Dear Sir:

I am a regular reader of The Caribbean National Weekly and I wanted to compliment the staff on bringing issues which affect our people to the forefront with excellent reporting.

I am originally from Mandeville Jamaica. I migrated to New York City at eleven and then to upstate New York for College. I recently received my MBA degree and was recently appointed on the Board of Commissioners for the Housing Department of Palm Beach County.

The reason I am writing is because my seat on the board is for four years. In that short time, I would like to make sure that I am the most effective I can possibly be. To do this, I must stay current on issues affecting the community. The Caribbean National Weekly will continue to be integral source of information; after all, knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.

Dwyght Spence
Commissioner Palm Beach Housing Authority
561.901.4000

Undoubtedly, August 6, 1962, and the days immediately following, was a very exciting time in Jamaica. An independent nation had been born and the majority of Jamaicans were giddy with emotion, excitement of promises for a bright future. Jamaicans looked forward to managing their own affairs following centuries of British rule.

However, among the excitement and the grand celebration, there were also the cynics who held the opinion that the new nation did not have the collective leadership skills and ability to make it in its own. Well, history has proven that 45 years later the cynics have been proven wrong. The country, its leaders, and people from various sections of the society have excelled consistently, not only in the affairs of Jamaica, but internationally. Forty-five later, the Jamaican flag flies high and proudly wherever it is flown.

The gold, green and black colors in the Jamaican flag were designed with this interpretation: Gold- representing the national wealth and the beauty of sunlight; Green – hope and the prosperity of the land; and Black – strength and creativity of the people. Combined, the interpretation of the color of the national flag is, “The sun shineth, the land is green and the people are strong and creative.”

However, the same cynics, referred to, interpreted the black in the flag to mean hardships that would not be overcome. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the sun has continued to shine bright on Jamaica, and the land bears fruit, there have been real economic hardships that have affected a large percentage of the population over these 45 years. As these hardships escalated some Jamaicans sought solutions by migrating to foreign lands, creating a vast Diaspora, especially in England, the USA and Canada. However, the majority of Jamaicans, for various reasons, have not been able to take advantage of the migration alternative.

During the past nine months there have been general elections in St. Lucia, Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos. The British Virgin Islands announced theirs two weeks ago, carded for August 20 and Jamaica announced theirs for the following week, August 27. General Elections are constitutionally due in the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago before the end of the year.

The electorates during the past years have seen quite a few cases of "floor crossing" where candidates switch parties in order to gain their seats in Parliament, and in some instances to receive incentives and benefits from the other party.

The floor crossing issue was a sore point in Guyana in the 1960s when Forbes Burnham lured several members of parliament from both his junior coalition partner, the United Force (UF) and from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to join his People's National Congress government.

Burnham's move was for his PNC to have overall majority; in fact his aim was to get two thirds of the seat in Parliament which he eventually got, regardless if they were done above board or not.

However, recently the political parties in Guyana were advocating legislation prohibiting floor crossing. There is valid argument for the banning of "ship-jumping" because it is unfair for the electorates to vote for a candidate who is from certain political party, and later he/she left and joined another movement after he/she was elected.

The situation might be somewhat different if he/she left his/her party and joined the other party before elections.

The race for District 94 in Broward County is truly on. Following publication of her intent to run, Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Hazelle Rogers formally announced her candidacy at a press conference on June 7, making it a total of four for the August 26, 2008 Democratic Primary.

Among those vying for the seat are Caribbean Americans, Rogers, a Realtor, and Eric Hammond, an engineer who had earlier declared his candidacy. However, ever since Rogers announced her intention to run controversy has flared, with some members of the community regarding the rivalry as divisive.

But, Dale Holness, Lauderhill Commissioner sees a maturing Caribbean community having two qualified and active members seeking the same office. Nevertheless, some fear a potential discord since Rogers and Hammond, once close associates, are competing.

If we examine political campaigns in the Caribbean and in the U.S. or anywhere else, we will see that siblings, friends, neighbors, parents and children, even spouses compete against each other. So there should be no disharmony, no bitterness, recriminations or hostility between the two. This is the nature of politics.

Caribbean immigrants have grown accustomed to the relative civility that exists between Democrats and Republicans in this country. Therefore, it should be no different with the Broward District 94 campaign.

WELL DONE, Captain Barrington Irving. You set out to fly around the world in a single-engine aircraft and you did, without mishap. You flew 25,600 miles over four continents. You did it at the very young age of 23, and you, for long distances and time, flew over oceans. Congratulation!

In whatever language one wants to express it, Barrington’s feat is an outstanding one. We wish that this historic voyage achieved by the first black pilot, the first Caribbean (Barrington is Jamaican), and the youngest, was not clouded by stupid controversy. There are some bigots out there who would want to diffuse the historical significance of Barrington’s feat, trying hard to disclaim the facts.

Truth is that over 70 pilots have attempted to fly around the world. True, the youngest of these pilots was a German baron, Baron F.K. Koenig Warthausen, who at the age of 21, in 1929, flew from Berlin to Moscow, and is said to have continued around the world. BUT, this young pilot, as did two female pilots prior to 1931, did NOT fly over oceans, rather they made these crossings by boat. Barrington Irving, at age 23, flew over oceans, alone, at times guided only by his faith in God, for periods of up to twelve hours.

But we don’t want to get caught up in the “cass-cass” about who was first, or whatever. We don’t even want to get caught up in the other controversy which claims that Barrington has not received the type of press that he would have received if he was a white American, nor that on the same day that this young black Caribbean man, a resident of Florida, completed his achievement, million of people, internationally, were subject to a one hour interview on CNN of a young woman whose recent claim to fame was that she had “endured a hard time” in a California prison for driving under the influence of alcohol, and without a license. The fact is, and will always be, that Barrington Irving, a licensed pilot, flew around the world under the influence of faith and courage, accomplishing what he set out to do.