“I will make sure you get fucked up in Bodden Town” – Minister Dwayne Seymour
(CMR) A local businessman has filed a police complaint against Bodden Town Minister Dwayne, “John John” Seymour for threatening him on August 21 at the Bodden Town Sports Complex after the U-17 football match.
The details of the complaint, contained below, are that the minister approached the complainant shortly after the game ended around 9:20 pm and said:
“You need to watch yourself, you need to watch what you are saying, you need to watch what you've been saying, you think I don't know but you better get your fact straight, you better get the full story, you better watch your mouth, don't worry I got something coming for you”.
Minister Seymour
The report indicates he had no idea what the minister was referring to and essentially said so. It was at this point that the minister indicated that the complainant and CMR contributor, Sandra Hill, had been in some discussion about him and that was the catalyst for this confrontation.
His response to the denial was:
“I soon fix you don't worry I go fuck you up too”. Readers are welcome to read the full details of the incident in the police report.
Political Paranoia
Paranoia is just another word for ignorance.
Hunter S. Thompson
Politicians must be the most paranoid people alive! Cayman apparently is no exception.
Politicians have a real lack of confidence especially on this small island – most are more concerned about what others say about them than actually doing the respective job that they were elected for. Minister Seymour appears to be at the top of that paranoia chain.
He has made some assumptions that there is a grand conspiracy between at least two persons to get him. The truth of the matter is, those two parties have never had a meaningful conversation about Seymour at all.
In fact, he's suing Hill because; despite no evidence, he claims that she was speaking about him when reporting that it was alleged a certain politician paid off someone to keep a case of alleged sexual assault quiet in the district of Bodden Town.
Seymour will no doubt argue that he has a stellar reputation that can actually be defamed. This will no doubt be an extremely questionable factual point of contention as evidence of who he really is emerges in a court of law.
Seymour must have a warm time on his hands worried about two people discussing him – particularly when the discussions never took place. Many people in the community may be discussing Seymour, but those discussions surround his own behavior that they have first-hand knowledge of.
Possible examples could be: trips to Cuba, stalking former love interests, neglecting to follow pension laws for numerous businesses he owns etc. There's a lot of fodder on the marl road about Seymour for him to consider. Perhaps correcting those things should be his focus instead of fabricating perceived wrongdoing in his head.
Political paranoia apparently does not actually make a politician a better politician or a better person. If it did, Seymour would have thought twice about approaching the complainant with his posse in tow to intimidate and threaten based on misinformation and mere speculation.
The irony of it is he claims that any assumptions about him being involved in an alleged cover-up is misinformation. Yet, he approaches this local businessman with misinformation as well. The difference is; he's willing to assault the man over it instead of alleging any wrongdoing as he contends CMR has done.
The best advice we could offer Seymour is to first have your facts in order and then don't take it on board. You are now a seasoned politician and should have thicker skin – knowing full well you are not afforded the same protections as the average person against public commentary.
The truth is Seymour has much more important things to concern himself with; including running his respective ministries and answering parliamentary questions without resorting to making juvenile jokes about being gay. His biggest concern will no doubt be getting re-elected next year.
Garrison Style Politics
Politicians remain in power although they violate the rules.
Vitali Klitschko
It might be possible to confuse gangsters and politicians as their behavior is often so closely aligned. We have seen across the world the dangers of not holding politicians accountable and how they can, in turn, set the stage for creating garrison style communities. Communities where if you don't support them or wear their colors you will be targeted and even physically harmed.
In the police statement, the minister himself admits his leaning towards garrison style politics when he said:
“You couldn't talk this shit in Bodden Town and make sure you don't come to Bodden Town because I will make sure you get fucked up in Bodden Town.”
If we accept the eyewitness accounts and police statement at face value this is most alarming.
What is it about Bodden Town that makes it more violent than George Town? Does the complainant lose his freedom to speak his mind because he traverses from one district to another? What power does Seymour have in Bodden Town that he didn't in George Town? Does he have backers in George Town who will help him? Turn a blind eye? What is it exactly?
Many feel that the bravado of being in power means they can literally do anything and get away with it. This alleged incident serves as a perfect example of that. As you read the complainant's report you see a pattern of behavior we have seen with Seymour previously.
He surrounds himself with a posse of other men that are willing to do his dirty work for him. Just like a gang leader and he offers them things in return no doubt.
Whether that means fighting his ex-wife's boyfriend or getting in this businessman's face – one thing is obvious – Seymour believes the rules do not apply to him.
How can you approach someone at a public event with at least 15 persons witnessing this encounter and then have the audacity to state via your lawyer that this is a non-issue for you and you won't even comment because it happened last month.
Really? That's the sort of response you expect to hear from gangsters. The rules don't apply to them. What are you talking about? That's in the past … get over it!
Sources indicate the matter was not only reported to the police but also to Premier Alden McLaughlin, his political boss. As usual, nothing has been said or done and nothing will ever come of it.
Cayman politicians do a lot and get away with a lot and the people are all too happy to simply talk about it but continue to elect them to political office. The issue with that is the more they do and the more they get away with the braver they become.
This bravado is dangerous if left unchecked. Who exactly is holding the politicians accountable? Clearly no one is driving that proverbial bus.
Political Irresponsibility
Any political agenda and organization which doesn't begin with personal responsibility is just half the argument. It's just not going to succeed.
Peter Coyote
The most shocking aspect of this incident is the fact that it took place at a U17 national sporting event and some of the eyewitnesses that contacted CMR were actually minors and their parents.
Even if the minister has no respect for his own position he should respect the event he was attending and the youth of these islands. What example does this type of behavior set for young people already besieged with messages of violence in this world?
Cayman children are surrounded by violence in their homes, on television, and in schools. Now, this example by a political leader in this community at a youth event?
Imagine how shocked the parents and children were to witness this incident. He appears ill-equipped to conduct himself professionally in public. He is also a father of at least five children himself. We can't help but wonder what sort of examples they see of him as well. The inability to control one's temper especially in public is insightful on many levels.
At the end of the day, you cannot sit with royalty and world leaders and in your own country carry on like a common thug.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid