I will never understand why many St. Lucians who have migrated to larger countries adopt this nasty habit of sitting on their high horses in their rented county, and lambasting the land of their birth in times of turbulence.
I did say at the beginning of last week’s Sounding Off that I was going to speak about this…surely you didn’t think that I would drop the subject right?
The phrases: “That’s why I left this damn island”, “that’s why I cannot see myself ever moving back to St. Lucia”, “that’s why I hate that stupid island and the people who live there” (Yup I’ve seen that one as crazy as it might look) and my personal favourite: “That’s why I’m ashamed to be St. Lucian” are phrases that are all too common on social media sites where people get the chance to do and say all sorts, including showing their true colours.
I’ve said in the past how active I am on social media, namely Facebook. To keep abreast of everything that’s going on in St. Lucia and across the world. I’ve joined numerous groups so that I can do just that.
Whilst these groups sometimes provide good entertainment and positivity, there are times when I would just like to type out a whole paragraph of the worst expletives that I can think of and exit the groups in style because of the sheer hypocrisy and the nonsense that these fools utter in there.
BUT…somehow, I just can’t tear myself away from the nonsense.
Okay, getting back to the point. I just can’t wrap my head around why St. Lucians would say such things about their home country.
The influx of these statements flood my news feeds after news of rapes, murders and horrific crimes in general take place in St. Lucia.
Now, one could easily assume that St. Lucia is the worst of the worst and that on any given day, a serial killer will claim and mutilate his tenth victim; that the massive paedophile ring will kidnap six more children and sell them to the highest bidder; that in one day, there will be at least four drive-by shootings in every community with at least five fatalities; that justice will finally be served to the psychopath who was caught with 21 frozen vaginas in his freezer; that a portion of Gros Islet was bombed because people were tired of the fact that so many rich people live there; that there were four police shootings in one day where all the victims were innocent black civilians just waiting for a tow truck or because their headlight was out…Oh my, look what I’ve just done. I’ve just “accidentally” highlighted some of the terrible things that happen everywhere but in St. Lucia…silly me!
Yes, there are growing problems here like rape, homicides and robberies but people, I will take what I get here a million times over than what is happening over there in your rented countries of milk and honey.
When was the last time you heard an American, Canadian, Briton, French, Bahamian, Taiwanese, Japanese, Nigerian…anyone with an ounce of patriotism and pride for themselves and their country denounce their place of birth?
Where they might condemn injustices and crime etc., they will condemn with hope the that their country will rise from the dark clouds hanging overhead but they don’t go around saying that they are ashamed to come from where they did…that’s disgusting and it’s crying shame to see St. Lucians, who come from an island where to be honest, it really isn’t that bad compared to most places around the world, denouncing St. Lucia.
Now the part that sickens me to the core, even more than hearing these hypocrites feel brave enough to speak their nonsense behind a computer screen, is hearing those same people come out and say how proud they are of their island when the name St. Lucia shows up in any headline for something positive.
The instant switch up from, “I’m so ashamed to be St. Lucian” to “My island is the most beautiful gem in the world”, “I miss my beautiful island home”, “St. Lucia we love”, “St. Lucia Simply Beautiful”, “Straight Outta 758”, “I wish I was home right now” and finally “Proud to be St. Lucian”…it all makes me want to puke!
And then comes the overkill of the St. Lucian flag and the countless photographs of anything St. Lucian that they could find abroad to show that they’re “repping for their island”.
Here’s some food for thought: The world is in big trouble and whilst I will never wish for anyone’s misfortune, just take a look at the countries really going through “stuff” like what I mentioned earlier on a few paragraphs ago…they’re not St. Lucia. We have our problems but they pale in comparison to the ones that the major countries like France, USA, UK, Canada etc. face.
So whilst you are sitting on your high horse, and when I say high horse, I mean the squalid little one bedroom basements that at least six of you share whilst hiding from immigration officers and begging for the next babysitting job because you’re just too proud to come back home empty handed and show everyone that the show you were putting on, on social media with your buy one get two free clothes and cheap everything else was nothing but a huge sham. Quit looking down your noses and look around you and you might just realise that the same St. Lucia that you are so ashamed of, just might me the best bet for you.
But then again, with that said, we actually have enough idiots running around in St. Lucia already (i.e. criminals and the just plain ignorant) even though the numbers are not as large as you people over there might think, so on second thought, please stay where you are?
If I could offer you any advice, burn all documentation that you possess that would even indicate that you are St. Lucian and enjoy your life wherever you are because to be brutally honest, St. Lucia is ashamed of you and you are not welcome here…Good riddance I say for the day that you left.
You hit the nail right on the head. I am one of those who have found myself sickened by what’s going on in St.Lucia; no question about that.
I am ashamed. Not of the name St.lucia, but of the mental poison that seem to seep through most of our mentality. The village can no longer raise a child in St.lucia and most adults still believe because they’re older, they should automatically be respected.
There is nothing blissful about how ignorant some of us can be. Me included.
We have all failed St.lucia. whether we reside on home soil or abroad.
To be ashamed of St.lucia is just the same as saying i am ashamed of my mother because, she is not Mrs Huxtable from the Cosby Show.
Thanks for your work
Always food for thought.
You hit the nail right on the head. I am one of those who have found myself sickened by what’s going on in St.Lucia; no question about that.
I am ashamed. Not of the name St.lucia, but of the mental poison that seem to seep through most of our mentality. The village can no longer raise a child in St.lucia and most adults still believe because they’re older, they should automatically be respected.
There is nothing blissful about how ignorant some of us can be. Me included.
We have all failed St.lucia. whether we reside on home soil or abroad.
To be ashamed of St.lucia is just the same as saying i am ashamed of my mother because, she is not Mrs Huxtable from the Cosby Show.
Thanks for your work.
Always food for thought.
Irrespective of where one come from and whether they live abroad or not, one always want to see a constant series of positive influences and policies being implemented in their native country. However it becomes a different story when decisions are being made simply on a popularity basis. That is what is presently taking place in St Lucia. We are making bad decisions simply because other nations are doing so and do not expect and negative comments based on those decisions. That is called arrogance. The same freedom of expression that one has in making such decisions and feel that it should not be questioned, should also be extended to the person or persons who oppose these decisions. Not only are many of these decisions counterproductive to society, as can be visually seen, they are contrary to our upbringing and morals. So why should the proud Lucian sit idle and allow such cancer to continue to fester without commenting?
Ok, you clearly fall into the category of people that the writer is talking about as one of those hypocrites who will be quick to tear down the name of you place of birth because of negative events but run back and say how prod you are when we appear in the tabloids for good reasons. Are you that ashamed of where you come from are has the smog of the country that you live in that does not give a crap about you btw, filled the space in your head and replaced your brain? I never saw anywhere in this piece where Ms Gonzales condemns people for expressing their opinion, what she did highlight is the fact that people denounce St. Lucia and this should never happen. St. Lucia is not the worse place to live and I’m willing to bet that the crime rate where you are is unspeakable compared to home.
Well said, Rochelle, well said …
You need to read my response once again for lack of understanding. Secondly, one does not have to live in St Lucia to be a proud St Lucian. Education on one hand can be beneficial to society when used constructively. On the other when used for self glorification or self promotion and not for the betterment of society, it is evil. In today’ s society it is mainly used in the latter. One last point , when one chooses to be a voice for their society through media, it becomes their dire responsibility to be as objective as they can. In today’s world many writers and reporters use that position to promote their establishment agenda for fear of losing their popularity or simply for self promotion. Many oversees lucians use their travel opportunity to better themselves, their extended families, their community through financial contributions. That is the primary reason for migration. Self improvement not abandonment.
your current PM once denounce the Island as the worse place to do business and clowns like you went back and reelected him…..
To Rochelle, the article author.
Sweetie, do not bother about falling!!!
Bother about sitting higher and higher first.
Rochelle, baby,
It’s not only Lucians abroad who complain about the life down here but also locals.
Do you know how many foreigners came here, spent lots of money trying this and that, and left in disgust?
You don’t see that NO serious investor brings his money here and all we get is just one light-by-night telemarketing company?
Maybe you want to run a search on Internet for ‘IQ by country’ to find out Helen of the West down at the bottom, the one before the last, where the country with the lowest IQ is Equatorial Guinea.
Please help St. Lucians change!
Pointing a finger and bashing Lucians who live oversees and stereotyping them like they all live like bees in a hive in a one bedroom apartment makes the writer no different than the people the writer is pointing her finger towards. She had prejudged us all. Poor taste as well as poor article. For challenging sake. I have failed to read one article by any writer thus far who has openly criticized America for human abuse or twisting human values, especially by abandoning public prayers in schools while promoting photography through constantly re-enforcing that idea through television shows in the form of gayness to our kids. A typical case of classical conditioning. If constantly seen one accepts such behavior as normal. Will your establishment entertain such topic for discussion and if so have you the writer the fortitude to write of such ills rather than bash your fellow citizens because they express dismay and outrage about the increase in criminal behavior. Are you willing to write an article condemning America for taking a hypocritical stand where they condemn nations of human abuse yet white cops slaughter black youths on the streets everyday and the rest of the world sit idle and pretend it does not happen.show me how un-bias and objective to are by raising such issues if you truly believe as you claim in raising the conscious level of your people.
Too bad you have a singular view of the world….you can never see the crap that goes on in Saint Lucia until you get out. And who cares what the writer thinks.
And writer, please asked you daughter if she would rather remain and live out her entire life in sweet helen or migrate to the mighty UAS.
So did Noah, Daniel, Saul and many others. I stand firmly and openly to say I Believe In God. If that view is twisted, that makes me overjoyed.
This writer is like the frog in the proverbial pan. It has be acclimated to the rising tide of S–L-P-tay so much so, that anyone who finds the crap and depravity t owhich we have sunken to, is unpatriotic.
The frog in an increasingly heated pan of water will stay there get boiled without attempting to jump out. One that jumps in from time to time (visiting home) will quickly feel the difference and jump the hell out. That is why, we fall into the habit of asking those who recently return, ‘when are you going back’?
Saint Lucia is not the worst place in the world and it is not the best either. But since the defence is that since we are not there yet, is seeming the lady’s benchmark, or standard, or comparator, I know psychologically speaking where her mind is. She is so psychology damaged. She is part of the problem and not part of the solution.
Those of us who really love Saint Lucia must condemn such unalloyed shoot-shate like what is up there, and be embarrassed becuse of what we knew and experienced a few short years ago and what this place has come to. Put away that idiotic smile. Stop accepting the status quo. The water in the pan is almost to boiling point.