For as long as I can remember, well since 1993, politics has been a huge part of my life. My mom believed that citizens of a country had the right to have a say in the way the country was run. So I remember as a child, less than 10 helping to pass out and stick up flyers. By 1988, I was 13 or 14, active in young Pamites and a regular platform speaker. In 1993, On the day I turned 18, it was a Wednesday. My birthday gift to myself was my voters registration. I continued my work as a political activist and platform speaker throughout the 93 cycle and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that after college, 3 or 4 election cycles,Id be the rep for #4. But the events of 1993 woke me to the idea that politics wasnt for me - at least in the forefront. I learned that year that there were politicians who longed for the office because of the power it carried. And then I learned there were statesmen who were willing to do what it took to save the country despite the possibility of personal loss. I learned also that in the minds of some, being a politician meant the forfeiture of privacy and that peoples private conversation was gris for the political mill. I realized then that I wasnt interested in the power that came with politics. I wanted to build a better homeland. But deep inside I knew that I was not and couldnt be Sir Kennedy, the greatest statesman Ive ever known. And, Although one of my idols Constance Mitcham had broken the glass ceiling, it came at the expense of her privacy and thats a step I was unwilling to take. Between 1993-1995, the bottle and stone period of political unrest, I remained politically active but no longer graced the platform because I was now a government worker (I guess that rule flew through the window). But the thing that turned me off from politics was that there were people who wished to rule the country even if they had to ruin it to do so. At a political rally in Dieppe Bay, we had to be escorted from the meeting under police guard because of the stones and bottles that were pelted at us. I remember my mom and others being escorted in 1993 under police protection in order to witness the swearing in. The sticking point is that this reign of terror was instigated by a man who wished to be leader - it was rule or ruin. All of these events served as the caffeine to awaken me to the fact that politics wasnt for me. I would support my party with all I had but actually running was a no-no. During the run up to the 1993 elections, I was at a political meeting in Old Road in front of a certain shop, the proprietor who happened to be my Econ teacher ( when he managed to come to class) told me that when his party was in power, hed see to it that I would never get a job. Well thanks to my excellent CXC results and while I awaited my A Levels, I earned a job at Social Security. After the heartbreak of the 1995 elections, I sought twice from Development Bank and National Bank, loans to further my education and was turned down. I knew then that It was time to go. Over the years, Ive supported the party mostly vocally. It would be pretty disingenuous of me to say that there hasnt been any progress in S.K., because there has. But what we also have is a spiraling debt problem, an out of control guns and drug problem, an eye popping murder rate. Weve played hide the SIDF money, we are embroiled in a scandal over our selling of passports to foreigners , weve lost the ability to vacation in Canada without a Visa, and will probably earn ourselves trips to a little room when we travel to the US. Our grand childrens lands are being sold to foreigners to cover the fiscal ineptitude of our government. We have a speaker of the house who couldnt spell impartiality and courtesy if he were given a dictionary and a leader with a disregard for the will of the people, who will cling to power at all cost. As always in politics, therell be some who have benefitted and are benefitting from the order of the day. But its my hope that we step back and view the situation, not from what you can or have gained personally, but whether the current state of affairs is best for the country. I think Ive been a supporter of PAM since the day I watched my mom jump for joy when she was approved for a new low income house. It meant no more night time outhouse visits, no more bathing in public baths or in the back yard in a tub. It meant no more oil stove or hurricane lamps. It meant a higher quality of life, not just for us but a number of families. Someone told my mom that shed been supporting PAM for so long and had gotten nothing out of it. Her answer Ive never been in politics for what I could get, but to support the party thats best for this country. So whenever the bell is rung, dont think party, think country. And maybe one day we can sing with all honesty our country where peace abounds, thy children Stand free on the strength of will and love. P/s: Ive supported PAM all my life, vocally and actively. But these days, before I am PAM, UNITY, LABOR or NRP, Republican or Democrat, I am first a Christian and am willing to engage in any political discussion without violating my Christian conscience with the use of profanity, name calling, or other forms of degradation. Can we discuss politics with some sense of respect for the opinion of others?
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 23:22:19 +0000
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