their abusers. They have declared that Ian Pinard, an accused child molester, is a real man. For thirty pieces of silver they have sold their souls to the devil.

May God have mercy on you.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016