There are a number of definitions of a “statesman” but all include the words “public figure”, “usually a politician”, “he/she is respected”. “Wikipedia” adds “Statesmanship also conveys a quality of leadership that organically brings people together and of eldership, a spirit of caring for others and for the whole.”

I have yet to find any of our MLA’s today and even “would be MLA’s” that come even close to possessing these qualities. We used to and here I can only comment on the politicians I have met. Benson Ebanks stands out, as does Norman Bodden. Then on the other side of the political bench comes Truman Bodden and John McLean. And we must not forget the late Jim Bodden (yes he had flaws but then so do we all) our first National hero. Then, and by no means last, is a man who has never been a politician but is the wisest and most statesman like of them all, Dr. Edlin Merren. Saturday (3) is the birth date of a man I unfortunately never met and oh so wish I had, Major Rodriguez  (Roddy) Watler. And another is Dr. Roy McTaggart. I am sure older Caymanians who are much wiser than I  can come up with even more names. The point I am trying to make is “Oh where, oh where have they gone”? If we had these people then we must have them now. And we so very badly need them. Our country is crying out for them.

Our premier, Hon. McKeeva Bush, wants to be a great leader. I believe he really does think he is doing a good job for his country and yes there IS a lot I admire and, unfortunately, a lot I don’t. The main problem I have with Mr. Bush is, if you don’t agree with him one is looked upon as an enemy. I don’t agree with my wife on everything and she certainly doesn’t agree with me on many things but it doesn’t make us enemies. We work together, we live together and we have much love and respect for each other.

I am saddened that our two political parties will not work together for the better of our country. Joan (Watler) Wilson, publisher of iNews Cayman, goes to bed at night and prays something good will happen and unite a divided country. So far her prayers are not answered. Perhaps God has decided we need more punishment for our many sins and so we carry on our pathway towards self-destruction.

Just look at the East End debacle. Whatever Premier Bush says in his prepared statement he has completely missed the point. His decision to allocate $200,000 for projects in East End were the projects brought to his attention by the unsuccessful candidate at the last Election. A candidate Mr. Bush publicly endorsed! No monies for any of the projects the MLA for East End, Arden McLean, asked for not only verbally but in print! For Mr. Bush to say that Mr. McLean NEVER asked for any government money and has done nothing for East End is quite frankly outrageous. And now Mr. Bush is amazed at the uproar his decision has made.

I find his opening statement in his news release last Thu (1) particularly insulting: “It appears that certain members of the media and the opposition are determined to mislead the public by accusing me of making statements which I DID NOT make. Certain members of the media and the opposition are trying to create the impression that I am doing something wrong, when there is NOTHING wrong with allocating Government money to community projects.”

I have read NOTHING in any of the media publications, including iNews, that has tried to mislead the public. It is, unfortunately, our premier who is trying to mislead us. Yes, there is “NOTHING wrong with allocating Government money to community projects.” It is to what community projects and to whom asked for them and unless I am mistaken it should be the ones the democratically elected MLA for East End asked for. NOT the unelected one who the premier is hoping will be elected next year. And after listening to what Mr. John McLean Jr. had to say in yesterday’s iNews he has a long way to go if he wants to be called a statesman. He had the opportunity to show he had the makings of a statesman and in my very humble opinion, “he blew it!”