At this time I highly recommend the definition of a Christian. A Christian understands that loving means to love what is apparently unlovable, for giving means pardoning what looks unpardonable, faith means believing what seems humanly incredible, and hope refuses to be submerged even when situations appear hopeless. There was no greater gift to the human race that we refer to as mankind - than the birth of the Christ-child that Christmas morn more than Two Thousand years ago – but I feel sure that “H.A”, “Kamu” and “Chalky” must be feeling, that for them, release from Richmond Hill Prison on Thursday 18th December, 2008, was the greatest GIFT ever bestowed on anyone after twenty-five years of imprisonment. And who can blame them? I know the breaking news last week Thursday would have stirred up mixed feelings among many who have harboured their resistance to any kind of mercy, for those Seventeen convicted persons who have been in prison since Oct/Nov1983. And while I am not blaming them as such – because I do understand the hurts and heartaches they had suffered from the 19th October, 1983, and for many years thereafter; I nevertheless, sincerely hope that they can bring themselves, after all those years, towards finally letting go and let God. And as Christian believers, at this particular time of the year especially, they all should find it much easier to forgive what may have looked like the un-forgivable all those years. A whole lot of us suffered too, from being put and kept in prison for many years, without charge or trial, and were only released because of what seemed like a miracle in itself – after the Rescue Mission, or Intervention, by U.S.A. and Caribbean Forces when they landed on our shores on the 25th October, 1983. But speaking for myself, and many, many others with whom I have spoken over the years, I can vouch – that having forgiven all those who wrongfully deprived us of our freedom, while our families suffered for all those years – we managed to clear our hearts and consciences of hatred and revenge, and instead lived in peace and slept much better at nights. But even over and above those sentiments and our attempts at trying to practice Christian principles – it cannot be denied that those chaps had more than paid their price to society for the wrongs they were convicted of. Nor should it be forgotten, that the period from 13th March, 1979, to the 19th October, 1983 – was not one of peace and tranquility, nor the observance of Constitutional Law and order by those involved in wielding power at the time. Now there are seven of the original Seventeen still confined to Richmond Hill Prison, and it is hoped they will be out by this time next year, so that we can close that Chapter in our Turbulent history since Independence . Of course there is another side to the historical coin, and that has to do with the party in Government at this time, and the fact that some of those therein are seen or recognised as supporters of the so-called Coard faction. And I have no doubts that many people will be saying and feeling that those supporters were responsible for the Mercy Committee releases. The easy answer to those feeling that way, is to remind them – in case they have forgotten – that the Prime Minister was himself a Detainee Victim of the same PRG, which included all the fractions of Bishop, Coard, Austin et all, so that he has no sides. He spent his Two years, three months and eleven days in the same conditions like Leslie Pierre, and myself – we having been detained the same Saturday morning from our respective homes, and taken to Fort Rupert as it then was. We were removed from the Fort about two months afterwards and taken to the Prison at Richmond Hill where we spent the next two years and a month and days. And for the last few days after the 19th October, 1983, when the chaos took place on the same Fort Rupert where Bishop and others were killed – we were kept in the famous “Jones Town Cells” that Gairy had reportedly built to house the NJM boys he was planning to arrest. The name of “ Jones Town ” was from the U.S National Jim Jones, who had brought hundreds of U.S. Citizens to the jungle in Guyana as a religious sect – and subsequently had them all massacred by serving them a poisonous drink. Against that back drop I am certain that the P.M. was not influenced by any faction of the PRG, but was solely guided by his Christian principles – based on the concept of reconciliation and forgiveness, even though the recipients may have appeared un-forgivable. And that example is the kind of Leadership we need in these parts, to help get us out of the financial and corruption hell-hole we are in - from the legacy left behind by the July 8th losers of the General Elections. But to hear those losers carry on in the Budget debate in Parliament last week – one would have thought the Elections were stolen by some unfair means adopted by the NDC. In fact, all the Opposition Speakers were going on and on about all the good deeds they had accomplished while in office – and then they were highlighting promises made by those now in control and complaining that the Five months old Government had not kept those promises. The way they were carrying on, any just-come-back listener would have thought that this Budget was the Last one in the five years term of the new Government, rather than the very first one after being in opposition for Thirteen long years. As one such listener posed the question to me – how is it, that those guys did such wonderful deeds and achieved so much for the people, and yet the same people very soundly voted them out of office? I had to admit that I did not have the answer – so I politely referred the confused questioner to the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Keith Mitchell, and or his just as confused team in Parliament for an answer. I heard the Opposition Leader complaining that the Government was giving away free school Books to all children – rich and poor Grenadians alike - when the policy should have been gifts for the poor or those not so well off, and people like himself who could afford to buy books should be made to do so. In the next breath he was taking issue with the Minister for Finance – who said that in the Hospital and Health Service generally, those who could afford to pay will be made to do so, and those who cannot will have free services. He seemed to be in a tangle there somewhere – but I suppose the Bee in his Bonnet had to do with the commess his lot had been making over the provision of Dialysis treatment for Kidney patients, and the wasted funds spent on a steel frame “Elephant” as the second phase of the New Hospital that was been erected to meet the Cricket World Cup deadline. The entire health service administration is in limbo, and the complaints about the Hospital services in particular are quite intolerable and need very urgent attention by the new team in control. Getting those who can afford to pay for Health Service to do so in Grenada – is a major task in itself, because of the reputation surrounding what now obtains as the service. So the well-off rush out to Trinidad or Barbados no sooner a headache set in – and those from the U.S.A. or the U.K., who have medicare and free health Service that they already paid for as Workers in those Countries, they make the journeys to London and New York every year. And what is more, hundreds of our nationals in the Diaspora in the U.S.A., Canada and England – who have retired, or who have a lot to offer by moving back home and setting up business to create jobs, or to offer their services in various fields – they are very reluctant to do so because of the poor health service. So in addition to keeping our people healthy, by having a decent Health Service that can earn its keep – such a service will be an indirect boost for our Economy. Instead of spending all those wasted Millions on the Tourism advertisements that can never break even – in addition to the huge concessions given to so-called Investors and Developers, who come here and borrow from the local Banks instead of bringing in the foreign exchange to do their business – we should be spending those Millions on the Health Service as a far better prospect for our Country’s development. We voted for change and a different pathway to the promised land – wherever that is – so we have to move away from the old and worn our self-same traditional methods and concepts, and construct a new road map with a different outlook and vision. If the new occupants in the seats of power, do not “look beyond” as it were, but keep on looking sideways or backwards to try and resurrect some ancient dreams that have been tried and failed – by the time the Fifth budget really do come along, those who survive will be saying the same things and singing the same songs. As the New Year come on stream – nothing is going to get any easier as far as the living conditions here at home or in the region are concerned. And that is simply because none of the controllers of power in these parts have the where-with-all to do any thing concrete about the spreading depression. We have to hope and pray that the Bailout operations taking place in the U.S.A. would be successful, and sooner rather than later so that the effects therefrom could spread to reach our neck of the woods before very long. But that does not mean we must sit back and make no efforts ourselves, and simply wait on fate. We have to take some hard decisions to cut out big chunks from the expenditures proposed in the same budget due to take effect in the New Year.. And the first area that jumps to the top is the expenses on advertisements for Tourism. The very people we would be trying to attract for the next twelve months at least, the furthest they would be travelling is going from shop to shop in their local neighbourhoods, to find cheaper goods to make ends meet in their own homes. So those in control would be well advised to cut out all those overseas trips and big promotions, and spend the little we have on the Health Service and food production here at home. The way the economic pattern is unfolding Worldwide, things cannot be business as usual here at home – and the examples must come from the top in these difficult times. So as we are about to say goodbye to the old year – and welcome in the New Year – we have at least the very historic “Change” in the U..S.A. and that should give us added hope that anything is possible, with hard work and Faith. So until next year – good health, good luck, and God speed, for a bright and prosperous New Year. INSIDE GRENADA NEWS