By Otto Sam
God instructs us to “have mercy” or “be merciful”. Bishop Sonny Williams in his admonition or exhortation to a “swearing-in” ceremony shared that instruction from God’s Word with the Honourable Prime Minister and his Cabinet. And, truly, the victims of government’s vaccine dismissal need to be shown mercy and the government rescind the letters – making them null and void and granting mercy and giving back victims their jobs/their survival/their oxygen tanks!
I do not want to restate the harshness of government’s position in firing workers (some who faithfully served/worked the very day and days after their letters dated that they were fired). Everyone, drunk or sober, schooled and unschooled, from city or country, admit and submit that the government made a huge error the way it handled — or mishandled — the situation. All agree that the action of government was unreasonable, unfair, irrational, disproportionate and wrong. However, events internationally, regionally and locally have all shown just how (unreasonable) unrealistic and flawed this action is. Hence, my plea for mercy!
I shared where fully vaccinated West Indies players touring Pakistan (last year) came down with the virus and the series rescheduled to this year. All sides being reasonable! I also shared, and it’s common knowledge that even the “triple vaccinated” gets the virus and spreads the virus. This week/last week I saw a regional and local headline which again makes the dismissal of the workers even more ridiculous – CWI and CI (Cricket West Indies and Cricket Ireland) announced Revised Tour Schedule for 2nd and 3rd CG Insurance ODIs. Reason? Friends, because five Irish players had positive COVID-19 test results. Common sense and sound reasoning prevailed. Tuesday’s match was switched to Thursday and Thursday’s to Sunday.
Locally, God allowed us more reasons to be reasonable, realistic and sober in our approach to those workers who were dismissed and to show them mercy. The point that we cannot vaccinate our way out of the pandemic and the fact that vaccinated will be affected and affect others came home in the loudest possible ways! Eight members of the government’s side came down with the virus. Nothing to rejoice about just something to get us sober again, make us realistic again and make us reasonable again! Vaccines do not prevent us getting and vaccines do not stop us from spreading! Would you then dismiss/fire workers for not taking it? Would you dismiss teachers who are in low risk environment for not taking the vaccine? The point has been made over and over again…regular and consistent testing, along with strict adherence to all the protocols, especially proper wearing of a good quality mask as well as common sense approach of staying away from crowds when possible and staying away from crowds when you experience symptoms, must complement vaccines. Building immune systems and home grown remedies must also be advanced and advocated. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Vincentians have had the virus and were well after a week-plus. No reason to be complacent and cocky but vaccine is not a panacea; vaccine is not salvation! Make available other treatment including antiviral pills which reduce hospitalisation and deaths from 50 to 89 percent. BioNTech CEO made it clear that triple vaccination is not enough to stop the virus! While research is showing that NOT even a forth Pfizer shot will stop it!
In our case here, we knew who were positive. Do we know who were affected because vaccinated officials were allowed to overlook other elementary rules because they are vaccinated? For example, vaccinated and unvaccinated should wear masks once inside a building/room or everyone should use mask while speaking in air-conditioned rooms/spaces.
It’s my hope that the government and our honourable prime minister (in light of the overwhelming evidence and reality does not support workers being dismissed because they aren’t vaccinated), review these dismissals and show mercy! I firmly believe and every other reasonable person also believe that teachers and other workers who were dismissed should never be fired and ought to be reinstated. SVGTU and teachers would tell us that even in 2019 when there was no vaccine or early 2020 when it was not available in SVG that no school had half its staff or students affected by COVID-19. These irrational dismissal is the single worst thing to happen to workers on this little isle since slavery was abolished. Nothing compares to it. It is an error and we recognise that our leader and cabinet are all mortals just like us so they are allowed to err. However, we asked that this be corrected. Let’s put love in this — show compassion and have mercy restore the workers today! Jesus in telling the “Good Samaritan” story and conclusion instructs the man and us to constantly show mercy. Many of those who have been injured and wounded are our own brothers and sisters in the faith.
PM, please review and show mercy! God requires it!
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Waw well said my brother. Wait isn’t this the the same prime Minister that came to vincentians and was begging for another chance saying vincentians are the employers and they are the employees. So what happening now employees start to fire employers smh vincy is not a real place.these brokers hearts are cold like december
I agree with you Otto, but when ones ego rules him as huncho’s own does that’s not gonna happen, the sad thing is not even the minions around him can tell him this is wrong. May God have mercy on SVG.
I think people need to understand that these mandates are above Ralph. This is a world affair that all governments are pressured to follow. The weaker the government and the more they have to loose is the more willing they are to jump on the bandwagon.
“Thy will be done’; as this Universe is the equalizer of all drifts, brands, system etc. that of the middle, left or right.
This pandemic did not just happened but creeped upon us as a thief in the night, a change of climate to the realms of a society so badly in need of A Revival, a Regulator to the hearts of its inhabitance; being priest, pastors elders, parents, guardians, leaders, watch people, scientist or otherwise.
The reality is that we are in a time of reconstruction that can only be accomplished through nondiscriminatory wits, drives and ventures. The fact is that building ‘a new’ is not always the way to development but most foreboding; is the rejuvenation of deemed foundations.
A reprobate can’t show mercy ,you have to reason wit God the Supreme power to have that bowel of compassion remember Nebuchadnezzar ,didn’t show mercy until he was.place to eat grass like an oxen in the element weather.
This is not a matter to be asking the PM for mercy.It is more appropiate to ask for forgiveness for the PM.It is deplorable to be grovelling, asking for mercy when you should be demanding justice.We are sending the wrong message to the young people of our country.whether you are a christian or not,everyone has a right to justice.Immanuel Kant warns us,” if justice perishes,human life on earth has lost its meaning” The Prime Minister should be apologizing.He has wronged the people fired from their jobs for no justifiable reason.Those who think they should be asking for mercy are justifying and affirming the wrong done to the people fired for exercising their fundamental human rights.Vincentians must understand,that those who support tyrants and dictators should not be surprised when they are crushed by them.Plato says” the measure of a man is what he does with power”.The PM has shown contempt repeatedly for the constitutional rights of the people.His responsibility as the PM is to defend and uphold the rights of the constitution.Every Attorney in SVG who understands the law and the constitution, should be rebuking his behaviour. “The greatest danger to any nation or country’s freedom is a government that ignores the constitution”-attributed to Thomas Jefferson. Albert Einstein warns us that the world would not be destroyed by those who do evil,but by those who look at them without doing anything.The PM does not have the right, to trample at will on the rights of the constitution, under the ruse of protecting the people from even a deadly virus.From the very beginning of the covid saga, experts in the field have been voicing their rejection of the way it has been handled.The PM had the obligation to make proper investigation and inquires before taking draconian measures which made it even more intolerable for some people.
Wait until the next mandate come people will put their hands on their heads and bawl like cows. Only time.