Happy JAGS’ Day
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Introduction
The Right Most Excellent James Alexander George Smith (JAGS) was the country’s first Chief Minister in 1976. Regrettably, he did not complete his four-year term as he perished in a plane crash in 1980. Despite his short term as the leader of our country, he left an incredible legacy and is yet to be matched by anyone else.
He fought against colonialism.
The Turks and Caicos Islands continue to be a British Overseas Territory. Some may argue that it is a good thing that we are not an independent country. However, JAGS thought differently and believed that we should be an independent country. In fact, prior to his death, he was in the negotiation process with the UK to make the Turks and Caicos an independent nation by June 1982. Here we are in 2025, and no one even wants to have a conversation about independence as it appears to be a fearful word.
In his fight against colonialism, he ensured that Turks and Caicos Islanders were educated to assume some of the heads of the positions in Government Departments that were headed by Englishmen. Thankfully today, all the Heads of our Department of Government are headed by a Turks and Caicos Islander.
He wanted a United TCI
Even though JAGS was associated with the PDM party, he was not one that did not see you as blue or yellow. He also did not see you as being from Turks Islands or the Caicos Islands. He saw you as a Turks and Caicos Islander. He demonstrated that by removing the buoy because the term “back of buoy” represented a separation between the islands.
At one point, I believed the legacy of JAGS McCartney was advancing, but currently we seem more divided, which appears to be influenced by political factors rather than geographical origins.
He fought against injustices
JAGS fought against injustices in our country. He was bold enough to ensure that injustices were addressed. He not only talked about it, but he did something about it. Today, too many of us remain quiet about the injustices that are taking place. Some Turks and Caicos Islanders may contribute to the perpetuation of injustices against other Turks and Caicos Islanders.
Conclusion
I am grateful for the day set aside to honour our only named Hero, the Right Most Honourable JAGS McCartney, however, we should be doing more than just celebrating this day. We need to put aside our differences and come together. We need to have a discussion on the pros and cons of independence. We need to stop the injustices that are taking place in our country. If we truly want to honour JAGS, then let us keep his legacy alive by continuing from what he started.