Governor calls for tolerance in 2020

| 24/12/2019 | 46 Comments
Cayman News Service
Cayman Governor Martyn Roper and Earl La Pierre play steel pans for Christmas

(CNS): Governor Martin Roper said that all across the world, including in the UK with the divisive Brexit debate, people have lost some of the tolerance that we are used to and he hopes that in 2020 “all of us can make our own contribution to putting that right”, as he delivered his Christmas Message to the people of the Cayman Islands. Roper said he would continue to do all he could to support the security and prosperity of everyone here.

Governor Roper’s full Christmas message:

“Christmas is such a special time in our Islands. We put the hurricane season behind us, Christmas lights go up all over the Islands and we welcome the cooler Christmas breezes. It is a time for family and friends. Time to step back, reflect on the positives in our lives and think about future challenges. I pay tribute to all those, including our emergency services, who will work over the Christmas period to keep us safe. 

As an individual, Christian, Leader and Governor, I attach great importance to treating everyone, wherever they are or whatever they do, with the utmost courtesy, dignity and respect at all times. Respect means listening to the views of others and being tolerant of the views of others. All across the world, including in the divisive Brexit debate in the UK, we have lost some of that tolerance. My hope is that in 2020 all of us can make our own contribution to putting that right.

Lissie and I have now been here for over 12 months. We are loving spending time with you all and getting out and about to support our wonderful community. I am an active user of social media – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, a great way of connecting to people.  On a lighter note, over the last 12 months, I must get a prize for eating more heavy cake than anyone else on the Islands! I’ve also learnt to play steel pan with the brilliant Earl La Pierre. I’m asked to play everywhere I go and we‘ve had requests from as far away as Canada! I’ve stumbled on my post-Foreign office career.

We end 2019 in very good shape in the Cayman Islands. We have so much to be positive about and when we look at other parts of the world, we should be thankful about our relative peace and tranquillity. I will continue to do all I can to support the security and prosperity of everyone.

A very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to you all. God bless the Cayman Islands.”


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Comments (46)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Yes, we only need to look to our constitutional “mother country”, the United Kingdom for many fine examples of Tolerance. Re Theresa May/Amber Rudd-Windrush scandal, Brexit Vote etc, and thats just in the 21st century.

  2. Anonymous says:

    You just got off the plane here, and you are a guest here, we are tolerating you, please review your job description and give us the respect we deserve.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Sad and disgusting Mr Governor… I really don’t understand how much more tolerant we are expected to be … we are giving up every aspect of our way of life to accommodate who?? Expats from where?? Our way of life is gone – our people are losing their independence on the roads – because they need to accommodate who?? Now they want (or…are going) to dig up our dead to make road(s) for who??? I’ll tell you for who ….
    For these foreigners like yourself – that we DON’T need here.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Hmmm he must mean tolerance of the authoritarian abuses, patronage, and open corruption that he refuses to reign in. What’s in his heavy cake?!?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Expats on work permits should never exceed 25% of the local, native, naturalized ( not sure what word to use) population. Only highly skilled, certified and licensed professionals and laborers should be considered for a work permit. A construction worker, a mechanic, a hairdresser, a teacher or a nanny for a Caymanian family must also be certified and experienced.

    Unqualified and unskilled laborer should never be given a work permit.

    Expats on work permits should not employ other expats on work permits.

    Trade and vocational schools must be established, financed by CIG to train, re-train and keep local workforce current.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Glad you’re not in charge. There’s enough idiotic and conflicted thinking in the LA to hold everyone back!

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  6. Catcha Fire says:

    As previously post dear Gov when u overwhelm the native population with 40,000 work permits and then you and the sitting government pretty much ignore and circumvent and pervert immigration rules destroy our land and marine environment in favor of others, you put us on the road that leads to civil and social upheaval but you seem to understand that, thus the “Cayman Regiment” where the requirements and qualifications clearly exclude native Caymanians replicating our already Caribbeanized run very bias Police service. You and your FCO bosses sudden keen interest in the CPR movement also is another indication of this.Yes we will display tolerance to others when they demonstrated it to us now disenfranchise and marginalized born Caymanians. You first though as you found us here Monsieur Governer! George Speight 2000 Fiji Islands

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Don’t know how much more tolerant we can become. Totally fed up with this government and their treatment of multigenerational Caymanians.
    Can’t wait for 2021.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    I can’t like or dislike anything.

    CNS: The most probable reason is that someone else at your IP address has already voted. This is not a perfect system, it’s just the best one I can find currently.

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    • IT-man says:

      Try using a different computer or cell-phone; you can also try disconnecting your device from the internet (by unplugging the ethernet cable or turning off your wifi) and then reconnecting.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Christian . . . tolerant. . . and 2020. Governor if you are truly serving the Lord as a Christian then you will not be part of what all of us Caymanians know will be forced down our throats in 2020 (can’t we have a referendum on that and let Caymanians decide their own fate on the issue). And unna all know what I talking about.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    2019 has been the year Caymanians and Expats alike have said enough to the stupidity and incompetence of our government, and 2020 will be the year we do something about it! Roper is useless and he’s done nothing but watch from the sidelines, I bet half of us don’t even know he’s the Governor!

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  11. Anonymous says:

    A well-governed populace ought not to stomach regressive opinion and hate-fueled views. They ought not to have to resort to judicial reviews and referendum to correct corrupt, fake, negligent, or absent stewardship.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Fat chance! There’s never been tolerance on these islands – you either conform to a perverse, archaic code of conduct or you’re treated like a leper.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Topic of Mr. Roper’s speech, tolerance, does not resonate here at this time. Perhaps it’s a message suited for the U.K. with the Brexit reference but we are not the U.K. as they are all too happy to inform us of when we travel there or when they seek to legislate from on high.

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    • Anon says:

      3.08pm Please clarify, do you travel to the UK on a Cayman passport?. Travel on a UK passport and you are UK.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Governor,

    Thank you for this encouraging message. It is very appropriate and very much appreciated.

    We do not hold you responsible for any failings of this Government. We do not want you to have that power. We will hold them accountable.

    Regards,

    Most of Cayman

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Mr Roper , how can you say Caymanians need to be more tolerant when we:

    1) Sit in traffic every morning for hours trying to get to work

    2) Access to our beaches are blocked by Developers

    3) The Government refuse to keep the people informed ect

    You sir, owe Caymanians an apology- for disrespecting us

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Disgusting. His official governance and civil justice duties almost wholly-ignored, he glibly prides his last 12 months of on-the-clock Governor accomplishments to “eating heavy cake” and “learning steel pan drum”. Meanwhile, the people he’s forgotten to serve, have felt it necessary to organize and go around him to initiate a civil Referendum, which then required judicial intervention to ensure fairness; others have (twice!) sought judicial review of basic equality rights his office was ultimately tasked to be overseeing, enforcing, and protecting; the Assembly he had a duty to reign-in, went on a multi-day hate speech marathon on his watch, with him sitting mute in the audience. The Constitutionally compelled requirement for “basic” Standards in Public Life, haven’t been enacted. Instead, he ignores local crime and law enforcement, while militarizing the extra-territorial projection of power in the name and favor of this regime: buying another helicopter, creating a military regiment, and a coast guard for that the people of the Cayman Islands are spending $200,000,000 for, while their own people continue to be going homeless, hungry, uneducated, and addicted to drugs.

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    • Billy bob says:

      Mr Roper take no notice, They don’t much like themselves never mind outsiders lol Kay an kind, u need thick skin and lots of patience lmao

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    • Anonymous says:

      Totally correct.

      He is Alden’s hand picked stooge, doe people are fooled, but not all.

      Poor anti-Caymanian crooked governance is our fate.

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    • Anon says:

      11.40am and your ilk. Do you live on Mars?, it has never been the remit of the Governor of these islands to govern them, it has rightly been left to Caymanians. If you are dissatisfied with what goes on here blame yourselves,not the Governor.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Roper need to go.

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  18. Crab Claw says:

    Tolerance to the PC Fascist, no not happening anymore, we know what your hinting at and 2020 is going to have lots of change to that BS been forced down our throats.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Tolerance- that is the reason Caymanians are being taken advantage of- we are much too tolerant-

    Please Mr Roper- do you not have something more positive to say to the Caymanian people- what a shame

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Tolerance of too many expats (not all) who are totally tone-deaf when it comes to matters of importance to this, their adopted country, and who make little effort to assimilate. Ran into one such individual last night at a Christmas party. While lining up for the pot-luck dinner, he uttered “Since when is beef stew a Christmas dish?”. Since you moved to the Cayman Islands genius. And its Cayman-style beef. SMH.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Maybe, at a Christmas potluck, you could shelve your misplaced rage and xenophobia for a few hours? People that come here for work are allowed to bring themselves, their brains, their traditions, their menu preferences and their principles. Nobody signs anything saying they hereby relinquish free thought. Chill out on the gross Cayman beef indoctrination, or, maybe look at it as more for you?!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Go back home please…thanks!

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      • Anonymous says:

        @ 3:23 pm I have no doubt that you see your own home country as being “invaded” by foreigners, yet you have the gall to come here and call Caymanians xenophobic. The point that went over your head, is that the guy at the pot luck did not pause for a moment to consider whether “beef stew” is a Cayman tradition or not. He didn’t see it as something he was familiar to seeing at a Christmas potluck, so he immediately dismissed it as out of place. Can you imagine foreigners in your home country mocking turkey and stuffing, or Yorkshire pudding, or goose at Christmas time? The point is; YOU are in the Cayman Islands. WE have our own traditions, just like you do in YOUR home country. In someone else’s country, the polite thing to do is to accept what is being offered to you, rather than mock it because it is not familiar to you.

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        • Anonymous says:

          9.05am Thank you … I bet the best and cleanest food he has ever eaten is in CAYMAN. Ungrateful demons. Go back home please.

    • Anonymous says:

      Cayman style beef is gross. Said this status holder.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Went to Foster’s Camana Bay on Christmas Eve ..looking for Cayman Style Beef but it was not on their menu. Supermarkets after all cater to their customers. So I suspect food preferences and traditions have now changed

  21. Anonymous says:

    What? Tolerance?! We’re the most tolerant people on earth! We tolerate a lot of Government’s crap – unfounded and unexplained “rules”, poor service, unnecessary fees, poor service, corruption, moronic leadership, moronic road planning, under-served trash collection, poor service, etc., etc,

    How more tolerant can we be Mr. Roper? Where do you hide??!!

    2020 will have to be the year for public protests!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      I think you may be right, there is a revolution in some form brewing people are fed up.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Good people just have to stand up and run next election…..Aldart is doing more destruction every day he’s in government…the alternative isn’t any better right now.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Watch out how you speak out against government, the governor has dictatorial unchecked powers to order the interception of ALL TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

      The Anti-Caymanian Army (ACA) being established “for security” reasons will be used against Caymanians “…for the peace, order and good governance…”.

      What this really means is sn armed force to protect corrupt governance, sellout politicians and business people.

      Yes, they thought they had all of us fooled into believing it was for humanitarisn aid. We did that already WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT.

      Wake up CAYMANIANS.

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  22. Anonymous says:

    Tolerance towards the mismanagement, incompetence and abuses of government – whack – thank you Adart may I have another – kapow – thank you Mac may….

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