PM Douglas at Wreath Laying Ceremony
Photo By Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
September 21, 2010 (CUOPM)
St. Kitts and Nevis paid homage to its three National Heroes with a wreath laying ceremony at the Robert L. Bradshaw Memorial Park.
“More specifically, we pause to honour those whose vision, bravery, sacrifice, and hard work got us here,” said St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzuil L. Douglas.
“Without the foresight, skill, and character of The Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw ““ even before he became a Member of Parliament or Premier; without the foresight, skill, and character of The Right Excellent Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell ““ even before he became a Member of Parliament or Chief Minister; without the foresight, skill, and character of The Right Excellent Sir Joseph Nathaniel France, even before he became a Member of Parliament, I would not be standing before you as Prime Minister,” said Dr. Douglas.
The ceremony was attended by the Governor General’s Deputy, His Excellency Sir Edmund Lawrence and Lady Lawrence; Deputy Governor General of Nevis, Mr. Eustace John and Mrs. John, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Sam Condor and Mrs. Condor; Senior Minister, Hon. Timothy Harris and other Cabinet Ministers; Ambassador and members of the Diplomatic Corps; senior government officials, relatives of Sir Robert Bradshaw, students of the St. Paul’s Primary School, residents of St. Paul’s and other invited guests.
He noted that the men and women who serve this blessed land as members of his Cabinet and as high ranking Government Officials, would not be in the positions they now hold.
“The many architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals of humble origins would not be flourishing throughout these blessed islands of ours. We, as a people, would not have achieved Independence when we did. And the rapid and unprecedented delivery of such advances as the right of every man and woman to vote, the right of every child to a secondary education, the right to a dignified old age with the assistance of social security, and the many other advances that are today ours, would never have come to us when they did,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
“Why did I, in referring to Messrs. Bradshaw, Southwell, and France make reference to them before they became elected officials? I did this because these honourable gentlemen did not achieve stature, status, respect, and acclaim as a result of being elected to office. To the contrary, their commitment to us and their commitment to our futures ““ a future they knew they would not live to see ““ long before they were ever elected to anything by anyone, gave them all the stature, all the status, all the respect, and all the acclaim that anyone could ever hope for. That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the mark of true greatness,” said Dr. Douglas.
“So even though we honor them today in their respective capacities as The Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, the Right Excellent Sir Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell, and the Right Excellent Sir Joseph Nathaniel France, let us remember that they are worthy of great honour and praise not only because of their official rank and accomplishments, but also because of who and what they were as men, and because of how very much they did, all of their lives, for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis – past, present, and future,” said Dr. Douglas.
“We pause to do what all humane and enlightened societies do. Today we pause to do what all humane and enlightened societies must do. Today we pause to reflect. We pause to say “Thank you,” said Prime Minister Douglas, a cousin of Bradshaw, the First National Hero and father of Independence.