When one takes a test there is always somewhere to study from. There is always a list of prescribed reading that a student has to ‘swat’ up from.

Where can you find the answer to these questions?

Which institution in Cayman houses an animatronic doll?

What was the code name for the U.S. naval base that was here from 1942-45?

Which poet represented Cayman at the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in London?

In traditional houses, what was the name of the beam that was also used as a shelf?

What does kraal mean?

What are the ingredients of heavy cake?

These are some of the questions being asked to persons seeking permanent residency.

One can expect persons seeking permanent residency to know something concerning the culture of the Cayman Islands and they also can be expected to have a list of reference books where the answers to these questions come from. That is fair.

If the person or persons who set the Permanent Residency test don’t give any names of reference books where the candidates can study it is more than just unfair, it is stupid.

The only animatronic doll I have ever heard about was Chuckesmee, the animatronic doll that was supposed to serve as the love child of Bella and Edward in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. The doll was so scary it was cut from the movie. So has it actually been transported to an institution in the Cayman Islands?

Seriously though, this is serious. Great harm is being done to our country by these stupid and obscure questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the great and rich history we have here.

The only interpretation one can place on these questions being included without any reference material named that persons can study is that government does not want any permanent residents.

When I was at a meeting prior to the elections put on by the Progressives (PPM) I suggested to Alden McLaughlin, the party leader and now premier, that the PPM is against permanent residents and expats in general. I said that is the consensus out there on the streets. I was told by McLaughlin, with endorsements by other party members, it was a malicious rumour put out there by their opponents. “It couldn’t be further from the truth,” they said.

Hmmm.  So the person(s) responsible for these Alice in Wonderland nonsense questions is one of the government’s opponents?

Maybe the animatronic doll might be let out of its institution and make an appearance at one of the Cabinet meetings. The doll could even inform the members which institution let him/her out.

Then the members there can vote and have the doll placed on the George Town dump with the other obscure questions that have nothing to do with Cayman’s history. There they will stand a good chance of eventually going up in flames and smoke.

Seriously. The Cayman Islands are being laughed at and the government is included in that, too. The questions are not fair and they appear in no recognised textbooks. The claims being made by the government opponents that it is deliberate because the PPM don’t want any outsiders here is the only sensible conclusion. However, even that makes no sense because no outsider is going to invest here without permanent residency. Let’s face it, we need outside investment. This is sending the wrong message.

I am greatly disappointed. Act fair. Don’t act stupid, PLEASE.