Flag debate turns political

By Brent Fuller, brent@cfp.ky

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A seemingly innocuous motion made in support of the Cayman Islands flag and national song sparked hours of contentious political argument Monday in the Legislative Assembly.

Government back bench MLA Alfonso Wright put forth what’s known as a private member’s motion urging the government to adopt guidelines for how and where the Cayman Islands’ flag should be displayed, as well as drawing up protocols for occasions on which the national song is sung.

Those included suggestions that the flag should be raised and lowered daily at all government buildings; that the Cayman Islands national song be sung daily at each primary and high school; and that penalties be established for improperly displaying or handling the flag.

Mr. Wright also suggested that a new symbol representing education be placed in the country’s coat of arms.

“We have too many work permits, too many Caymanians unemployed,” he said during the LA debate. “Caymanians who’ve been told ‘you can’t step up to this level, that’s for the foreigners who are well–schooled.’”

“We have awakened that yearning for education in our people. The main ingredient for survival in terms of a country is by education.”

Mr. Wright then spent several minutes blasting the publisher of a local magazine who he claimed had insulted Caymanian culture in a recent article.

Back bench MLA Lucille Seymour joined in the debate supporting her colleague’s comments.

“I understand where (Mr. Wright) is coming from,” Ms Seymour said. “The people who come here come with a big baggage of culture, particularly those who teach our children. The onus is on us to encourage…all the people who come here to understand the values of our system.”

Ms Seymour then began extolling the virtues of the People’s Progressive Movement during her debate.

“For the first time in this century we have a government we can trust.”

Opposition party members supported Mr. Wright’s motion concerning the Cayman Islands flag or national song, but Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush did take exception to some of the off–topic comments.

“Much has been said by government’s back bench about matters not even connected to this (Mr. Wright’s motion),” Mr. Bush said. “These are times that people will use to strengthen the public’s opinion in what they are trying to accomplish.”

Mr. Bush, the former Leader of Government Business, then embarked on a review of his administration’s efforts to improve education in the Cayman Islands. He said he felt “insulted” at government’s efforts to discredit the work of his government, at one point hurling personal insults at Ms Seymour.

At that point, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Edna Moyle had to step in to put the debate back on track.

“We’re getting far afield,” Ms Moyle said.

There was unanimous support at the end of the debate for Mr. Wright’s motion, although Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said a few sections may have to be “fine–tuned.”