It is a very sad day for the Cayman Islands to have to write this editorial.

by: Colin Wilson and Joan Wilson

Our editorial started out to slam the scumbags (Colin’s choice words) that crawled out of their sewers to stage a broad daylight robbery of Scotiabank in full view of the tourists that we rely so heavily on for our standard of living.

These low life vermin, masked, thugs, brandish guns and dress up in black to frighten the bank’s staff, public and tourists alike at the busiest time of the day. If they wanted maximum publicity for their heist, they got it. Can you imagine what the tourists from the cruise ships are saying about the “lovely” Cayman Islands now? Can you imagine how this incident is playing with the Cruise-line Directors, who plan where their cruise ships are going to call next year and onwards?

These clowns do far more costly damage to our Island’s reputation and its economy than the amount of cash they took, so they can pay for their next puff on their next joint, or snort some powder and fry what is left of their already demented brains.

If you know who these cockroaches are and you are keeping silent you are just as bad as they are. You are a disgrace to this country and you are harming everyone living here including your own children.

And if that wasn’t enough, we now have the premier’s reply to the governor who replied to the premier’s allegations on a television show.

Whilst Governor Taylor’s reply to Hon. McKeeva Bush’s assertions that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including himself, were without foundation and written in a diplomatic manner, the reply was not. It was disgraceful.

To use words that the Governor “has stealthily and insidiously undermined” what he (Bush) has been trying to do to get “our economy off the ground and get jobs for people”, is totally wrong. Its rudeness, unfortunately, does nothing for the high office the premier holds. He keeps telling us how the news media pays little regard to what we say in our reporting and here he is, the most important Caymanian in our country, lowering himself to this – something no new media house here has ever done.

I (Joan) am so disgusted and I want H.E. Governor Duncan Taylor to know that this is not how Caymanians have been brought up to behave. I was taught at my school here in Cayman, that “manners maketh man.” I am 77 years of age and, Mr. Bush, I am ashamed of you. I am no UK Foreign Office mysterious person having a go at you and trying to undermine you and my country. I am trying to make you see the grave error you have shown in using nothing but downright rudeness in your reply to the man who represents the Crown, the Queen.

You say that “he’s got an extension of time for his job where he’s never had it so good!” And then this next piece (talk about calling the kettle black):

“To top it all off, he went and got an extension of his time in Cayman without so much as a hint to me as Premier or to my Cabinet because he figured I would oppose it. That is not how Governors are supposed to behave. Simple good manners would tell you that you should make your intentions known in such matters.”

So you have the gall to preach to our Governor about “good manners”.

Where I can agree with you is when you say at the end of your statement, “We will all suffer for it if we do not; and we as a people are capable of far better than this. Let us show the world who we are. Let us live up to our well established reputation as God-fearing, law-abiding people.”

Mr. Taylor, on behalf of the Caymanian people please accept my apology.

Joan

Obviously, I (Colin) echo Joan’s words that I am sure would have been decried because I am an Englishman. I have actually admired a lot that Mr. Bush has done and have publicly said he is a professional politician. A number of members of Joan’s very close family are not only UDP supporters but are members of the UDP. This Editorial is not meant to be a political attack on the UDP. It is voicing our astonishment that Mr. Bush would allow this to be sent to the press in this tone.

Maybe Mr. Bush does believe in his assertions for his problems but this is not the way to air them.

There are some who would liken it to the quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” – ‘the lady doth protest too much, methinks.’