The god of money rules over our forebears’ sacrifices

Friday 5th February 2010, 3:00PM GMT.

From Jill Bartholomew.
THE States’ decision not to declare Monday 10 May a public holiday is an insult to the men and women who lived through the Occupation and for whom Liberation Day was the greatest day of their lives.

Those for whom it is still a living memory will never forget. This is the 65th anniversary of the most momentous day in the history of this Island, yet it is not even going to be a paid holiday, except for those who normally work on Sundays.

To my knowledge, every country in western Europe that endured the horrors of Nazi Occupation celebrates its day of liberation with a public holiday, as will the rest of the Channel Islands (the sole British possessions to be occupied). Only Jersey – yet again putting the god of money above all other considerations – doesn’t think the sacrifices of my forebears along with those of many, many other vrais Jerriais worth commemorating.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that we are now in the minority in our own Island? Had the United Kingdom also endured five years of subjugation under the jackboot, as we and much of Europe did, many of those who voted against this proposition may have had a little more empathy with the deep feelings of Islanders on this subject, and a greater understanding of why emotions are running so high at present following their totally insensitive and ill-considered decision.

1
Harry

February 7, 2010 at 4:00 pm

The vote against a public holiday on the 10th May really tells us all we need to know about our States Memebers and their collective mentality.

I believe that once again – those who voted against the extra holiday – on purely financial grounds have seriously misunderstood the mood of the people.

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2
Nathan Jordan

February 7, 2010 at 6:55 pm

Can someone enlighten me, why is it that commemorating the sacrifices of our forebears can’t be done on Sunday 9th May, which is after all the anniversary of the island’s liberation? NJ.

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3
JULIE

February 8, 2010 at 6:46 am

The first sentence of Jill’s letter is incorrect in my opinion-why is not having an extra day off an insult to the people who lived through the occupation?.My late mother cherished Liberation Day which was May 9th for her and she would not have been in the least bit interested in having an extra day holiday or moving it to the 10th!But then she came from a generation who were not always looking for a day off work or extra money for nothing.When I was at school I can remember the day falling on a weekend and we were a bit niggled about “losing” a day off but no-one complained-it was just the way the date fell and tough luck!

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4
joker

February 8, 2010 at 1:41 pm

This letter is shameful and clearly shows the lack of respect and understanding of the event. I do not see what a May 10th holiday for the workshy has to do with celebrating May 9th, remembering those who suffered and thanking those who liberated us. Those who endured the 5 years of occupancy didn’t ever get a day off from German rule so what is a day at work by comparison?

Yet again the hypocritical finance bashers state money is the reason for a decision. What Jill obviously failed to check was the fact that by law we are not entitled to an extra days holiday if Liberation Day falls on a Sunday, nothing to do with the God of Money. As for the £1.5m it would have cost the tax payer, those against the decision have lost their right to ever moan about tax and GST increases again.

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5
J Lamborrari

February 9, 2010 at 9:35 am

“…yet again putting the god of money above all other considerations…”
In the many places this issues is being discussed I keep hearing this argument put forward, yet it one I don’t really understand.

I’m pretty sure that the vast majority of people fighting for King and country during WW2 did so for freedom, and in cases of those countries occupied by the Nazi forces liberation.

Pretty much every citizen of those, now thankfully liberated and free countries in Europe IS free to celebrate their freedom, remember and give thanks who fought to prtect and win that freedom.

Yet it seems that some really just want a paid day off from work.

Is that really what our forebears sacrificed their lives for, a day off work?

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