We get exactly what we deserve in this life. And we in T&T deserve very little.
We are chronic whiners and complainers, victims of everything from “Acks of Gord”, through the benign anarchy which we practice, to the corruption and incompetence of our leaders, and they too cover the spectrum from politicians through business and labour to priests and pastors.
And what is this rant about, exactly?
It is about the fact that for every wrong we perceive we ask: “How they could do that?”
And what is this rant about, exactly?
It is about the fact that for every wrong we perceive we ask: “How they could do that?”
“How they (who is ‘they’?) could allow that to happen?” If something wrong is taking place—down the road, in another part of the office, anywhere—we rush over to see and hear, to macco, to be able to “spread rake” and shake our heads about what our world is coming to.
Well, let me introduce you all to “They”. And who is “They”? “They” is you!
People do things in their own self-interest. They do what they can do and what they are allowed to do. Whether it is increasing the price of goods they sell, expanding their garden or home on to adjacent lands, driving along the shoulder to get to the head of the line, cutting trees on mountain slopes, making noise from a new neighbourhood “church” on a Sunday morning, or whatever.
Well, let me introduce you all to “They”. And who is “They”? “They” is you!
People do things in their own self-interest. They do what they can do and what they are allowed to do. Whether it is increasing the price of goods they sell, expanding their garden or home on to adjacent lands, driving along the shoulder to get to the head of the line, cutting trees on mountain slopes, making noise from a new neighbourhood “church” on a Sunday morning, or whatever.
People do these things because we allow them to. Politicians, government agencies and the police allow these people to inconvenience us because we allow them to ignore the wrongs.
Oh, I know how righteous we all are in our in-house condemnation of all the wrongs blighting our land. Someone posts a “how they could allow…..” on facebook, and a self-proclaimed “serious discussion group” will post hundreds of comments, some angry, some politically biased, some obscene and many just plain jokey.
Their Viagra for their impotence is Facebook. But you go on there and ask how many of them are willing to close their laptops and come out to work to resolve the issue which so offends them, and see what happens. Everyone starts “breaksin’”.
Oh, I know how righteous we all are in our in-house condemnation of all the wrongs blighting our land. Someone posts a “how they could allow…..” on facebook, and a self-proclaimed “serious discussion group” will post hundreds of comments, some angry, some politically biased, some obscene and many just plain jokey.
Their Viagra for their impotence is Facebook. But you go on there and ask how many of them are willing to close their laptops and come out to work to resolve the issue which so offends them, and see what happens. Everyone starts “breaksin’”.
We all have a good reason in our heads as to why we cannot stand up and take some responsibility for our failing society. But what, I ask, is in our consciences, in our hearts? How long will it take before enough of us will truly stand up for what we all know is right and just?
The reason we do not stand up is because we tell ourselves: “It will make no difference, anyway, “they” will still do what “they” want”. Or, “I would like to join you, but, you know, I cannot, because of the consequences, so you go it alone, you have my silent support, so do not give up”. That from the Chairman of a local bank, to me, more than once!
So, how will we ever fix this place, if we allow everyone to do everything they want, in their self-interest alone, and the authorities will not stop them because we will not make the authorities take notice?
First, this self-imposed victimhood, under which we cower, has to be replaced in our hearts and our heads. As we pathetically hide behind “it will make no difference”, or “I cannot”, the record is clear: Every time we as citizens (rare though it has been!) have found our voices to speak and our feet to march, we have turned back some nuisance, wrong or evil in our land.
In 1973, when the government tried to lay the Public Order Act upon us, we stood up, accepted our responsibility as citizens, and turned that back.
In 1981, when O’Halloran was building his Caroni Race Track, and was given “priority access” ahead of housing to scarce building supplies, we stood up, demonstrated, and stopped that, although everyone said we could not win that one.
In the early 2000’s, when someone went into the Nariva Swamp to change the drainage and plant rice, we stopped that, and returned the area to its natural state.
In 2009 and 2010, we the people stood up and demonstrated against the Smelters and the new Revenue Authority, and stopped those, albeit by changing the government. You see Power? We can change a government by one dip of our finger!
And just last week, when State-owned National Quarries moved to desecrate the hillsides facing the Asa Wright Nature Centre, we organized and showed our power, and the government told them to stop and to replant the forest.
So, please, realize where the power lies, and where the responsibility resides. It resides within you. Get off your FB page and become responsible for your future.
And to the government: Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen of the Cabinet, whose hearing is so much more sensitive that governments of the past.
So, how will we ever fix this place, if we allow everyone to do everything they want, in their self-interest alone, and the authorities will not stop them because we will not make the authorities take notice?
First, this self-imposed victimhood, under which we cower, has to be replaced in our hearts and our heads. As we pathetically hide behind “it will make no difference”, or “I cannot”, the record is clear: Every time we as citizens (rare though it has been!) have found our voices to speak and our feet to march, we have turned back some nuisance, wrong or evil in our land.
In 1973, when the government tried to lay the Public Order Act upon us, we stood up, accepted our responsibility as citizens, and turned that back.
In 1981, when O’Halloran was building his Caroni Race Track, and was given “priority access” ahead of housing to scarce building supplies, we stood up, demonstrated, and stopped that, although everyone said we could not win that one.
In the early 2000’s, when someone went into the Nariva Swamp to change the drainage and plant rice, we stopped that, and returned the area to its natural state.
In 2009 and 2010, we the people stood up and demonstrated against the Smelters and the new Revenue Authority, and stopped those, albeit by changing the government. You see Power? We can change a government by one dip of our finger!
And just last week, when State-owned National Quarries moved to desecrate the hillsides facing the Asa Wright Nature Centre, we organized and showed our power, and the government told them to stop and to replant the forest.
So, please, realize where the power lies, and where the responsibility resides. It resides within you. Get off your FB page and become responsible for your future.
And to the government: Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen of the Cabinet, whose hearing is so much more sensitive that governments of the past.
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