Our own worst enemy

| 19/02/2016 | 81 Comments

Cayman News ServiceMM writes: More than 80% of the recent burglaries, female assaults, local murders and other community disrupting crimes have been performed by Caymanians — and as a Caymanian I am keen to point this out. It is unfortunate that as a community and a native people our only defence for our own faults is to blame it on other races/nationalities and to grab at the opportunity when news like this hits the press. I could type an exhaustive list of recent crime pestilences all performed by our own deprived people.

We, of course, quickly jump up and say that this deprivation is also caused by “foreigners”, when in reality the seeds of this injustice were planted decades ago by our own people — between parents and politicians.

Our Caymanian people were eager to chase development, modern luxuries and all else that comes with it without being truly prepared to deal with the ‘side effects’ of such movement.

If we Caymanians would truly take our time to make ourselves aware of our more recent history, legislative changes, overall country law, our political system and the islands’ general “structure”, we would clearly see that our worst enemy has been ourselves.

It has taken our people over 30 years to call government out on a deteriorating education system, something that has been voiced for decades and made worst in recent years. It has taken us decades as parents to stand up for our children’s right to a good education, and yet much of the pressure still arises from parents who do not spend, or cannot spend the adequate time required to prune a child into a productive community citizen.

Somewhere between the primary years and graduating high school that disadvantaged child enters our community skill-less and seeking work as if the local employment market is obligated to hire because of their birth certificate — the only “value” most Caymanians seem to instill in to their child is that this is “our island”.

With so many technological advancements that have changed the face of employment and the workforce and a still outdated and insufficient education system, how can anyone blame an employer for their preference of someone who has been exposed and is familiar with the changes versus someone that has been born and raised in a community that begs for change and is never prepare for what comes with it?

Instead of us Caymanians putting our energy in to the “he say, she say, this nah our fault” foolishness that I have been hearing and seeing for too long, there should be unity in preparing the next generation to be the professional, well-raised, well-spoken, intelligent and enlightened individuals that companies seek to employ.

The newspapers and online news sources, as well as Facebook, have aired interviews with locals who have been “seeking” work for months or years … and yet when you see or listen to these people, they are badly dressed for the occasion, speak with very little decency and carry themselves with little to no poise. An employee is a company’s face at work and on the road; if many of our people do not care to even put themselves together when being aired publicly about their employment struggles, how will they enter the office of an employer willing to give them a chance?

Our NWDA has compiled hundreds of resumes. Have they provided feedback and guidance on those resumes? Do the staff at NWDA even have the skills or HR knowledge to advise on matters like this? Do they discuss workplace etiquette, attire, interview protocol? Provide tips and advice on interviewing? These are the skills many Caymanians lack. I have seen people with Master’s degrees with horribly presented resumes. Though you may have the knowledge for the job, some people lack the skill to present that knowledge and skill to an employer through their resume.

Anyway, I could go on about this topic forever … but Caymanians need to turn our focus on advancing and bettering ourselves and uniting as a community for our forgotten youth. These are the roots of all our problems and we’re so ‘fool-fool’ and busy blaming the world, while the crap is sitting in all our backyards.

This comment was posted in response to Armed jewel heist at Camana Bay

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Comments (81)

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  1. Sharkey says:

    To those that don’t believe that there’s a difference between a Caymanian and a status holder , check your local Cayman immigration, I think that the birth right of a caymanian cannot be taken away , but status can be .

  2. Sharkey says:

    I think that “Caymanian ” had said it all but he forgot to say the bottom line “MONEY ” , and every time any one will defend their own turf, and some parent try bring their kids up the wright way, but we should not pick who our kids can or cannot play with, we can talk to kid about it , because that would teach the kid to be racists.

    The kids next generation should be our focus and discussion .

  3. Caymanian says:

    Let me start my comment by saying I agree with you TO A POINT!!!

    First let me say YES there are things we can and need to be doing to put us on a better level to be able compete in a global marketplace. NWDA could be more effective. UCCI could be used more effectively to provide tools to the unemployed or those simply looking for a career change. The education system needs better focus HOWEVER….

    Where I draw the line with your comments is giving any company the right to discriminate against my fellow Caymanians especially when it is simply unjustified.

    Let’s say all our unemployed for a moment were unemployable (which not all are), we are still looking at 5.6%. Are we as a national being classed based on 6% of our population? Does that 6% give businesses the right to say “He/She is Caymanian so don’t hire because they are lazy.” Sorry never ever going to say that or allow anyone to say that about my people when I know of 5-10 hard working Caymanians for every 1 lazy one.

    And as for the global knowledge well that’s where businesses come in. Create an environment for Caymanians to grow and develop within your business. All businesses coming to Cayman should have one eye on their bottomline and another on growing local talent.

    And as for the “I am Caymanian and I deserve…” I am sorry but I agree so long as the applicant meets the job requirements and has good work ethics. If you ask for a skills of a cashier and a Caymanian and a foreigner applies and both are equally qualified, the Caymanian should get the job every single darn time.

    I am sorry but I am a Caymanian and a proud Caymanian who stand behind his people 100%.

    I have seen both sides of the coin sir. I have been there trying to hire my fellow Caymanians and them letting me down but also been there hiring foreign nationals and them letting me down also.

    I get why businesses hire foreigners also because they can hold that permit like a hammer above their heads. The second something happens they can sever that tie quickly and without prejudice. That hammer keeps that employee in check. Well that hammer also has been abused many times making foreign nationals do things they shouldn’t like not get paid for OT, work ungodly hours and a host of other things. Sometimes that’s why employers chose the foreigner knowing a Caymanian may well speak out about abuses within the workplace.

    Let’s be clear it’s not all businesses. Some foreign businesses operate very ethically and are good citizens within the community but some are also not.

    All in all I agree with a lot of your comments but I won’t let you beat my people down allowing foreign businesses a bly to hire foreigners over Caymanians because of a relatively small section of Caymanians are unemployable.

    The first thing I would suggest is that no work permit except for that of a domestic helper are allowed without the job being featured on the NWDA website. Period.

    NWDA/Labor/Immigration – These 3 groups need get on the same page. I would love to see a combo site done which allows the 3 groups to work in unison. NWDA taking on the jobs and resumes and managing the site. Labor cross referencing Caymanians seeking jobs with jobs posted and liaising with Immigration to ensure that no permits issued for foreign nationals when Caymanians available to do the work. Immigration checking the site and labor department always before a permit is issued.

    I would also like to see a retooling system put in place for unemployed Caymanians trying to maybe change career paths in an effort to regain employment. I would suggest that they be able to get a letter from labor department to gain free classes at UCCI.

    I would like to see government taking a closer look at the various jobs going out to permit to determine why there are no Caymanians for these jobs. Is it an education problem? Is it an undesired job? We need to know so that we can cater to our market better. Maybe we need consultation from local companies on how we can better equipment our staff for their businesses. Get them involved so they don’t feel we are simply bringing the hammer down on them but involving them into finding better solutions for all involved.

    But I will finish with this. I will NEVER EVER give any business the GREEN LIGHT to discriminate against us. I have worked too hard and for too long to make it be about where I am from that defines me. I know of too many Caymanians that work hard to make the minority define us.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your comment belies the truth behind your own, and many others’, allegations of workplace “discrimination”.

      What the writer described was employers preferring better educated and otherwise prepared employees, while the only part you read was that they were not Caymanian.

      Let’s be clear. What the writer defended was not the practice of discrimination. Discrimination is when you hire a candidate solely because you are prejudiced against another candidate or other candidates for the job because of some characteristic, such as race, gender or nationality. Hiring someone because their education, skills or performance is superior is the opposite of discrimination.

      With 24,000 work permit holders on the island, several thousand more PR holders and paper Caymanians, people like you are going to see discrimination literally everywhere you look.

      Applying your definition/logic, any Caymanian candidate must always be hired for any job, regardless of whether the employer believes them qualified and whether better qualified candidates exist.

      I’m not saying discrimination doesn’t exist in Cayman or should be excused. I’m saying that what the writer described was not discrimination. What you endorsed (always hiring Caymanian applicants simply because they are Caymanian; the only way an employer can avoid being accused of discrimination applying your definition/logic) IS in fact discriminatory, not to mention totally unworkable.

    • MM says:

      “I have been there trying to hire my fellow Caymanians and them letting me down but also been there hiring foreign nationals and them letting me down also.”

      Just curious… I am surprised that after all this ‘pro-my-people’ ranting you have had any experiences hiring foreigners at all.

      Were there no Caymanians available in those instances?

      Did you check with the NWDA?

      Was it a specialist position or something?

      What did you put on the permit application to justify hiring an expat over one of the people you love so much?

      Why did your company/organization/whatever opt for the expat route? And now that you admitted you did, is your comment even still relevant?

      Just like the MLAs who run outside businesses, have masses of work permits and then sit in the LA governing Cayman Islands legislation that is marketed as being put in place to protect our people. What a mess.

      I am a parent and a very open and honest one; if my child does something wrong, I do not sugar coat it, if grades come in lower than expect it, I do not sugar coat it. And through it all, every one of my children are brilliant and successful (and there are 6 of them, all Caymanian).

      Therefore I am saddened that grown people cannot accept honest observations of default when children can.

  4. Anonymous says:

    That’s why, as a Local, I have NO consideration re using the term “Caymanian” even for myself.
    The name is now a term of conveniences, and means little else to those with dual nationalities.
    Check out any football game, international event or even Christmas, when they are drawn to their respective “home” countries.

    • Anonymous says:

      But “Caymanian” has never been an nationality. It is merely an immigration label. When one gets status it simply makes running a business and leaving to live back home a lot easier.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The disappointing thing about the lack of preparation and understanding of job search, workplace etiquette, etc. is that our predecessor to the NWDA declined an offer of free workshops on this very subject matter. I suggested the fellow contact a person I knew in the then DLP, unfortunately, he was met with a rather rude response from a most senior manager. He offered to conduct workshops very similar to those he has done for years when he traveled off island to visit his family as a short series of workshops is that cover the very topics mentioned by MM. I am aware of the quality of the material because he walked me through it as I too true to our nature did not believe he could help. Sadly, I heard with my own ears how rudely he was informed that his volunteered assistance we not needed.

    We continue to fail to take full advantage of those offering their knowledge because of where they were borne in the interest of our own foolish pride. I know the fellow loves these islands despite their unkind way towards him and only hope that he again reaches out to some organization on island and tries again because the solution he offered would help so many now who are unemployed, underemployed and fearful of the loss of their current employment. I am not too ashamed to say that he helped me but I will continue to keep his confidence as agreed the price for his assistance to me.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Just look at the example set by those running the country. Millions wasted, time and time again. Is that not theft as well?

  7. Anonymous says:

    So when Canover was getting the YCLA award he was Caymanian but now that he is in prison he is Jamaican? So, by that definition of who or who is not Caymanian anyone who has a scintilla of blood from some other country, grew up elsewhere, whose family came here by boat, plane or walked here is not a true Caymanian. If we are going to go down that road, then every single person who calls themselves true born Caymanians are not true born Caymanians seeing as the first allegedly born Caymanian, the man for whom Bodden Town was named was not actually born here in Cayman. Many “born Caymanians” were educated in Jamaica, and born in Jamaica. We need to be careful when we start going down this road about who is a Caymanian.

    One thing with being a Jamaican is that even if your mother, grandmother, aunt etc is from Jamaica and you have never seen the place you claim that heritage. We don’t care whether we bring disgrace upon ourselves or we have achieved greatness on the world stage, Jamaicans are always proud of themselves and their heritage. Maybe that is the difference between Jamaicans and the rest of the world, including Caymanians. We are never ashamed of the bad ones and we are always proud of the good ones.

  8. Anonymous says:

    As long as we have the “even Canover hails from elsewhere” mentality (his grandparents were East Enders who went to Jamaica were they not?), Caymanians of a certain limited mind-set will never change. His best buddy Jeff Webb’s ancestors came from Jamaica so I guess all his corruption came from that thin stream of Jamaican blood in him too. Pathetic.

    • Anonymous says:

      Is he a Jamaican citizen? If so, then his name should exist on any list of Jamaican citizens in Northward. Is he a Caymanian? If so his name should be on a list of Caymanians in Northward? It should be possible for a person to be on both lists, particularly since the act of getting convicted and incarcerated provides a ground for anyone granted status to have their status revoked.

      • Anonymous says:

        10:12. I agree, he should be deemed persona no grata. That should always be included in the granting of status. If criminals can continue to hold status in their adopted country, then
        we are happy to hold on to rotten apples to spoil the entire crate. Dump the spoil apples and keep a constant watch on those that appear to be good. Too many sheep in wolf’s clothing.
        Where was he born?

  9. Anonymous says:

    I’m not a local, but I love your island and people. Your culture that includes so much kindness and open-arms is a blessing. But, I must say that after traveling there for 20 years and spending countless weeks on island as only a guest, things are moving in the wrong direction for locals. I’ve become friends with many, and there’s no one to blame either…why should you… It seems like the island that time past by is allowing itself to be swept away with the tide. I feel bad for your youth. I say that because it’s my opinion the senior generation that you’re losing was built upon character and transparency.
    The people here who have voiced “stand up” are correct. If this current future generation is not swiftly taught to remain bonded and portray the “old world” integrity, I fear what’s left to the fading values in your beautiful country will forever be lost.
    I know what that’s like, it’s called the USA-

  10. Anonymous says:

    Foreign Devils.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Well this has to be the most self-loathing and “stating the freaking obvious” collection of useless dribble ever penned by man.

    Poster, every single word of this article could be lifted and seamlessly applied to every and any given country in the world right now. Furthermore, although you probably regard them as enlightened, your targeted crticisms of Caymanians serves as evidence that you ought to travel a bit more – and beyond the tourist attractions when you do.

    Deteriorating standards of education, professionalism and work ethic are the modern standards for the majority of western countries today. (They are also the catalyst for the preference of businesses to hire immigrants aka expats in those respective countries.)

    Take my hand and let me take you to London, Glasgow, Preston, Cologne, New York, LA, Kingston, Johannesburg, Paris etc and I will show you direct equivalents of every negative aspect of Caymanians you have outlined.

    Lastly, be wary of those that are praising and supporting your sentiments. Some do so by way of mutual ignorance, others are fully aware of the hypocrisy of their actions as they are well aware of the reality from whence they came.

    If you are an actual Caymanian, I strongly and sincerely encourage you to assess your self-respect prior to future submissions.

    • Anonymous says:

      Denial is not a river in Egypt.

      • Anonymous says:

        Neither is it present in the post to which you replied.
        Feel free to try again though.
        We believe in giving second chances and allowing room for the slow ones amongst us.

    • Adam says:

      My kids, aged 11 and 16 will have absolutely no problem getting employment. They will be actively pursued by employers.

      Why:
      Straight A students from day one.
      Actively involved in sports and other extra mural activities
      Play with friends that we deem as parents to be a positive influence.
      Extremely polite and have respect for their elders
      Actively pay attention to their peers and those with positive influences

      How:
      As parents we are involved with the school and educators (note, the kids live in a divorced family)
      We insist that they are active in sports and support any interests they have
      We do not tolerate bad manners in any way shape or form, be it at the dinner table or amongst adults
      We monitor who their friends are and who they can play with
      We have open conversations about sex, its ramifications and relationships with the opposite sex
      We do not allow any social media IE Facebook, Instagram etc and monitor cell phones, email and internet.
      Home work is done and monitored, we tutor where needed and where we can
      We don’t allow sloppy dressing, shirt hanging out, unpolished shoes, untidy hair etc
      We make sure the eldest watches the news globally and encourage documentaries
      Time out, no pocket money, loss of privileges abound in the household.

      Is it hard work for us as parents, absolutely. Do we all cry from time to time about the efforts above, absolutely. Do we want to slack some days as parents, absolutely.
      Why do we keep pressing on, we want the best for our children as most parents should.

      • Anonymous says:

        Sounds more like Colditz than an upbringing. Kids need good education and this is the area that needs pushing the hardest, the rest should be open discussion about choices and they should feel the love and support of both parents, divorced or not.

      • Anonymous says:

        Adam, your household sounds a lot like mine (and the one in which I was raised, minus the social media references, of course). I am a Caymanian, are you?

        I ask because I am confused as to why you submitted such a reply to my post. I try to avoid assumptions so I will await clarification on your part.

      • Anonymous says:

        Our household seems to be pretty much identical to yours, with the exception that the parents have not divorced.

        Unfortunately, we find that the way we raise our children is the exception rather than the rule and we are often “smiled upon” by friends/families for being such “strict” parents. The most annoying thing is that many parents don’t bother to be much involved with their kids life, until there is an issue and rather then listening to what the issue is and getting to the root (ie themselves) they just become defensive and blame everyone else. It couldn’t possibly be that THEIR own child has done something wrong……..

    • Anonymous says:

      Is that really your response to that post which is to say that it happens everywhere so travel more and learn? What is that? The problems in such a small country as Cayman with a strong annual governmental budget makes many problems solvable so your self hating analysis speaks more to your reply than to the original posting.

      • Anonymous says:

        I stand by everything in my original post. It is up to you and the rest of the naysayers to decipher in whatever way you choose.

        However, whereas I am not one to declare my country as a utopia, it is a fact that the lower the percentage of Caymanians in the resident population, the higher the crime rate.

        Yes. Fact.

      • Anonymous says:

        Please name me another western country where the native population has been reduced to a minority percentage in less than one generation.

        Of course such facts and issues will be dismissed as immaterial by the likes of you – all the while your home-country is shitting bricks and spitting out grassroots, far-right political parties in response to what is comparatively a minute and inconsequential arrival of migrants.

        GTFOH.

        • Anonymous says:

          Thank you for your continued racism. There are only a few certainties in life and one of those is the way in which some Caymanians will tell the Brits to GTFOH, but are then more than happy to come over to the UK and milk the system there. I’ll never forget the story of one Caymanian on a full scholarship who was living with some Brits who were up to their eyes in debt – she labelled her toilet rolls so that the others didn’t use them.

          • Anonymous says:

            Who said anything about Brits?
            Clearly someone needs to get over him or her self.

            Being the poster in question, I am happy to inform you that many countries were in my consideration at the time of posting.
            Interestingly, my words perfectly apply to many today, including the UK.

        • Long term resident says:

          Show me another western country who, per capita, can match the deaths of the local population through murder or road death!

        • Anonymous says:

          Go on blame Tony Blair, trollmeister, you know you want to.

    • Anonymous says:

      London, Glasgow, PRESTON, Cologne, New York, LA, Kingston, Johannesburg, Paris. This is way off topic, but I am intrigued by your choice of cities. I am from Preston and it has never before been written in the same sentence as the other well known cities you have mentioned. It made me laugh because nobody else even knows where it is! Lol. Way to go Preston! Whoop whoop! Getting your name out there!

      • Anonymous says:

        Preston has been mentioned many times on this site before. One regular contributor has referred to it on many occasions when not blaming everything on Tony Blair.

      • Anonymous says:

        Do a Google “news” search on “Preston Crown Court”. Review the cases, ongoing or past. Reflect on the sentiments re crime / criminals in Cayman in the original post.

        Now, inhale…take in that freshly roasted coffee. Time to wake up, Preston fella.

        Happy that you escaped that horrid place and found refuge in the Cayman Islands.

    • MMM says:

      So therefore, you are suggesting we accept these issues because “every other country in the world” has them?

      You say I am stating the obvious, then say I am criticizing Caymanians, then say I should assess my self-respect… would these all not be contradictory?

      Side note: all the countries you named do not have a little 60,000 person population… so dear reader… in comparison to our local issues, your comment must be the most uninformed “collection of useless dribble ever penned by man.”

      • Anonymous says:

        No.
        I am saying it is ridiculous and short-sighted and ignorant to categorise the extensive list of “problems” in your post as Caymanian in nature.

        Yours is the kind of mindset that those that wish to destroy our pride and self-respect hang on their mantles as trophies.

        Grow up. Wise up. Most of all, think about the Caymanian youths that are subjected to and influenced by your despicable rhetoric.

        • MM says:

          Do you think it makes me proud to admit that most of the problems in my beloved country were created by my own people?

          Yours is the kind of mindset that allows us to continuously deny the true root of our issues; cast blame where it should not go; allow the guilty to go unpunished and cause our country to make the same mistakes that cause the same problems and sink this country deeper and deeper in to the mud!

          I am even more disgraced by our country’s condition with the realization that there are Caymanians out there that prefer to rant and blame other persons to protect “pride and self-respect” and consider this to be the thing to teach our youth.

          As a parent, I would want my child to take responsibility for their actions, own up to mistakes and march forward with an intention to correct, plan and progress!

          Why would we not want the same for our country? Because other cities with older civilizations, much bigger populations and denser areas have it? If it can be identified in my country, admitted and corrected, why would I want to deny my country, my children and my future a more positive existence for the sake of hiding and covering it up for the sake of “pride and self-respect”…. there is nothing to be proud of with lies, deception, corruption and denial!

          Do you even know what the problems in our country are?

          Can you deny that our education system is failing? Did you miss the recent articles on the reports, audits and audit cover-ups on our education system?

          You say all I have written is obvious… would that not imply that my so-called “criticism of caymanians” is true then? Since you have admitted that all I have written can already be seen…

          And if so, would no your comment be obvious denial of our country’s issues and their origins and in fact make you to be the self-loather? It is very often true that persons with the most confidence are not as afraid to admit their blemishes whereas those with little confidence tend to hide their blemishes….

          • Anonymous says:

            O M G.
            For someone with a relatively decent vocabulary you appear to have difficulty grasping the most basic of concepts.

            Ok, let us try it this way;

            “Caymanians are our own worst enemy just as Americans are their own, Brits are their own, Brazilian are their own, etc.”.

            Are you beginning to understand now?

            My point is, there is nothing occurring in Cayman society that is not taking place elsewhere. (E.g. Have you been paying attention to the sentiments of British business leaders regarding the educational and work ethic standards amongst their young people? Have you paid attention to why German businesses are more keen to hire young Polish workers over their own?)

            Therefore the platform of calling out Caymanians in some supposed light of phantom enlightenment is asinine and legless – unless of course one mistakenly believes they are correct in their perspective.

            There is no denial on my part. However, what you fail to understand is the very people that are supporting your post here on CNS are the very 2-faced pricks that pretend as if these very criticisms are not directly applicable to wherever they happen to come from.

            Yes, there are many improvements to be made in our society, however, don’t you dare chastise our young by way of comparison (albeit erroneously) to other countries and backgrounds especially as they are in dire need of much improvement as well.

            • MM says:

              We all must give up on this one… totally lost.

              You must be one of our MLAs because every comment you have posted so far defends and supports nothing and provides no solutions to any of our problems… just a quick drag down of anyone who has the back-bone to standup and say we have to sort our stuff out. Do you think you are doing your country a favor by suggesting that we should not evaluate how we have gotten in this mess? If all or most arrows point to our own default, should we not be quick to fix it?

              Cayman or the Caymanian population CANNOT be compared to the USA or Britain… we simply cannot; so I do not even know why you keep bringing that up.

              If all your child’s friends do drugs then it is okay for your child to do it? So why then is it okay for us to allow our postage-stamp sized country to follow the ways of the world when everybody is at most a 30 minute drive down the road? It is much more simple to correct issues in small places with small populations so for our little country to not be capable of doing so is appalling and I would guess we owe it to citizens like you.

              Chastise the youth? So I should go in to all the schools and tell them they are getting a wonderful education and their MLAs have set them up with incomparable academics and facilities and you should be so proud to be a Caymanian because the rest of the world has all the same problems we have.

    • Hated driftwood says:

      But Cayman is none of those they are major cosmopolitan cities three four five times larger than this little island. So let see % of Caymanians in prison per head of population compare that to a thriving developed country and you will be surprised. Reported crime per head way above, students leaving school with 5 plus high grade passes probably minimal. You can’t compare this island to large cities.

      This country has one of the highest available spends per head than any other country it has over paid part time LA members who hardly sit in the LA so why can’t they get anything right make a decision and make this country thrive. Maybe that is what the youth aspire too, don’t do any work, hardly ever attend and over paid!!!!!!!

      • WaYaSay says:

        So your contribution is that Caymanians should stop blameing everyone else but ot is OK to blame Caymanian polititions?

    • The Watcher says:

      Nice. A Caymankind supernova launched covertly. The post does not address the problems highlighted by the viewpoint , which was an excellent post.
      Instead, the poster used it as an anti UK vehicle for an ongoing bigoted crusade.
      The only suspicious omission is the “Tony Blair” rant.
      Like all subterfuge, it has no remits and a vast spectrum with a set agenda.
      I believe that the wheels for that particular apparatus and determination were set in motion a while ago.

  12. Anonymous says:

    This post is very fair in the picture it paints. It’s not rosy but it is what it is. We cannot expect change if all we do is blame. We blame the government for not fixing the problem and each of us knows how that fix should be, blame employers who hire foreign labour or even as we do, blame and malign the workers themselves.
    What can and will continue to feed this emotional frenzy is that one case of perceived or real injustice in hiring practice by an employer and, the laws of nature being as they are, there will always be. For us, it’s easy to blame others which takes away any responsibility from each of us from doing anything about the problem.
    That said, for us to vision a new reality it’s about a turnaround on the notion that, as a Caymanian one is ‘entitled’ to anything.
    It’s all about us taking responsibility for where we are socially and culturally as a people and as a whole people resolve to each make a difference as we can for a different future. No real lasting change is possible because the government does X or Y. That is the blame game at work. Employers want more than a degree, they want someone who shows up, is interested in their business and shows this. No degree in the world can make a person with a bad attitude a good fit.
    We must seriously stop and look at what this ‘entitlement’ mentality has done to us! We are destroying ourselves as this post rightly points out.
    The future is grim unless we all seriously recognize that there are no easy answers or no short term fixes, its took decades to get here folks. The change to how we see ourselves as a society is hugely aided by changes to the Education system yes, but when parents show up at a school and threaten teachers because they disciplined a child or parents fail to see their role of being an active part of the education process for their children, nothing will really change for the 85%.
    I worry that it has become so easy to blame and sit back waiting for someone to fix it that we will continue to spiral out of control until………. Right now this problem is heavily emotional, complex and complicated. In all this, it’s only us Caymanians who can make a difference.
    Are we willing to be apart of the dialogue necessary to bring about change.

  13. Anonymous says:

    The irony! Then…Two NON CAYMANIANS rob the MOST secure jewelry shop in CAYMAN @ Camana Bay. http://Www.thisridiculousbashingarticle.com

    • Double Oh-Seven! says:

      Yes, huge irony that you assign blame, which seems to you to encompass the entire argument (brain out of gear and go get a rum), exactly as the original writer highlights.

  14. Junior says:

    Count the locals in prison, figures don’t lie

    • Anonymous says:

      Your argument is stupid. What would expect the majority to be in Cayman, if not Caymanians ???

      After all, this is Cayman. In Jamaica the majority of those in the jails there are Jamaicans, in China it’s the same.

      • Bob says:

        The most prisoners in China are Jamaican??? I didn’t now that.

      • Anonymous says:

        Wrong , i been in jail in China , most inmates are jamaican their .

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes, 9:04, except there are a bunch of Caymanian posters who want to claim that the vast majority of crime here in Cayman is committed by non Caymanians or status holders-total bullshit of course as those of us who know these men (and a few women)-we teachers, social workers etc-are well aware they are BORN here and are producing masses of kids by women (not always born here) and these kids are going the same way as their parents…jail.

    • Anonymous says:

      80 percent of our prison population are CAYMANIAN but what they don’t publish is that 80 percent of that 80 percent are paper CAYMANIAN

    • Anonymous says:

      The publisher of This publication should be ashamed of them selves for publishing this garbage. Shame on you.

    • mike says:

      count the locals in any prison worldwide figures don’t lie

    • Anonymous says:

      Nor do the court lists!

  15. Anonymous says:

    That is what no tax gets you. Awful education, atrocious mental health care, lots of crime.

    • Diogenes says:

      No tax BS. the government makes a fortune in revenue each year – it’s just what it chooses to waste it on that’s the problem

      • Hated driftwood says:

        Three times per head to spend than the USA.
        Some of the highest paid politicians in the world and no public bus service says it all

  16. Anonymous says:

    The first step needs to be to revise the laws pertaining to financial support enforced onto men who sire children left, right and center without any consequences (morally and legally) to them.

    If “sperm donors” would be receiving a hefty deduction from their pay check, they may opt to use some sort of birth control or take a cold shower. I know there are many who claim that they do not hold a job, but Government should be able to take property, cars, cell phones, computers etc.

  17. KK says:

    MM I agree with most but not all of your post however as you have pointed the time required to really paint a true picture of our mistakes would be much too lengthy . Here is where you have left an important part out – yes SOME caymanians embraced modernization and development however there were MANY people who preferred to live humbly and some very happy and content for whatever they had and could earn. Many just happy to have a job that they could pay their bills. The big boys were the people who aligned their pockets and “embraced” modernization and “development” at whatever cost including our people’s welfare. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH OUR PEOPLE (AND I DO NOT SPEAK OF THE RICH /WELL OFF) IS THAT THEY NEED TO SHUT UP AND STOP TALKING AMONGST THEMSELVES AND GET OUT THERE COLLECTIVELY AND DO SOMETHING . CANT THEY SEE THAT YHEY HAVE DIVIDED AND CONQUERED US PUT THEIR DIFFERENCES ASIDE AND TAKE OUR ISLAND BACK. Young people need to be counseled and needs lots of work educationally and mentally . WE HAVE ALOT OF WORK TO DO BUT IT CAN BE DONE. Knowledge is power and this is especially what our people lack most of all.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Lucid and straightforward reply.
    I listened to Ezzard Miller’s bluster on Radio Cayman yesterday attacking the Head of the Chamber of Commerce instead he should read and learn from your contribution.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Well said! Thank you!

  20. Anonymous says:

    Where does your 80% figure come from? It is a pretty high number. For example, are you counting the kid that stole from Caribean club room or the Woman dealt with so kindly (and appropriately) in today’s press as part of your 80%?

    • MM says:

      Did you miss the part “more than”…? Our own police cannot give a percentage, my estimate is obviously a ” toss” and open to objection… But we can all agree, the number is very high.

    • Anonymous says:

      Given your lot only make up 55% of the population there is wiggle room.

    • Anonymous says:

      Are one of those who would rather hire and employe slave from abroad, pay permit fees, pay passages, and not sure if your employees are criminals? Surely I you hired a local, if you didn’t know a bout him you would get details on his background at no cost.
      Too many bias people against hiring Caymanians.

    • Anonymous says:

      HM Northward past/current occupancy and Criminal Grand Court caseload is >80% Caymanian at any given moment, if that helps back up the stat. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a fact.

      • Anonymous says:

        Nonsense. Many of these so called Caymanian criminals from Damien Ming (head gangster) to Desmond Seales were in fact foreign nationals. Of course, our prison and court officials cannot or do not tell the difference. I do not deny that the majority of our criminals are Caymanian. What I do object to is that a very significant portion are in fact imported. The prison statistics are in any event skewed given that persons are usually convicted multiple times before their first sentence. That of course quite properly skews the prison statistics towards locals.

        Read the papers. From Sue Nichols to the Foreign national that ripped off the Lonestar, we know of many foreign nationals accused of crimes that they are not in the court system or northward for. Today it was a Cuban paying a bribe, last week another foreign national stealing jewelry, this week a couple of non Caymanian (Hispanics?) holding up the Mansion at gunpoint, last week Canadians skimming credit cards, Romanians before then, Jamaicans in canoes with drugs and guns. An American is now charged in relation to an alleged theft from a supermarket. Even Canover hails from elsewhere. Sure we have plenty of local criminals. Just recognize that we are letting a lot in from outside. We cannot stop locals from being here. Some of the others however…

        • Anonymous says:

          Yes. Stop foreign criminals coming. That will open up more opportunities for local criminals.

        • Anonymous says:

          Years ago when Caymanians was for Caymanians the people was so honest that if one lost the most valuable possession and it was found by a Caymanian they would go all over the place looking for its owner. Just try it now. I for one was given $10,000 from a local bank staff for $1,000 and as soon as I discovered it I called the bank. That’s just one of example. Now a day you cant even grow anything on your own premises as these W.Permit holders while on their way to their jobs will walk right in on your premises and pick whatever you need. however I will repeat what one of our very respected citizens once said many years ago when Cayman began to go down the drain. ” The definition of a Caymanian is Hospitality, Generosity, extended by Stupidity”.

          • Anonymous says:

            I think Caymanians think they are the only country in the world that has the same ” people coming over here to steal our jobs” problem/ mentality. It’s the same in every country. In the
            UK is the Polish, Romanian, indians taking their jobs. In Australia its the Asians, in the USA it’s the Mexicans. Everywhere you go it’s the same and every where you go it isn’t entirely true. So I wish you all would just put a sock in it!

          • Anonymous says:

            Too true

    • Anonymous says:

      That’s it put your head in the sand

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