The silence around the FM dial 91.1 FM in Antigua was deafening. Apparently, some scumbag, some demon spawn, was bent on carrying out the diabolical wishes of ‘the rulers of wickedness in high places.’ What a thing! A piece of louse, crawled out from under a filthy rock to cut wires and sabotage our transmission equipment up at Mc Nish Mount. Remember, it is not easy to get up to Mc Nish. There is hardly a road, and the way is steep and tricky and treacherous. You have to be quite determined to persist in your effort to scale its heights. That person, or persons unknown, persisted in the dastardly effort to knock 91.1 FM off the air, speaks to a level of depravity and unadulterated evil. Talk about a reprobate mind!
Which beggars the most obvious questions: Who would undertake such a heinous deed? And at the behest of whom? We suggest that only a soulless individual or individuals whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron, would, for thirty pieces of silver, betray the freedom-loving people of Antigua and Barbuda. We submit that this is a low-down dirty shame, a low-life plot hatched in the pit of hell. Ephesians 6:12 is correct when it declares, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Be warned fellow Antiguans and Barbudans.
According to Sarah Repucci, the Senior Director for Research and Analysis with FREEDOM HOUSE, in a piece entitled, FREEDOM AND THE MEDIA: A downward spiral, “The fundamental right to seek and disseminate information through an independent press is under attack, and part of the assault has come from an unexpected source. Elected leaders in many democracies, who should be press freedom’s staunchest defenders, have made explicit attempts to silence critical media voices and strengthen outlets that serve up favourable coverage. The trend is linked to a global decline in democracy itself: The erosion of press freedom is both a symptom of and a contributor to the breakdown of other democratic institutions and principles, a fact that makes it especially alarming.” Hmmmm!That there are folks in Antigua that think that a free press, such as NEWSCO, is an enemy of the state, or an enemy of the people, is alarming. That there are operatives in our fair state who share the Trumpian view of the press and his go-to description of unfavourable reporting as “Fake news,” is certainly cause for concern. Make no mistake folks: There are many people in high places who think like Trump, reason like Trump and act like Trump. They share his twisted Trump impulses. We must shun them!
In a recent rant against the media, this is what the US President had to say, “Our primary opponent is the ‘Fake News Media’. . . . the ‘LameStream Media’ . . . ‘They are now beyond Fake, they are Corrupt.’ Help him, and others of like ilk, Lord! It is this sort of thinking in this fair state of ours that has given rise to, and aid and comfort to vermin like the fools that journeyed to Mc Nish Mountain to disable our broadcast facilities. We certainly trust that the authorities will investigate this dastardly deed as a matter of urgency, and that the perpetrator/s will be brought to a swift and sure justice. We have no room in Antigua and Barbuda for any attempts to muzzle the press and stifle dissent.
We join with all Antiguans and Barbudans in saluting Joe Antonio, our computer whizz, media, network and IT master; Norrid Henry our electrical technician; Kyle Scotland and Andre Dyer, ourradio transmission experts; and our Station Manager, the indefatigable Dave Lester Payne who braved the foul weather and the treacherous terrain to restore our FM transmission. Kudos!!! OBSERVER radio is back, and we thank our loyal listeners for your patience and kind expressions of love and support. Most importantly, we crave your prayers, because it is evident that “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” They will be confounded!