Setting the record straight
Beaconites are grateful to former deputy governor Elton Georges, who pointed out an error that has appeared repeatedly in the Beacon’s coverage over the years.
As Mr. Georges explains in his letter on the facing page, the Beacon’s July 28 editorial inaccurately stated that the “Emancipation Proclamation” was read at the Sunday Morning Well on Aug. 1, 1834. This misinformation appears to be a sort of local legend, according to Mr. Georges: There is no evidence that any such proclamation existed, and the Sunday Morning Well wasn’t built until the early 1900s. The Beacon always strives for accuracy, but in this case a popular tradition seems to have been adopted as fact at some point in the past. The error, in fact, seems to stem back to the Beacon’s very first year, 1984, when the August Emancipation Festival editorial referenced the reading of a “proclamation” at the Sunday Morning Well. Beaconites thank Mr. Georges for pointing out the error, and they encourage other readers to let them know if they ever spot any others — no matter how insignificant they may seem. It is extremely important to this newspaper to get the territory’s history right. For a more in-depth explanation, read Mr. Georges’ letter on the facing page.
Dead seagulls
A reader reported a strange sight on the road in front of the Festival Village on the morning of Aug. 1: Five dead seagulls lay within a few feet of each other. No cause of death was apparent, the reader said. She was concerned about the birds’ deaths and wondered if they might have ingested rat poison or insecticide. If anyone else has seen a similar sight, the Beacon would be interested to hear about it. Call 494-3434 or e-mail bvibeacon@gmail.com.
Trumped
A Beaconite found himself once again shaking his head as he watched the United States Republican nominee for president apparently allude to violence against his fellow candidate while addressing a crowd in North Carolina on Tuesday. While discussing Hillary Clinton’s supposed intention to “abolish the Second Amendment” and take away the population’s guns, Donald Trump said there would be nothing people could do if Ms. Clinton were elected and able to appoint judges to federal courts. He then added, “Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is, I don’t know.” Many observers interpreted the comment, jokingly or not, as a call for direct violence against Ms. Clinton. Though Mr. Trump has disputed this interpretation, claiming that he meant only that Secondment Amendment supporters should use their political power to fight Ms. Clinton’s agenda, many observers were not convinced. The Beaconite is among them: After a yearlong string of ridiculous shock-value statements and embellishments from the Republican candidate, the Beaconite believes his recent “joke” has gone the farthest. In a nation of 300-plus million, there are plenty of unstable, unreasonable people supporting every stripe of candidate and political faction. As a public figure, you are obviously not responsible for the actions of each and every one of your varied supporters, but you have a duty not to stoke the flame of their potential insanity. Mr. Trump has chosen to pour gas over the fire.
Tour guide
During the August Emancipation Festival, a Beaconite was happy to serve as a tour guide for about 45 minutes. While heading to the Rita Francis Festiville one night, she met an elderly couple looking for a place to hang out for the evening. The Beaconite decided to go out of her way to take the Washington DC tourists to the Tortola Pier Park. Along the way, she walked at their pace and told them about the Virgin Islands. Upon reaching the TTP, however, she realised that most of the businesses were closed. So she then waited with them until a taxi arrived to take them back to their hotel. The Beaconite enjoyed acting as an unofficial tour guide, and she hopes for more opportunities to do so — something the BVI Tourist Board is currently promoting through its One BVI Campaign.
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