Bottles rain in Cricket shame

St Vincent and the Grenadines has been a divided nation since the elections of 1998 when the leadership of the then losing Unity Labour Party declared that it would make the country ungovernable. The elections of 2001 and the style of governance thereafter manifested the extent to which the political divisions had tr
anslated into profound social and economic divisions. These divisions continue to deepen in Vincentian society.
Today’s St Vincent and the Grenadines has perhaps witnessed the highest level of frustration amongst the masses since the street demonstrations and general aggression displayed by our peoples in the 1938 disturbances under George McIntosh.
People are frustrated.
In the midst of growing political divisiveness they are witnessing what appears to be the dispensation of economic largesse to the supporters of the ruling regime in one form or another. Employment now seems to be dictated by one’s political coloration as never before in the nation’s history.
Fuel prices continue to soar impacting upwards the cost of electricity threatening a return to candles as the primary source of light in the home. Food prices are at an all-time high with no end in sight.
The country appears to be running on auto-pilot. There is no one in charge.
It is the combination of all of the foregoing that may well have facilitated the reaction of those in attendance at the cricket for whom the throwing of missiles was an opportunity to simply let the frustration out of their system.
It is very unfortunate that once more the Australians were on the receiving end of a manifestation of the Caribbean masses for reasons beyond their control.
It is unfortunate, too, that the image of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the international arena has once more been tarnished by developments at home.
We are at a stage where we need to evaluate ourselves. We must make sense of what is happening around us.
The action at Arnos Vale could never be justified and we must forever regret that we had come to that stage.
We must move on and do better.
Now more than ever we need to be united, committing ourselves unflinchingly to excellence and the positive values attendant to sport.
Above all, let us recommit ourselves to playing fair at all times.