Dear Editor,
People since time immemorial have been doing wrong; it appears to be part of life’s refrain. Some just blindly follow, unconsciously going with the flow, while smarter and more ambitious ones have consciously committed bad deeds because of the expectation of promised reward, and all morals, decency, principles, reason, etc, are jettisoned in the quest to fulfil their ambitions. Over time some have come to see the light through revelations and epiphanies or new experiences; some have had a change of heart, ceased following blindly and instead begun examining things with a more critical eye. Still others have become weary of the scheme of things because of a pricking of the conscience that is a kind of torture to the soul, a weight too heavy to bear. Whatever it was that caused the awakening and change is not as important as the gnawing of the conscience and the urge to atone, for not until they have done so, can they be at peace with themselves.
Editor, the nonsense continues unabated about the place and we are getting accustomed to it, and sadly the majority of our young people are following and swallowing it with ease. They can’t see the danger, their minds not being so nurtured, and so we are poorer, and so will our future be unless something strange plays out.
The present Rodney Commission of Inquiry will be over and done; it most likely will cause some bruises, but once politicians exhibit political maturity we will get past it, and whatever the damage, those affected will eventually have to settle down to reshape, reconstruct, retool, or whatever it is past events dictate. But the real danger in my view depends on how petty and inept we remain in failing to rise beyond the ‘divide and rule’, ‘don’t split votes’, ‘rat race election strategy’ and such like. This cannot last forever; those things cannot win out over conditions which are generally the main determinant.
Editor, our political landscape for over 40 years has not been smooth sailing; at times the sea was turbulent, and as a people we have suffered and still bear scars. What was done was done and that, no one can change, not even God. The PNC during their reign practised paramountcy, and were in total control. The party’s flag flew high side by side with our national flag over some public buildings; the party card was trumps – it held sway; policemen in uniform sold New Nation on duty; those considered enemies of the state were denied jobs; many of those affiliated to a different political party were harassed and sometimes locked up for carrying out their party’s activities which were considered inimical to the government; union leaders were intimidated and scabs were introduced; the police force didn’t function impartially. There was much uneasiness and fear about, the party was in control – “We run things.”
Come on! These are not fairy tales or folklore; these were things that happened, what people actually experienced. Are we now saying what was, never was, that it was all an illusion? A figment of our imagination? Is this the way we expect to bury the past and chart a new course? Just where will this silly, unyielding denial take us? Just what do we gain from being steadfast in falsehood? Is this an asset? I think it is wiser and rather more decent to remain silent, allowing the events to fade and be forgotten with time rather than putting up a defence; that just doesn’t help. And while I can understand the reason why some faithful don’t want to be reminded, the truth must be faced, uncomfortable and hurtful as it may be.
It is one reason why we are having difficulty in resolving the past and putting it to rest. Why then are we setting the stage for a precedent which is not healthy for posterity to follow? It is like cheating a good future, and we are doing these things barefacedly, without shame – but why? Party considerations? Is the party more important than the nation? It’s funny how we self-destruct, the saddest part being that it is all coming from elders, leaders, the so-called gentry who are supposed to be our moral compass,
Hooked on blind denial of almost everything that was, some are even making cheap simple statements selling the party short. But that’s the reality of life, to conveniently employ what suits us, it doesn’t matter how laughable. Moving on to higher levels demands that we get out of this rot; the cycle must be broken.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe