Horn of Plenty

In calendar year 2007, Judge Stanley Brotman, in making an analysis of jail improvements, issued the following statement: “Governor DeJongh must be given the opportunity to succeed where his four (4) predecessors have failed.” The judge’s statement appeared to be aimed directly at Governors Juan Luis, Alexander Farrelly, Roy Lester Schneider, and Charles Turnbull who all turned a blind eye to the problems at the jail. At this writing, we have had a number of sentimental fools and apathetic people who have ignored completely the few words emanating from the judge’s mouth. They have continued singing the praises of the same predecessors whose programs DeJongh has extended, oblivious of the fact that starting with Melvin Evans and continuing - in the line of succession, up to John DeJongh, we have continued to do the same things over and over again while expecting different results. We continue to forget that we are operating under the same governmental system - a system which according to governor Farrelly is often in violation of law. It is true that Judge Brotman was referring to conditions at the jail when he issued his statement but, at the same time, he may have been alluding to the fact that Evans, Luis, Farrelly, and Charles Turnbull, who were all two-term governors, had been in a pretty good position to introduce innovations into our antiquated governmental system.