God is My Liberator, My People's Man, My Rising Sun and My Winner

Only God provides opportunities for all. Only Jesus is the rising sun. Only with God can we truly win. However, somehow man seems to want to make the claims that he can do it all. We can do nothing without God in our midst. God is the propeller, the energy and the motivation.

During these political times, even the prayers are slanted. Truly all I want is good visionary leadership. I want to see the problems addressed. I want to see the education move from passing and promoting to seasoning the youths for future leadership. I want to see the hospital completed running. I need to see the needs of the special needs, abused, elderly, the  mentally challenged and the addicted addressed more seriously. I want the mode of agriculture to be changed and the farmers mobilized. I need to see greater accountability in the use of government funds. My list can go on and on but these are some that stand out.

Only with God's guidance, we can move forward as a country in strength and unity.

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POEM: It's Election Time

It's election time
and we are hearing all kinds of rhymes
unfortunately it's a lot of negative
but no true visionary perspective
it's a lot of calling names
and a lot of throwing blame
but that's not what we need
we need good people from a strong breed
to take our country to another level
and take out corruption with a big chisel
people with a national plan
who will make good use of our resources and land
people who will improve our infrastructure
leaders who believe in BVI culture
we need to focus on our education
not just the total figure at graduation
cause if the graduates can't read or write
then this country is truly in a plight
I remember we used to talk about 100% literacy
but now it seems to be 100% hypocrisy
we need to move forward from this trend
we need to take corruption to an end
let's look at the tourism sector
without solid infrastructure it can't get better
don't be fooled by the gimmicks and envelopes
these tactics are what make the country broke
pollution and crime are some of our problems
and the whole country has to be called to solve them
we are the ones who make up the community
but we have not been living in solidarity
we have to take our country by the helm
this is our BVI - it's our gem
so let's not take our future for granted
and hang with the lines of the corrupt and slanted
let's get our minds right and vote with our hearts
this is our BVI  so let's do our part

© Linette Rabsatt

Loving My Reggae

If I was serious about being a reggae artist, I would be an artist who sing all kinds of music with a reggae flavor. I would want to be inspiring like Tarrus Riley, international like Sean Paul, legendary like Bob Marley, frank like Lady Saw and Tanya Stephens and sexy like Alaine. I would want to be powerful and VI representing like Pressure and Niyorah. I would still want to be edgy like Sizzla, Capelton, Beenie Man and Elephant man while being raw like Demarco. I would want to be entertaining like Jah Cure and Richie Spice and have qualities of all the artists I respect.

I am definitely the karaoke and house singer. I love reggae and I'll sing-a-long but that's it. I love ShineI, Ritical, Imo and the other BVI reggae artists who are coming strong lyrically and performance wise. They have the full talents to pursue music as a career. They are truly inspiring and know how to give good positive energy in their performances.

Reggae is a great artform because the music can make you cry, sing, love, dance, make wars or make babies. I think reggae will always be my favorite artform because it is so versatile. The only thing I would say is that gospel reggae sometimes tends to lean more dancehall reggae and I think gospel should keep that mellow flow. You want the non-christians to hear the gospel without hearing others secular songs popping in their heads.

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In Awe of Plagiarizers

I can never understand the audacity of people who steal other’s work. It is one thing on a job when the co-worker takes credit for your ideas. However, when someone has the gall to steal an article that you have worked so hard on, it is a hurtful feeling. More and more I realize that there are people who are just looking for the easy way out. Sometimes, an article is barely published for five days and it’s already scraped.

I have had an editor threaten to take down my article because some thief republished it. I have written and fought with every person who has stolen my articles. They don’t think about the music you have to listen or the song lyrics you have to write out to complete an article. I’ve watched whole television shows while being tired and read boring subjects just to get an article completed.

Plagiarism is also a problem in schools and universities because the students are willing to pay for a paper. Can you imagine your doctor or lawyer or senator being plagiarizing a paper while they were studying? You’d have to hope that the paper was not in their subject area.
We can only hope that people would do the right thing. Copyright infringement is stealing and it is very unfair. No one has the right to take your hard work and represent it as t

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Be Mindful of Others

I want to say that I have guts, confidence, vim and energy. But some days, that intestinal fortitude is hard to find. It could be because there's a tough decision to make or there's a tough person that will be affected.

You have to feel comfortable and good with yourself. I have worked with people who prefer not to share their feelings with the affected person - but yet they tell everyone else. It's a funny situation to be in but as you learn people, you learn to stay out of their way. You can also sense when there's a funny vibe coming from people. As cliche as it might sound, read between the lines and give them their space.

Giving someone their space might be one of those tough decisions but if it must be done, do so. Still maintain basic communication and manners but most of all be mindful of others.

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POEM: My Grandfather

My grandfather

I can proudly say that my grandfather was a great man:
He was a hardworking and talented a craftsman
He never spoke ill-will and had a giving spirit
and his loving his smile would always give me a lift
He always gave me an encouraging and positive word
Some of these words have helped me in this world
I never had to look too far for a role model
because my grandpa had values that were solid
He showed me that I should be purpose driven
but not to forget about God while I’m living
he encouraged me to get an education
because life was not meant to be just a vacation
these values I can now teach his great-grandchildren
and give back some of the love that I have been given

Rest In Peace, Grandpa! We love you!

Linette Rabsatt and Anthony Jr. & Anjanique

Crime Around Us

There are a lot of things that we can not explain. We will never know the answers and no matter how long we consider the scenario, we still won't understand. Crime is one of those things we won't understand. While, I may say that I have immunity to committing a crime, I can still be accused of wrongdoing. Every person has the right to supply a defence for themselves in court. Sometimes, he or she may be guilty but a good defence attorney can poke holes in the prosecution's case.

I don't know if anyone intentionally starts off wanting to be a crook or a criminal but I guess the situation may present itself when a dire need arises. We are not the judge and jury and while we may feel embarrasment and shame, we must remember that every one has their day in the wilderness with the devil.

We should not condone criminsl activity but we need to be empathetic to our fellow man. There is so much corruption, greed and lust in the world today and it is hard to stay on the right track. However, staying on the right track is the best decision.

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