He said, "The preservation of our democratic traditions and institutions through multiple transitions of government by free and fair elections is one such outstanding achievement, particularly when considered in the context of our multi-ethnic society."
He added, "I believe that our shared values constitute the glue which promotes racial harmony in our Society without which Trinidad and Tobago could so easily have been torn apart by ethnic division.
"We deserve to applaud ourselves for this accomplishment which we so often take for granted.
The acting head of state said Trinidad and Tobago is blessed with an abundance of potential which, if maximized, can lead to greatness.
However he said this is not happening. "Regrettably we are under-performing to an alarming degree, or as the young people would say “big time”, and I fear that if we continue to bury our talent it will be taken away from us.
"For Trinidad and Tobago to flourish each one of us must optimize our potential - Each of our individual lights must shine across the land, so that together these million points of light will expel the darkness which threatens to overwhelm us.
"Only recently Chief Justice Ivor Archie drew our attention to the fact that there are significant elements of our national culture (bad habits really) which we need to change if we are to advance as a Nation. In doing so, the Chief Justice lamented that we appear to be striving for mediocrity rather than excellence.
"And so we must ask ourselves “Who are we as Trinbagonians? What are the values that define us as a people? Where does our native genius lie?”
He offered an answer. "To me, it seems as though as a people we all feel alienated from this beautiful land of ours. We appear to lack a sense of belonging. Perhaps it is because we lack this sense of rootedness, sometimes we seem to give ourselves permission to “mash up de place” and negativity stalks our land.
"I believe that by changing our attitudes we can transform our own lives and the life of our nation.
"Indeed at critical and sometimes difficult moments in my own life I have found that the sentiments expressed in the following quotation from Charles Swindoll, which resonate deeply with me, have helped me to overcome personal challenges. I quote:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
"It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. And I dare say a nation.
"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace that day. We cannot change our past; we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
"The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…..I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you….we are in charge of our attitudes.”
Hamel Smith said, "I believe that we must change our attitudes. We must develop a sense of patriotism in order to advance the cause of mother Trinidad and Tobago.
"After God and family, our primary commitment must be to our Nation. We must move beyond simply aligning ourselves to a political party, or on the basis of ethnicity or geographical location. We must recognize that we are one nation, one people set apart in this space we call Trinidad and Tobago.
"I believe that this feeling of inclusiveness, of rootedness in this place, can be fostered by an awareness that each of us can contribute to its development, each of us can contribute to our Nation and to our communities.
"When we make this connection we will come to recognise that we are indeed an essential part of a greater whole, that Trinidad and Tobago needs each one of us, that together we make up the Trinbagonian Family. At this point our very diversity will become our greatest strength.
"What then are the values we cherish, the ideals which we as a people regard most highly? I suggest these include family and relationships, joy of living, spirituality and religious belief, a forgiving heart, risk-taking, ingenuity, racial harmony, generosity and multiculturalism.
"We must hold fast to our values and ideals which will help to sustain and identify us as Trinbagonians while vigilantly ensuring that they are not so distorted as to become vices.
"Let us rejoice then in the common values we share so that we can establish the bond of patriotism and love of country that are so sorely needed for national development. Let us foster a sense of true belonging. Let us each commit to Trinidad and Tobago on this our Republic Day.
"Then we can justly proclaim the words of our National Anthem:
'Side by side we stand
Islands of the blue Caribbean sea
This our native land we pledge our lives to thee
Here every creed and race find an equal place
And may God bless our nation'.
"These are some of the things that I invite us all to ponder, as we celebrate Republic Day 2010 and thank Almighty God for the many blessings bestowed on us.
"In closing, I extend my best wishes to you all, the Citizens of our beloved Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and all others who are living among us or visiting.
"May God bless our nation!"
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