“Expecting others to fight ones battles leave you open and defenseless; easily to defeat. It is through acting in accordance that obstacles are faced head- on and overcome.”- Akrizia ‘MaryAntonique’ Smith
As the nation listened attentively Monday night (October 3rd, 2011) to the Prime Minister’s National Address on crime, eyebrows were raised, comments made and questions asked. Many, because of political preferences disagreed with much that was said whiles others stood by his statements. Well, from my perspective, I partially agreed on much that was said and two particular points stood out to me (one which I will elaborate on).
However first, I pose this question to you, the Bahamian people; when are we going to take the political aspects and opinions out of how we care/ contribute to the building up and betterment of our country?
Whiles I agree with many that stated the PM’s address had little substance, there were a few valuable points made. Too often we blame poverty and misfortune for our actions and for limiting us to accomplishing/ achieving in life. We blame circumstances and inevitable situations for our short comings and sadly, we blame the government for everything else that seems to go wrong in our lives. Where is the accountability in all of this? Are we not to be held responsible for anything?
In the political world, though sad, it is expected. However, we all do not live in that world and quite frankly, we should not desire to. Before we see political party and color, we should see ourselves and we should see are nation as a whole. Our first initial question should not be what is the government doing BUT what are we, even more personal, what am I doing to contribute to the fight and help my country? Yes, the government is there to do a job and when they fail we have an opportunity to bring in new people BUT do we just sit back and watch them fail, or do we not offer ourselves to be of some service for patriotic gratification?!
We blame everything and everybody but ourselves and honestly, I DO NOT think it is fair. I hold myself accountable for many things that I chosen not to care about or say it wasn’t my business when indeed it was. Everything that goes on in our country that affects us is our business. We have to stop playing the blame game and admit that we too have failed. As a people we are supposed to be united and before political alliances, which honestly are why we are so divided now, we are supposed to see Bahamian and what it truly means to be one.
We come together when murderers are loose and protest for a brief period of time; then march the streets when sales are going on and once we’ve put out all the fire of being riled up and angry, we quickly go back to being divided. We MUST do better as Bahamians. We look at other nations and we copy everything but we fail to see the unity and togetherness that they possess. We don’t want others here but yet we can’t appreciate one another? How hypocritical is that?!
We can say the government has failed us and I won’t argue with that, BUT, what have we done to make our Bahamaland better? What extreme measures have we taken to protect what is ours and why do we blame it all on poverty as to why we can’t do, give, or achieve? Poverty is more than a physical state but a mental attitude that we adapt to because we become discouraged in believing we can’t achieve more; so we become complacent just like the government. Then, how are we any better? Just like them, we must renew our mindset and stop allowing politics to cause us not see the bigger picture: Bahamians FIRST. We are all in this fight and no one man or government can do it alone.
So again I ask, when are we going to take the political aspects and opinions out of how we care for the building up and betterment of our country? Expecting others to fight ones battles leave you open and defenseless; easily to defeat. It is through acting in accordance that obstacles are faced head- on and overcome; For there is strength in unity and unity through progression. No one is left behind in a forward harmonious movement and should one fall, he is blanketed by his peers and uplifted; unity is power!!!
Authentically,
Akrizia ‘MaryAntonique’ Smith
