The greater good

Dear Editor,

Navigating through life can be a very simple process, but we human beings, although positioned at the top of the evolution chain, are amazingly dumb animals when you think about it, especially if we haven’t been properly prepared and sufficiently anchored to a firm foundation.

Three simple words – i.e. “the greater good” that can be extracted from the firm grounding established within family and community – can be the mantra for us to exist harmoniously on this planet and on these 700 rocks and cays, but unfortunately, it just isn’t happening!

If we examine our recent history within the parameters of my almost seven decades of existence, it is amazing how our path has diverged so sharply. We have moved from being a community (in the ‘true true’ sense of the word) of caring people who knew, shared, and looked out for one another, into a rabble of selfish, uncaring, all-for-me, ‘grabilicious’ specimens of humanity, in spite of how often and how loudly we claim to be a ‘Christian nation’!

A lack of values and morals as a result of the breakdown of the extended family structure, a deficient education system, and personal selfishness and greed, have all contributed to this negative turnaround with ‘gubment’ and ‘politricks’ (from all sides) playing their part in perpetuating this travesty.

Cases in point include: (1) There are too many young people who are being ‘dragged up’ in a deficient family environment, rather than being brought up by a caring extended family. Poverty is a problem, education is not a priority and it is failing them. They are angry, frustrated and hopeless. With no positive way to direct this negativity, they are turning inward to alcohol or drugs, or outward toward hurting one another. This scenario does not bode well for the future of our country, and we strongly suggest the use of creativity and the arts to counteract this imbalance.

(2) I read on social media that the driver of a car in Nassau had to screech to a sudden stop to avoid running over a baby who was CREEPING on to the road, followed by a young child who rescued the baby since the unfazed adult present wasn’t even checking!

(3) STDs are on the rise again; these disturbing statistics speak for themselves as to what kind of society we are living in!

(4) A ‘gubment’ board appointee with a matching surname to that of the country’s leader has been allowed to utter totally degrading, racist-tinged comments even going so far as to threaten barring fellow Bahamian citizens’ rights to free movement in their own country without any resulting reprimands or consequences! The mind boggles!

(5) The ongoing and tedious ‘combruction’ over the relocation of the General Post Office to the Town Centre Mall is ridiculous!

The main reason for an immediate relocation — which has better and safer premises for the WORKERS who were constantly suffering in the hot, wet, moldy and rodent infested structure downtown — has been seemingly forgotten!

Amongst all of the continuous nauseating chatter, only ONE person from a union group, to my knowledge, has mentioned the fact that the workers are now housed in sanitary, spacious and comfortable premises, which are conducive to their health and wellbeing whilst everyone else is continuing to carry on with foolishness for political mileage and mischief, even to the point of threatening a ‘vote of no confidence’!

Seriously, with all of the social problems we are experiencing in this country, you ‘politricians’ need to get over it, and get on with the business of improving and building our country TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD!

 

– Pam Burnside

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/02/18/the-greater-good-2/