My name is Liam Renouf and I am a
16 year old student and am in Year 12 at Hautlieu School.
On Thursday the 12th of
April I read the article in the JEP titled ‘Let’s stand up for ourselves!’ In
this article it stated Senator Bailhache’s idea that ‘Jersey needs either to
develop a stronger more independent personality or face up to the idea of being
a ‘satellite’ of the UK unable to challenge assaults on our own industries and
our abilities to make our own decisions.’
As a young person and a student in
particular, I feel to weaken an already tense relationship between the United
Kingdom and Jersey would be detrimental to Jersey’s well being as a crown
dependency. Jersey has always to me had this aura of being a very traditional
and conservative island with the famous saying ‘there’s a boat in the morning.’
It really is time for change in Jersey and for us to stop getting on our high
horse about being from Jersey for the sake of being from Jersey and to really
scrutinise the decisions made here by our states’ members.
As a Renouf I am from strong Jersey
decent. I studied Jerriais for a number of years and take an interest in Jersey’s
history. However the idea of supporting every single decision Jersey makes
because you come from Jersey has to stop.
We cannot isolate ourselves any
further from the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe then we already are. In
my passport it states that ‘The holder is not entitled to benefit from EU
provisions relating to employment or establishment.’ Jersey is already isolated
enough, we need to look at how we can strengthen our relationship with the UK.
Senator Bailhache needs to address the weaknesses in the relationship rather
than finding excuses to cover up the island’s patriotism. This is not an attack
on Senator Bailhache himself I just believe that Jersey needs to shake off old
views and start living in a progressive 2012!
