Legalise it?
As preparations continue for Foxy’s Hemp Fest on Saturday, a Beaconite would like to compliment the remarkably sane, reasonable attitudes she has encountered from nearly everyone concerning Foxy’s attempts to “start the conversation” about decriminalisation — or even legalisation — of cannabis. Legitimate businesspeople are vending their wares at the event and various politicians have signaled that their ears are open to any points that may arise. Some, of course, seem convinced that attendees will inevitably get “busted,” but that remains to be seen. It’s worth noting that one police officer the Beaconite asked about the issue said he “might” show up in uniform just to see that laws are being followed, but he also said that legalisation, if it makes his job easier and generates revenue for the territory, is an idea he would support. The Beaconite believes that if a police officer can look at this issue rationally, there’s no reason that others cannot.
World Cup
A Beaconite is enjoying keeping up with FIFA’s World Cup. It’s been full of surprises, like Germany losing in the group stage and Russia making it to the quarterfinals. The Beaconite thinks the Virgin Islands is a fun place to watch the tournament because it’s so diverse: Dozens and dozens of nationalities are all packed together on Tortola alone, making for fun rivalries and lively atmospheres at the bars and restaurants showing the games. The Beaconite, however, is slightly embarrassed that his home country, the United States, didn’t even qualify this year, considering that Iceland, a country with a population of roughly 330,000 — about 1,000th of the US’s — made it in. Maybe in another four years, the VI — with about a tenth of the population of Iceland — will have a higher global FIFA ranking than 204.
July 4
A Beaconite from the United States would not necessarily label herself as patriotic. Perhaps that much is obvious considering her current country of residence. But if there is one American holiday she loves, it’s the Fourth of July. What started as a momentous day to celebrate independence from the British eventually turned into an excuse to drink out of red Solo Cups, eat hotdogs and watch seriously overpriced fireworks displays. For this reporter, July 4 means extended family from around the country gathering in New York to swim around in the freezing Lake Ontario and engage in uncomfortable political conversations with distant relatives. It’s the best, and she’s never missed a single one. So she apologises for leaving the VI for a few days (though you will still see her articles in this edition — the news never sleeps) but she’ll be back on Monday, likely happy that she got to see family but even happier to be done talking about US President Donald Trump.
Drive-in
A Beaconite’s friend recently had what he thinks is a cool idea: drive-in movies in the Virgin Islands. This, he thinks, would be a good use for the Festival Village Grounds after it is cleaned up. Picture it: Once or twice a week, residents could drive to the field, park and watch a movie from the comfort of their cars, just like people often used to do in the first half of the 20th Century in the United States. Though there are only a few hundred drive-in theatres left in that country, a few new ones have opened recently and proved reasonably successful. In the digital age, this might not be the most practical idea, but the Beaconite thinks it would be a fun way to make good use of a field that otherwise sits empty most of the time — and maybe bring in a little revenue at the same time.