It has been well said that counting time is certainly less important than making time count. So that our concern should be rather about how well be live than how long we live – a case of quality rather than quantity. And as we review or judge the signs of the times gone by, and plan or look forward to better times ahead – we must remain true to ourselves and our role in life. Sincerity of conscience must remain the yardstick of our worth – because it is not only about how much we have, but also who we are in reality. To be ambitious and to succeed – should be the hallmark of us all as human beings. But life and circumstances are different for every individual, so that many will make it to the top, or even half way there, and just as many will not get very far upwards. To me, the essence of success has always been to see others succeed – and better still to help where I can. And that frame of mind was the driving force behind my very early entrance into the arena to help others – in youth clubs and friendly societies as a teenager, and later in the field of helping people in the wider World of politics. And as I look back over the years since my return to Grenada in January, 1973, and started my Law practice with “LAS” on St. John Street – it is not difficult to see how very much things have changed in so many ways. I was involved in the politics from the outset, and thrown in at the deep end, as it were, in November, 1973, and later on the Duffus Commission of Inquiry – that was initiated by the first lady Dame Hilda Bynoe – into the beatings of the NJM Six at Bhola’s Junction in Grenville, by Belmar’s Green Beast and mongoose gang thugs, on Nov 18th 1973. Time seemed to have moved swiftly after the Duffus Commission Report in February, 1975, one year after Grenada had gained Independence from England on the 7th February, 1974. We had our first General Elections as an Independent nation in December, 1976, and Gairy’s GULP won (9) nine seats while the Alliance party won (6) Six seats and Maurice Bishop became Oppositon Leader. But on March 13th 1979, Grenada ’s political landscape changed forever, and it continues so to be. The Socialist led Revolution by the NJM – took over control of the three Island State , and the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG) came into power from that date and remained in control until the 19th October, 1983. Taking power by the Bullet rather than the Ballot was not our thing in these Isles – and even though the concept was based on the Cuban Revolution by Fidel Castro many decades before, it just did not fit into our Customary way of life. In addition thereto the PRG proceeded to do the very opposite of all the NJM members has promised, and fought and sacrificed for over the years of struggle against Gairyism. And on that fateful 19th October 1983, the PRG destroyed itself – and a makeshift (RMC) Revolutionary Military Council took over control of a mourning, frightened, and divivded Grenadian society that was doomed to failure before it even got started. And so it came to pass – that just six days after, on the 25th October, 1983, U.S.A. and Caribbean military forces landed on Grenadian soil, and the historic first Revo in the English speaking Caribbean , itself became history Twenty-five years ago. We have had five General Elections from December 1984 to November, 2003, and the Sixth one just over a hundred days ago on the 8th July – when the Rulers in control for over Thirteen years, were replaced by the same named – group they took over from in 1995. So very much has happened over those (25 yrs) Twenty-five years – some good, some bad, some very in-different – and the memories, experiences, and the opinions of all and sundry over those years, am quite sure are just as at variance. One aspect, or one result or incident, that is itself of some historic significance, as coming from the events of October 25th, 1983 – is the current reality, that one of the victims of the oppressive Revo, who was rescued by those U.S. and Caribbean forces in October, 1983, is to-day the Prime Minister of Grenada in the person of Hon. Tillman Thomas. For those who have forgotten, and those who were not yet born when the Revo was the order of the day – Leslie Pierre, Tillman Thomas and your humble servant, were taken from our homes on the morning of Saturday 11th July, 1981, by the PRA of the Revolutionary Government and detained at Fort Rupert (now Fort George) in St. George’s. We were kept there for about three months, and then moved up to Richmond Hill Prison for the remainder of our Detention as “counters” – short for Counter Revolutionaries. Our crime against the Revo? We three had spear headed the publication of the Grenadian Voice Newspaper, which lasted for two issues before it was closed down. In fact, the second issue was in the process of printing on our Roneo machine on Melville Street in St. George’s , when the PRA entered and seized the machine and detained the Editor Leslie Pierre – for the night. I was not in Grenada that weekend – having left the week-end before for England , where I had gone to promote the first over-seas Tour of Spice Island Youth quake to the British Isles . So they awaited my return a week or so thereafter to detain us on the same day. Spice Island Printers Ltd. was the company formed to publish the Newspaper – in keeping with the People’s Law of the PRG, that only a company can publish a Newspaper and that Company must at least have 25 shareholders. We had gone one better and found (26) Twenty-Six Shareholders who paid up their $100.00 per share. But that did not matter to the Revo Leaders – Leslie, Tillman and myself were seen as too bold, or rude, or fresh, to attempt to be expressing a contrary opinion to “Radio Free Grenada” and the “Free West-Indian” publication of the times. So they effectively shut us up – no questioning, no charge, no trial - up Mahogany row we go. Was it fate, or the beginning of history in the making, or our Superior Being who knows and can see it all way ahead? But so it came to pass, that the Troops came in on the 25th October, 1983, and Leslie, Tillman and myself - along with Allister Hughes, Winston White and two or three others who were also in Detention as “Counters”- were rescued and released from Richmond Hill on the 26th October, 1983. Now twenty-five years thereafter, we can boast from our mini-State of Grenada – that we have produced a Leader, whose record and experience in the political arena, in standing up and suffering for his beliefs and his vision to ensure that good will triumph over evil – he can be mentioned in the same breath and context when discussing and remembering such stalwarts as Mahatma Ghandi, who started his jail years struggling in south Africa, before going home to continue the struggle in his native India and then becoming Prime Minister of an Independent India. As well as the Legendary Nelson Mandela of the same South Africa , who spent Twenty-nine (29 yrs) in Prison before coming out to lead an Aparthied-free South Africa as its first Black President. This shows we can succeed of we only try, and as the situation presents itself we practice what we have been preaching over the years. And as for discovering wrong-doing in our public affairs – especially where the people have been made to suffer financial losses, while some others have benefitted by adopting grossly disturbing double-standards to achieve their desired goals – and either sweeping the wrongs under the Carpet, or doing little or nothing to show and demonstrate that justice must be seen to be done, such in-action will be sending the very wrong messages to John Public, and seriously compromising the deeply burning desires for change and the yearning for a new beginning. If something has been done wrong, for whatever reason, that wrong must be corrected and if it is not so corrected it remains wrong – regardless of who was responsible for doing the wrong thing. And when wrong actions or decisions have been under-taken for purely political reasons – with the intention of simply benefiting the party in power at the time – such actions or decisions must be disclosed and ventilated, if only to put the people on guard to make sure that the same thing does not get repeated by those who have taken over from the wrong-doers. Another issue that would soon surface, and which would have serious dis-advantages for the people as a whole – is the whole question of the escalating price of cooking gas, kerosene, petrol and diesel, as has been hinted by the powers-that-be recently. Not only would the big increase be a burden on vehicle owners, and the little people who use Kerosene and the small gas bottles – but the new prices would naturally affect travellers across the board, as well as the other goods and daily services that the public depend on to survive. If the stories already making the rounds are anywhere near the truth – that over Twelve Million Dollars are owed to the suppliers of those gas and Oil items, and the increase in the prices were held back in the month of May or June to avoid bad publicity in the face of the up-coming Elections – then the matter should be thoroughly investigated to get to the bottom of the scheme, and disclose the details as they are found. Because here we have Gas prices going upwards by such a big hike per gallon and per bottle – while in Barbados the price has been reduced twice in two weeks. On the one hand, it is no fault or any bad intention of the new chaps in control – and on the other hand it is coming after the World price per barrel has gone down drastically over the past three months. Even the gas coming in under the “Pertro Caribe” terms with Venezuela – and which supplies are supposedly utilized by GRENLEC for its generation plant – that too is cause for concern. Not only is that supply allegedly coming here at a 25%Credit discount (to be paid later on) – but the World price per Barrel for Gas and Oil has dropped by about 40% in the last 4-6 months. So why then has the fuel surcharge on Electricity Bills been going up and up, rather than downwards? I cannot refrain from saying it as I find it, or see it. And wrong-doing by who-ever in the public service – in matters of public interest – should not be condoned or glossed over on the altar of convenience to save face. Our people have suffered and been deprived of their rightful national assets for much too long – and at long last they decided that enough was more than enough, so they very clearly voted to turn things around, and that is what is expected of those given the mandate to do the turning around. If the deal was a rotten one, like in the case of the Grand Beach Resort fiasco – to virtually give away the people’s heritage, for a photo and a signature on some advertisement in some far away racing circuit in Europe or the far East – then it must be so said, and the rotten deal overturned in the people’s interest, for fairness and transparency and good governance. If anyone should think, that such justifiable action would be hurting our Tourism or investment opportunities for the future – then that someone, and those of like-minded opinions and outlooks, cannot be said to have the Grenadian people’s interest and welfare at heart. We have had more than our fair share of rotten and crooked deals over the past thirteen years – and the time has come to put a stop. As for the twenty-five years since we were rescued from virtual bondage, and given back our human rights to be able to speak up and put our opinions in writing - many have still had to face charges and Court actions, and threats of one kind or another – even when those in control knew they were wrong. But He is not asleep or dead; let us give him thanks and praise for all those years of freedom. By Lloyd Noel Inside Grenada News