constitutional convention

Petersen only needs about 10 more votes for his version to be accepted. hope.

I think Bryan's behavior had a negative effect on at least some of the delegates. Who does he speak for? He must throw a great fish fry!

Eugene Petersen sounds like a voice of sanity among the crazy, misguided delegates. I believe that most of the convention representatives do want what is best for these islands. Unfortunately many of them have been misled and betrayed by their worst emotions and bad leadership. Maybe this new rewrite will be passed and send the message that the USVI is truly about equality and justice.

Let's all support Mr Petersen and the voices of fairness and sanity that he represents.

I am not a Virgin Islands resident yet, and really should not comment. However, I read the article and am now expecting Anita to post that this article was originally printed in The Onion.

It's sad that I was laughing at the lunacy throughout reading something that is so very serious, and can have an impact on so many people.

Thanks, DUN. Whomever co-opts the writings of others to twist to their own purposes, does a disservice to the original artists. Any "local" who uses the words in that way, does it to incite fear.

I hope to add balance to this discussion every time I hear it brought up. To be honest, I have only ever heard whites saying this. Locals seem to know the truth.

I wish to add balance to your reply Anita;

So there are no white locals, hmmmmmmmmmm.

I also know the truth, and I even know many white locals!

And, how do you define local Anita (we already know based on your answer it wouldn`t be anyone white), is it the same as Adelbrain's definition ? Perhaps so, as he definitely would take the above statement of kill the rabbit as kill the white man (you still haven`t agreed, nor disagreed).

And in using Adelbrain's definition of local, there never could be such a thing as a white, Latino, Chinese etc. Governor of the Virgin Islands, would you agree with him?

I don`t mean to bash you either, but again, understand the context, & the person it was attached to,his hatred for whites, and how it was intended to be construed.
Do you understand what I mean?

Best to you as well,
Dun

it's ok dun. that was a mistake on my part. there are many whites born here, and i should not have said "locals" in contrast.

Thanks, DUN. Whomever co-opts the writings of others to twist to their own purposes, does a disservice to the original artists. Any "local" who uses the words in that way, does it to incite fear.

I hope to add balance to this discussion every time I hear it brought up. To be honest, I have only ever heard whites saying this. Locals seem to know the truth.

I wish to add balance to your reply Anita;

So there are no white locals, hmmmmmmmmmm.

I also know the truth, and I even know many white locals!

And, how do you define local Anita (we already know based on your answer it wouldn`t be anyone white), is it the same as Adelbrain's definition ? Perhaps so, as he definitely would take the above statement of kill the rabbit as kill the white man (you still haven`t agreed, nor disagreed).

And in using Adelbrain's definition of local, there never could be such a thing as a white, Latino, Chinese etc. Governor of the Virgin Islands, would you agree with him?

I don`t mean to bash you either, but again, understand the context, & the person it was attached to,his hatred for whites, and how it was intended to be construed.
Do you understand what I mean?

Best to you as well,
Dun

i wrote my answer to the crux of your question separately so it would stand out.

now, to the other stuff, i said nothing about the former senator, and i don't know how he would relate to the song on a personal level. i have not asked him, and he does not enjoy conversations with me, so i don't anticipate that ever happening. but, anything is possible!

the writer of the song certainly never wrote it to imply that anyone should be "killed", except for musically. like imaginations brass, seventeen plus, and mandingo brass, the chief competitors to his band at that time.

i am not even certain that the people who decided to twist that lyric were doing it in support of anyone in particular, or just operating from their own discontent.

the people who have repeated that "kill the..." lyric to me have been white, but that's just my experience. yours may vary.

i am glad you called me out on my use of the word "local". ... and now i can no longer say "once i thought i was wrong, but i was mistaken"!

Anita, you do need to have a discussion with Adelbrain to understand his opinions, or how he may construe "kill the rabbit".
You feel unless he actually said it(& he very well may have) it`s a moot point.
I feel, that he, & like minded may very well say something like that. The example election speech was something I made up,something he might say, got it?

I think to discuss that point further, is dicing this to death.
It reminds me of the tip post, I said my piece you said yours, enough, ok!

Now, that that is over (right)!
On a more positive note...
I must agree with Ms Information who said:
Eugene Petersen sounds like a voice of sanity among the crazy, misguided delegates. I believe that most of the convention representatives do want what is best for these islands. Unfortunately many of them have been misled and betrayed by their worst emotions and bad leadership. Maybe this new rewrite will be passed and send the message that the USVI is truly about equality and justice.

Let's all support Mr Petersen and the voices of fairness and sanity that he represents.

I couldn`t say it better, thanks ms!

I see Petersen has a classified ad in the Avis: If you want a copy of The Proposed VI Constitution by Delegate Dr. Eugene Petersen, call 690-0617, epetersen@viconstitution.com or fifth_constitution@yahoo.com

I think I'm going to email him to find out what we can do.

I see Petersen has a classified ad in the Avis: If you want a copy of The Proposed VI Constitution by Delegate Dr. Eugene Petersen, call 690-0617, epetersen@viconstitution.com or fifth_constitution@yahoo.com

I think I'm going to email him to find out what we can do.

thanks for my copy islandjoan, i have shared it with people in my address book too.

so yesterday i watched about 6 hours of the convention debate on channel 6,delegate emmanuel wants free land for the "natives" and no one else can move here without his permission,moorhead wants the minimal amount of property tax for "natives" and adelbert does'nt want to pay any taxes at all because the EDC companies get tax breaks,and then moorhead and monsanto got into a cat fight which was funny because they hate each other in real life,and then adelbert was being adelbert which is sad because it's so pathetic and then i just got tired of it all and watched movies.

A wise man once said...

That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a mans skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes -
Me say war.

on 16 now needed for a quorum.

Barshinger said in the last election only 42% of the voters identified themselves as "native" or "bahn here",the convention is made up of over 90% identifing themselves as "native" or "bahn here",it's never going to pass

Maybe the person who wants to use the metal detector should try it at the convention to see how many scull metal plates they find there!
Nothing against the metal detector person I`ll add.

ah it's so reassuring to know that stupidity,racism,hate and bigotry still reign supreme down here in paradise.

5 strikes and you're out ?

jeez,what makes it so bad is the fact the president is going to see this,how embarrassing

Here ya go! http://www.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1223618959

Lawrence Sewer proposed a measure prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender or sexual orientation, which passed, 12 to six...............No discrimination, yet "natives" isn't a form of that??
Wonder if the Danes wanna buy these 3 rocks back?
Perhaps they can give the islands to the "natives" cut off the government funding....
Then the "natives" can have the cesspool they deserve!

Since Europeans had to be here before slaves in order to determine that importing slaves would be beneficial, it seems ludicrous to me to suggest anyone of African descent is more native than someone of European descent.

For history buffs:
The first human inhabitants of the Virgin Islands were the Arawak Indians. The Arawaks were descendants of coastal Indians from what is now Venezuela and Guyana who were forced out of that area by more aggressive tribes. They island hopped up the Antillean chain until they reached the Virgin Islands sometime around 300 AD. The Arawaks lived peacefully here, fishing and farming, until the fierce and cannibalistic Carib Indians moved into the area about 100 years before the arrival of Columbus.

Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the Caribbean in 1493. Because the islands were sited around the time of the feast of St. Ursula, he named them "Once Mil Virgins" after the eleven thousand virgins that were martyred with St. Ursula. Columbus was a devout Christian, and some say a religious zealot who was obsessed with the idea of converting what he thought was Asia to Christianity. But Columbus received wealth and status also. The Spanish crown granted him the titles of admiral of the Ocean Sea, Governor and Viceroy of the Indies, and Captain General. As such he had control over trade in the West Indies. He landed on St. Croix and provisioned for his trip on to Hispaniola. St. Croix would become a provisioning station for Spanish ships from then on Magen's Bay, St. Thomas.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************
My own observations:
So,you can say the The Caribs are the ONLY Native Virgin Islanders(since they killed all the Arawaks)
Unlike other west Indians, who are of African descent, Caribs have South American blood in them,no African, and have a different appearance to the rest of the population
So,you could say, there is still a group of pure blood Caribs in Dominica,perhaps they are the ONLY Native Virgin Islanders???

Or,if you were to take the modern political stance regarding "Native Virgin Islander"
You would have to say the Spanish(from SPAIN), as the first governor,viceroy & Captain General was Columbus, & Spain paid for his charter here.

Then there were the he Danes, British and French in the Virgin Islands,by the 17Th century, the Indian populations had disappeared from here as well.
So, Using the current Native status ideals, are we to say these European were once considered NATIVE,but now.the most current majority in the government is the only one we could consider NATIVE?

African people were the ONLY people who were here against their free will,so they certainly could not be considered "Native" by
stretch of the imagination(unless your Adel brained).
IMO

First person in my family landed on St. Thomas in 1639. Stayed for a while before moving on to Jamestown VA.
Does that get me any special vote or tax break??

Maybe in Jamestown and only if they were not part of the "lost colony"

So will my grandchild who will be born on St. Croix this winter be considered a local? Or my son who has been here since he was two be considered a local or native at sometime in his life. It doesn't matter to me but maybe it will to them someday. We all love this island and consider it home. I asked my jewish accountant once were jewish people a race or is it a religion. He said a religion. I always though jewish people a race. Are cruzians a race of people or are they just people born on St. Croix? Again, it doesn't matter to me. All of our blood is red.

I pay income taxes here in the VI, every year for five years now. Right or wrong I consider myself a "local".

I am a native of KY. I won't let anybody take that away from me.

Uttica,
Nice thought but I don't think it will get you or I very far. I paid $98,513 in V.I. taxes last year which is probably more the entire taxi union put together but I am guessing a single taxi driver much less the entire group would be seen more deserving of individual rights then myself. The USVI Govt will gladly accpet your tax contribution but do not expect much in return. It is the old argument of taxation without representation. I don't really complain about it because it is just one of the realities of living in da VI. Like most governments if you set your bar low enough then they will never dissapoint you.

I will say in defense of the Constitutional Convention folks that they certainly did not invent the idea of "nativism" This argument has been hashed out again and again all over the world. In my home country the United States it was certainly debated vigorously in the early years as to who constituted a native and should someone living in the newly formed U.S. have more rights then a immigrant fresh off the boats. Whenever this debate comes around you have people who rush to declare themselves natives like it makes them more legitimate or puts them higher on the pecking order for entitlements and those who feel left out and less significant because they do not make the cut as native.