In the Navy, we blame the Captain [1]
Friday, December 22, 2006 - 18:10. Updated on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - 14:16.
Editor,
There have been several letters lately pointing fingers at who is to blame for the tragedy of Tonga's Black Thursday. I would like to offer a different perspective.
In the Navy when a ship runs aground, the Captain of the ship is responsible. It doesn't matter that it happened in the middle of the night and he was sleeping in his bunk. This analogy can also be applied to Tonga (the ship), the King (Captain), and the riots (the grounding).
I may be a slow country palangi boy, but the events of November 16 were not a surprise. You would have to be pretty blind not to see it coming.
I say that the King is to blame because he is the captain of the ship. He should get the blame when things go bad and the credit when things go good.
I hope that the King follows his words when he closed Parliament on the November 23. His words about rebuilding not only the buildings but the trust of the people are powerful words. I was surprised that the tourist numbers were up (not sure what UP means? maybe .01%). Maybe the King deserves a chance to show he means what he says.
Treason is a strong word to use for civil unrest brought about by years of frustration. I hope that the government remembers that the 700 or so criminals that they arrested have 70,000 family members who will not forget how justice was administered. Part of the rebuilding starts with how fairly these folks are dealt with. If justice is not fair, Tonga can expect more riots.
For the Minister of Tourism, if you want tourists to come and enjoy your wonderful island, you need to make a few improvements. Cut the grass around the ancient tombs, repaint or put up signs describing the location and its history, and put up some street signs so folks can find their way around. Remember, most Palangis do not want to spend their money to see a garbage dump, Keep Tonga Clean!
Respectfully,
Joe Smith
utahpalangi [at] msn [dot] com