Gov’t embraces idea of national pledge

| 17/04/2019 | 114 Comments

Cayman News Service(CNS): The government has accepted a private member’s motion by Chris Saunders, the independent member for Bodden Town West, to create a ‘national pledge’ that will be recited at relevant events, in schools and when new citizens achieve Caymanian status. Saunders asked for the wording of the pledge to be established through a national competition. Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said government would accept the “timely” motion, given the current Cayman Islands Coat of Arms and Constitution anniversaries.

Saunders said the Cayman islands was still a young country and suggested that outside forces were “hell-bent on destroying us”, so something was needed to focus on unifying the country.

He said that building national identity does not happen overnight and Cayman needed to take national ownership seriously. He argued that Cayman’s success was not immigration but integration, as he called for more work on the concept of integration because there were things they could no longer take for granted.

Saunders spoke about the current polarisation in the country but looked back to when the country was unified in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. He accepted that there were people hurting on both sides of the debate, as he alluded to the issue regarding marriage equality without mentioning the controversial topic.

“This is not a time to look at our differences,” he said, and suggested that most people have most things in common but tend to focus on the very few differences instead.

He said having a competition would encourage people to take part and have ownership in the pledge. It would also help improve integration and bring people together.

The motion appeared to attract unanimous support from members when put to the vote.

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Comments (114)

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  1. Dilligaf says:

    Don’t forget folks, this comes from the same people who made a boat a national hero, started handing out “most noble orders of the platinum pineapple” and left an unfinished “Christian fun park” and incomplete bell end tower thing there.
    What happened to the good old days when everyone just got a golden apple, a Cayman young achievers award or a job as a petrol inspector?

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  2. Anonymous says:

    Here is my pledge to the Cayman people: I promised to do the job I was brought to Cayman to do to the best of my ability, to take care of all the children in my care to the best of my ability, to try to mentor my co-workers in best practice for the betterment of society and to leave Cayman should I fail to do so, even if that failure is attributed to systemic problems.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I understand a pledge to a sovereign national pathetic though the idea is. But for a territory? What a joke!

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Will we now have to pledge to be homophobic?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t have to pledge. I am proudly a homophobic person because I love my island 🙂

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      • Anonymous says:

        And hate your own people with your head in the sand thinking that there’s no homosexual Caymanians. Na your family or church sista though so why would you care?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    OMG, with ALL the problems this island has, this is what you come up with??? WTF

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  6. Anonymous says:

    National pledge ? Easy enough to force on new status holders and new PR holders. How will you force born Caymanians to adopt it ? Or existing paper Caymanians for that matter ? A national pledge is baloney.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Yeah, Cayman desperately needs an official chant, a mandatory pledge of blind loyalty for all non-thinking drones to mumble every day. How have we managed without it? Public praying wasn’t enough. What a great way to get Cayman’s intellectuals to squirm as they pretend to mean the words they mouth.

    It should be clear that democracy just doesn’t work well enough. Not sure what to replace it with, but damn, this is sad. Look at the US right now. Look at the LA. Voting fails to consistently place the best people in places of leadership. More than not, it elevates the mediocre and sometimes the worst of society to positions of power. What if these were unpaid posts? Who might be motivated by love of Cayman and the people to sacrifice their time and energy then? Bet it wouldn’t be these guys.

    On another topic, why are almost all the MLAs and gov ministers so horrendously obese? Asking a serious question. Not trying to be mean or name call. It’s sad, disturbing. Just curious as to why all but about two or three elected leaders are horribly overweight. They look so unhealthy. I can’t imagine that they feel good, physically and mentally, walking around like that. What is going on? Are they representative of the Cayman population? Or are they uniquely unhealthy for some reason? If so, what is the reason? What kind of example do they set for Cayman’s young people?

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  8. Anonymous says:

    What a typical load of nonsense. These MLA’s are a joke. The best thing that Cayman could do, would be to reduce their salaries and pension benefits so that some genuinely passionate (and clever) individuals come forward for election. These idiots are merely in government for themselves and have no interest in serving in the best interests of society.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    I pledge to keep my Honda on a straight course, never to destroy or disrespect lightpoles again and to ensure that my boat is safety compliant and I don’t turn that over either.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Utter crap. Status is just there so you can leave easier and get other people to make money for you while you don’t work.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I don’t even know what this means. Status is lost after five years of non-residence…does anyone think we really have a problem of people suddenly “striking it rich” with a paper status and leaving the islands to let the gravy flow? Are there any examples?

  11. Anonymous says:

    my pledge as an expat is to do my best everyday to drag backward caymanian culture into the 21st century.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    LMAO!!! This is GOLD. You CANNOT make this sh!t up!!

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Smoke & mirrors. More cow poop to distract everyone from more serious matters… the cruise port, the Dart skyscraper, the dump, road fatalities, education, health, blah, blah…

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    • Anonymous says:

      The #1 issue is the complete allergic response to any semblance of good governance and transparency codified in our Constitution Order (2009). The continuing deferral of enactment of the Standards in Public Life Law is deliberate, and everything else on the list flows from the commercial motivation to obscure.

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  14. Al Catraz says:

    Wait until they find out how the Jehovah’s Witnesses take to this sort of thing.

    Jehovah’s Witnesses will refuse, and thus must be cast out of Cayman.

    They refuse to say the United States pledge and they are responsible for the US court cases which ended forced pledge-reciting in schools there.

    I guess there are no JW’s that are really Caymanian.

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    • Unison says:

      I’m with the J’ witnesses on expressing their religious freedom. They are not the only ones that believe allegiance should be made to Gd alone. The state is not Gd. You respect the state, yes, but your allegiance should be to Gd first. Therefore, I don’t see anything wrong in not pledging.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I will pledge allegiance to no false construct.

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      • Circular logic says:

        Got any proof for this God?

        Unison – States there is no scientific evidence of a gay gene so, therefore, people can’t be born gay.

        Unison – Orders people to abide and align with some God no one can prove exist being there is no scientific evidence that any such thing exists.

        Thanks for showing us how logic and theism collide.

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        • Straight Logic says:

          lol .. even if scientist have no proof for a gay gene, doesn’t mean two wrongs make a right. You shot yourself in the foot.

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        • Anonymous says:

          So lame.

          Many people believe in the Almighty. I don’t see them pushing policies on people and calling those who disagree with them haters and bigots. It will be interesting to see as you push your “born this way” theory and gay marriage on these islands, just what will you do to protect the existing rights we hold dear?

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          • Anonymous says:

            No one forcing you to change your sexual orientation. Yet, you all chant it’s just a choice, why don’t you just convert and be a good little straight Christian?

            Oh btw Bobo remember your offering.. But if not big Mac will ensure we get funds

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          • Unison says:

            Thank you. Ignore the fake thumbs down. Just like you have religious people who want to impose their beliefs on everyone. You have liberal gays represented by LGBTIQ organizations that want to legally through non-democratic means impose their redifinition of gender and marriage on our society.

            The commenter, Circular Logic made an rediculous comparison. I think the more logic a person has, is the more they will see which side is the present aggressor.

            This is why the Cayman Islands Legislature is appealing the Chief Justice’s ruling.

            Trust me, if it was any other religious faith imposing their views on our country, we would have resisted as well. Circular Logic, it makes no difference –

            The LGBTIQ have leftist ideologies. This is more about rights and equality as they famously march down streets and proclaim – This sexual revolution is really about transforming our society, our youth to their image ☝🏼

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        • Anonymous says:

          Got any proof this God doesn’t exist? Circular logic goes in both directions. In the meantime look up the word ‘faith’ which may help you to understand.

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      • Anonymous says:

        “but your allegiance should be to Buddha first”

        Actually no Unison, that’s your opinion. Our constitution fully allows any Caymanian to be Atheist or any religion they want

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  15. Anonymous says:

    When is Britain going to step-in to give these boys a spanking and wash their mouths out with soap. Always trying to sneak their hands in the nationality cookie jar.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Will Chris Saunders be able to speak with a Caymanian accent when he takes the pledge?

    I suppose accent doesn’t really matter as long as you’re anti-gay and against any other religion but the one Caymanians must profess by Constitutional Order.

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  17. U.N. (United Caymans). says:

    “Outside force were hell bent on destroying us” is Mr Saunders referring to Kim Jong Un?
    How about including the phrase “he hath founded it upon mosquitoes”. The pledge won’t be used very often for new citizens on obtaining Caymanian status unless the Speaker is reincarnated.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    No national identity? We are older than the United States of which these idiots appear so eager to copy. We have our own national identity and cumtcul and I don’t need some pathetic pledge of fealty to a rag flapping in the breeze to prove that. My family have been here for over 10 generation, we were shipped wrecked here and none of us want nor do we need some nationalistic chest pounding to prove we are loyal to these islands.

    This is pathetic and the governments enreentertai of this stupidity shows how eager they are to divert our attention away from real problems.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Older than the United States? Even if you ignore the indigenous peoples, first permanent settlement by Europeans is in 1620 – way earlier than Cayman.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Every country is 6,000 years old. The Bible says so!

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      • Anonymous says:

        1565 by the Spanish, actually.

      • Anonymous says:

        As far as Europeans colonists go, not counting Eric the Red’s Labrador temporary colonies c900AD, if we are counting Puerto Rico as the oldest US State, then first Euro colonists arrived to disrupt Tainos in 1493 and stayed. That was 10 years before Columbus would first spot Cayman, but possibly after the first Portuguese sugar barons plied our waters back to Europe with their first Brazilian yield c1500. By any measure, USA predates Cayman in colonization by many decades.

    • Anonymous says:

      Jamestown 1610 has you beat by a good bit. If you ever become a country, you of course will be younger than the US (1790.)

  19. Anonymous says:

    “I pledge allegiance to myself and no one else on the island.
    I solemnly swear to screw over as many of my local people as I can for the foreign dollar
    or so that I may get into office and hold power for as long as possible.
    So help me God.”

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Our politicians seem to think Cayman is a country, and Caymanian is a citizenship. Pretty scary stuff when our leaders fail to understand who and what we are.

    We are a territory, not a country. Our citizenship is that of British Overseas Territories.

    Start from that foundation. You cannot base our future on misguided and misleading half truths and political brinkmanship – and you should have thought a little harder about who cabinet status grants were given to.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    …..We need more Lemon Pledge

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  22. Stone me with the crows says:

    Because spouting a load of bullshit is going to unite the people of Cayman; when living as Christ would have us live is beyond most (and I mean living inclusively, not being a bunch of bigots).

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  23. Fiona says:

    Getting more ‘Americanized’ every day! :/

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    • Fiona Foster says:

      Agreed. It’s awful

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah, no one likes a copycat.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Nope it’s not. It is what is surely needed in Cayman to integrate those who want their cake and eat it too. It should be retrospective for those who acquired status since 2000 to capture those 2003 Status grants as well.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You can’t integrate these scum expat commentors who appear to be representing at least a portion of the expat community …the best we can do is stop giving them papers are make CIG tv record and upload their ceremonies to Youtube so we can all enjoy watching them repeat a real Caymanian pledge that makes them say “I pledge to always love Caymanians and to remember that they were here before me and I shall help to build on their legacy… I will put no other country’s interest before those of the Cayman Islands and I shall defend the Cayman islands against foreign and domestic enemies…so help me God!”

        More drafting needed for our pledge but this was just to answer a specific point in the individual’s comment.

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        • Anonymous says:

          So help me god? What if i don’t believe in god? Can I just affirm instead? Or will atheists be banned from pledging?

    • Anonymous says:

      *Americanised

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  24. Anonymous says:

    We believe in the dignity of all people and their right to respect and equality of opportunity. We value the strength that comes with difference and the positive contribution that diversity brings to our community. Our aspiration is for Cayman Islands and the wider region to be safe, welcoming and inclusive.

    i bet caymankind won’t do this.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    I hereby pledge that I shalt not seek equality in these islands…

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  26. Anonymous says:

    A national pledge implies these islands are a nation. But, in fact, they are a mere territory.

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  27. Anonymous says:

    Lol. And a frontal lobotomy.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    I do solemnly swear that I have little concern for the environment and gays are bad. MLAs are like, really smart. Turtle. Straw hat. Cat boat. Amen to all Christians and blah blah blah to non-beleevers 4eva. Burger King.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You forgot ‘styrofoam food containers’ or ‘Dart Styrofoam forever’ or just ‘Dart’.
      Ending with ‘Dart save the MLA’s retirement funding’

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  29. Anonymous says:

    The form of citizenship oath and pledge for registration or naturalisation as a British overseas territories citizen is (already) as follows:

    Oath:
    “I, [name], swear by Almighty God that, on becoming a British overseas territories citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors according to law.”

    Pledge:
    “I will give my loyalty to [name of territory] and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British overseas territories citizen.”

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    • Anonymous says:

      Hello, The writing is on the wall or put another way…read between the lines….

      Real Caymanians want the pledge to reflect Caymanian values, heritage, and loyalty to us as a people….

      We don’t want a standard pill passed down to us from the UK so we can forever be tangled up and tied under them in their system of power.

      Caymanians are a real distinct segment of the human race. Let us live! Stop trying to hold us down in 2019!

      Sincerely,
      A concerned Caymanian

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      • Anonymous says:

        How about the “real” double-talkers that dishonour their BOTC oath and pledge, disparage the homeland, and rail against acceptable principles of citizenship, surrender their BOTC papers, including any “Cayman Islands” territorial passports that must have been issued in error. There would be some comfort in knowing nutcases, at least, were not boarding commercial aircraft.

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        • Anonymous says:

          How about you take all the BOTC and Cayman Islands passports and make a raft and go back across the pond mate! Caymanians don’t need the UK…and I for show don’t like the UK …and the UK is not my homeland you arrogant Pig.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Are you aware that this IS a UK Territory, not an independent sovereign country? Do you even know the difference?

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            • Anonymous says:

              Thanks for reminding me…as if a Caymanian doesn’t have enough reminders on a daily basis…including the Stupid Governor…

              To answer your question…the difference between a sovereign nation and a territory appears in our case to be that a Sovereign country has a Divine sovereign leader with special blood and special peasants to follow her orders and ship out overseas to help her govern stolen lands….while a territory seems in our case to be colonized islands with locals who are not completely woken up to the despicable UK rule and systemic control of our control.

              The UK has no right to be in the Cayman Islands…the current system is a disgrace….the propaganda unbearable in this day and age…

              Really?? Caymanians are to really swallow all the B.S. fron the Governor about us being stonger together and we are so fortunate that the prince came here and we should strive for such relationships…lmao…modern day brainwashing…don’t know when Caymanians will rise up and kick UK out…people like you really believe the UK and british people have a right to the Cayman Islands. Go back home!

              I know home sucks and I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the UK either but it’s just how the cookie crumbles….steal some more tea from countries and swallow your sad UK existence.

              Sincerely,
              A concerned Caymanian

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              • Anon says:

                12.00pm Without expats you would still be living in one big swamp swatting mosquitoes. You have been offered independence , please take it and return to where you come from. I will not call you stupid, just pathetically ignorant.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Worked so well for all the other territories that have gone rogue.

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      • Anonymous says:

        @1:43 – “Caymanians are a real distinct segment of the human race.” – I am very interested in this claim, would you please explain exactly what makes a Caymanian a “…district segment of the human race.”

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      • Anonymous says:

        1:43, You probably also think Caymanians are a brilliant people too.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Expats like you are the first ones to cry when the natives break into your home and burn down your bubble. Keep talking…Cayman is a small place…just hope that you’re in the thick of things if it ever happens or in a category 5 hurricane. Punk!

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    • Anonymous says:

      This is correct. As codified in Schedule 5 of the British Nationalities Act 1981:

      https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/schedule/5?view=plain

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    • Anonymous says:

      Firstly I’m Caymanian and extremely proud of my roots and who’s family was first here back in the days of the original land grants and my family name reflects that. I see nothing wrong with the existing Oath and Pledge.

      Chris Saunders – we’re not a country if you haven’t noticed and despite all the UK’s faults overall the relationship has been very positive over the centuries. Thank god we separated from Jamaica in the early 60’s as well.

      Finally quite frankly we have a whole long list of much more pressing and important issues to deal with here than this deflection tactic which surprise surprise the Government have jumped on. Others have listed many of these issues and there are many more. A National Pledge would be at the bottom of my priority list.

  30. Anonymous says:

    Not only were we required to pledge and sign the territorial song at our BOTC induction ceremony, but we were made to further detail our individual contributions to the Cayman Islands in rotation, around the table for the indulgent pleasure of the secretary of Deputy Governor, as if she were the ultimate gate-keeper on applications that had already been vetted, granted and certificates printed. Chris Saunders needs to sit down and button up, he has no idea of the adjunct off-script processes already in place.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh my..sounds like you went through quite and ordeal to become whatever you are…and sounds like you don’t deserve to be Caymanaian….be bold…state your full name here so real Caymanians can request that your papers be taken away…..or do the honourable thing and give them back.

      Crickets….

      Standing ovation for the Secretary of the Deputy Governor for making you consider that you should be giving positive things to our society not just a cheque and application.

      Ok you can continue complaining now…

      Sincerely,
      A concerned Caymanian

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      • Anonymous says:

        Don’t speak for “real caymanians” my family’s been here since we were shillsh wrecked over 10 generations ago and we find this disgusting.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Re: “4:44p.m.”

          Kiss my Caymanian coconuts…

          Shipped wrecked? Sounds like you’re british or cuban….

          Farewell and adios!

          Sincerely,
          A concerned Caymanian

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      • Anonymous says:

        This was an induction ceremony for those that had already successfully demonstrated and satisfied a long and wide variety of tests, including sustained contributions to the Cayman Islands in a 50 page application document. It should have been an exciting happy welcome ceremony, but it was transformed into a glum completely impertinent power play by the DG’s underling. Certainly not the first taunting indignity in the lengthy qualifying process, which you know nothing about. The most disheartening reality is that Paper Driftwood Caymanians will never meet the impossible terms for equality set by cruel-minded nasty “Real Caymanians” (your term).

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        • Anonymous says:

          Re “5:48p.m.”
          I bet you didn’t say all of that in your application and use such descriptive words about real Caymanians. Guess you feel safe now? Hahaha Life in paradise.

          Oh by the way…the ceremony you claim I know nothing about. …I guess you didn’t pay attention to the letter you received that said your naturalization wouldn’t be official until you attended the ceremony. Oh wait…you stayed until the end of the ceremony so I guess you decided you really wanted to be a Caymanian and would be fake in the ceremony until you were official and come on here and disrespect real Caymanians.

          Don’t get so comfortable …what is given can be taken away!

          Sincerely,
          A concerned Caymanian

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          • Anonymous says:

            You reveal yourself. The forced-submission integration technique might be why expats are not knocking on your front door with freshly baked cupcakes. Many of us can leave anytime (and some have). I can shutter my business which employs 20 Caymanians, and many others indirectly. I don’t have to agree with your hate, and a normal amount of civil decency and acceptance in return would be nice. We do more than what is required, but it’s never enough.

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            • Anonymous says:

              What do you think is required?

            • Anonymous says:

              Re: “10:18 a.m.”

              You employ 20 Caymanians….wow…we need to erect a statue of you in Heroes square???

              Why are you still sticking around instead of following your fellow expats who have left??? Staying out of the generosity of your heart to ensure that 20 Caymanians have jobs or so that your bank account keeps growing???

              Make up your mind….there is one team to be on here…Caymanian…..if you prefer to be on the expat team…..then kindly expatriate yourself somewhere else.

              Caymanians can’t afford to be stifled in our own country anymore.

              Let me be the first Caymanian to tell you thank you if your investments in our people are sincere…you will have my loyalty for life and respect…but if your contributions means like how some other expats think that Caymanians owe you something or that we should always be subservient….I don’t accept that.

              Sincerely,
              A concerned Caymanian

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          • Be true, be real says:

            Oh goodie! I get to use some of my quotes on this subject:

            1. If you can’t do it, don’t pledge to do it. Don’t be a liar; say only what you can do. It’s better for you to have a “single sentence” manifesto about your life which is fulfilled than to have 25 chapters’ theories about your visions that remain undone!—Israelmore Ayivor

            2. The real promise in too many promises is a promise that I’m going to be disappointed.—Craig D. Lounsbrough

            3.Sometimes your pledges become your problems.—Amit Kalantri

            Take your pick and think!

    • Anonymous says:

      I am glad the secretary asked you to say how you had contributed. No-one else seems to care. Right now some of the recipients have almost certainly done nothing for Cayman, and a rare few in fact have overall done only harm.

      Politicians should spend effort asking why so many undeserving people are becoming Caymanian, and change the system to stop that from happening. Asking undeserving status recipients to recite a pledge is no different to closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Really? After all the applications, the evidence and the long-term contribution to the Islands? You think it wasn’t vetted in the extreme before reaching this point? How can anyone be so ignorant as to assume it was perfectly all right for a self-appointed nobody to make herself feel important by making them all jump through one more (humiliating) hoop, just to receive what was already offered to them and fully qualified for under the strictest and hardest of rules. No sense of decency whatsoever! If it isn’t in the regulations then there should be an enquiry about this – sounds absolutely disgusting.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Sorry but other than living here or choosing the right realtor what particular contribution to the Cayman Islands must someone make to get status? I appreciate many people who become Caymanian have made and continue to make spectacular contributions but that is far from true for everyone. It should be, but it is not. Some recipients are in fact poisonous to this society. The secretary asking you on what side of that line you were was totally appropriate. She should be celebrated for doing so.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Speaking of poisonous, why don’t you aim your browser to the DoI website and begin your learning journey?

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  31. Al Catraz says:

    It will definitely have to have something about God in it. Force the kids to pray, and punish them if they don’t.

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    • Void says:

      “I pledge to treat everyone who calls these islands home with respect and dignity.”

      Bam, done. Separate church and state, then ban CMA from lobbying government any further.

      Problems solved.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Is that any of your business if we believe in something, because you stand for nothing?

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      • Al Catraz says:

        Do you believe the Bible?

        Apparently not, since you seem to have missed the part about swearing oaths of loyalty to earthly powers.

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  32. Anonymous says:

    a national pledge is the answer to a question nobody asked.

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