In search of a united Cayman

While we’re pleased to hear that Premier Alden McLaughlin is a regular reader of the Cayman Compass, unfortunately it seems he may have an incomplete understanding of where this Editorial Board stands, particularly in relation to immigration and the local economy. Let us respond to some concerns he expressed Monday in the Legislative Assembly.

First, this Editorial Board’s driving principle is the promotion of unity and harmony.
We are against divisiveness in any form, rhetorically or legislatively. We strongly object to officials’ utterances that may serve to widen fractures in Cayman Islands society, whether those demarcations are geographic, partisan, cultural or immigratory. Put another way, we categorically oppose class discrimination.

It is simply not constructive, for example, when Premier McLaughlin declares, “Please don’t come to my country and tell the people of this country that it’s better to do it this way because that’s how they did it where you come from.”

Consider for a moment what that means: It is a preemptive renunciation of all advice (regardless of its sagacity) coming from any foreigner (regardless of his or her education or expertise), with the sole basis for that rejection being that the person is “not Caymanian.”

Where would we be now, if 50 years ago the government had been so antagonistic toward Guyanese-born attorney Bill Walker when he arrived with his wealth of knowledge, amassed in England and Canada, which he (in concert with Caymanians) then used to help draft local laws that sparked what we now call the “Cayman miracle”?

Mr. Walker shattered the archetypical patterns of human subsistence that had previously held sway in Cayman — that is, the men go off to sea, and the women stay behind.

When Mr. Walker and other leaders planted the seeds which have grown into a first-world economy for Cayman, everyone in Cayman benefited. While some discord certainly existed in Cayman at the time, as it does in all human collectives, the contemptuous “us versus them” attitude of resentment we observe today stems from a singular source:

Despite being awash in revenue and facing unlimited opportunity, successive Cayman governments have failed, over and over again, to provide Caymanian children with adequate education tailored to take full advantage of the financial services and tourism industries.

Thus, divisions have arisen, and not merely between Caymanians and non-Caymanians, but between those Caymanians who had been prepared to succeed, and those who had not. Non-voting expatriates, of course, make for easier political targets.

The premier averred that, “a Caymanian who strives, who wishes to work, who does what is necessary to get the qualifications and the training” should not be passed over for a job opportunity in favor of a non-Caymanian.

Not only do we agree with that position, we aren’t aware of anyone, expatriate or Caymanian, who has ever argued seriously to the contrary.

The premier also lamented what he characterized as incessant opposition from the Compass against his administration and, generally, all things “Caymanian.” He said, “The government can’t be wrong with everything it does. There must be one Caymanian that is capable of something.”

Indeed! The Compass takes pride in promoting the achievements of meritorious Caymanians.

In fact, we direct the premier’s attention to last Friday’s editorial, “EY report: A test of our will and courage,” wherein we lauded the efforts of the current government and identified three Caymanians as driving our country into a brave, new future of hope and progress. Two of those three work for government. One of those was Premier McLaughlin himself.

We quote ourselves: “But we single out one person, in particular, for special praise and recognition — Premier Alden McLaughlin. … Because his cause is just and his path may be politically difficult, he needs, and deserves, the support of his countrymen. He certainly will have ours.”

And Premier McLaughlin will continue to have our support in matters he approaches in a spirit of harmony and unity with the goal of bringing greater prosperity to these islands and all of its inhabitants, be they Caymanian or otherwise.