The year was 1967, the day January 10th. Where were you on that day? Some people who are reading this were not born yet. Some people were actively engaged in the wind of change. Some people were on one side of the issue and others were on the other side. I can remember where I was very vividly. It was one of those moments where history was made, even though I was too young to fully comprehend.
I lived near the Sir Harry Oakes Monument in Oakes Field opposite the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, and whenever there were motorcades or protests, they all seemed to pass that intersection, so my siblings and I or my friends would gather on the monument to take in the sights and sounds. There was a lot of rhetoric leading up to the historic vote and I got swept up in the mix even though I was much too young to vote.
How did I get drawn into it?
My family, like the many Bahamian families, had a connection to the struggle. A.D. Hanna was my mother’s nephew even though they were roughly the same age. My father was close friends with Preston Albury, to the point where many thought they were brothers, and they were down with the PLP and the prospect of majority rule. I did not fully understand what was going on, but I went around shouting “PLP!” One day, a man came to me and my friends and asked that we take down all the UBP signs and placards and he would pay us. We enthusiastically embraced the task and were paid with some change and free sodas.
When the voting was over and the victory was announced, my friends and I gathered once again at the Sir Harry Oakes Monument and watched the motorcades and celebrations and joined in shouting “PLP all the way”. It was an exhilarating time for us as little boys. The historic change that was long overdue had happened – but then reality set it. When you are free to govern and have the responsibility of leading, you can no longer blame the white man for your decisions.
The burden of freedom is now on you.
In the Bible, there is a scripture that reads, “Woe to a nation where a slave becomes king”. The gist of the statement is that if the slave still thinks like a slave and becomes king, he will continue the oppression of his people, albeit in a different format. Majority rule ushered in a new day and the political power was in the hands of the majority, although the economic power still resided with the defeated minority. Lynden Pindling and A.D. Hanna led a charge to a new era and perspective with policies like Bahamianization, Independence and the implementation of new programs like National Insurance.
The Bahamas was on a new course.
Like all human movements, there were fissures that resulted in several of the originators of the struggle leaving the PLP to form their own opposition group. Over the ensuing years, the burden of freedom manifested itself in ongoing conflicts over the direction of the country and the majority rulers were being accused of corruption and abuse of power like their predecessors. Moses had led us out of Egypt but was not being accused of using Egyptian tactics. There were missteps and mistakes and eventually, after some 25 years, the people decided that the deliverers had become like the oppressors and voted for a change.
Since that time, we have seen a shift back and forth between the two parties as the Bahamian populace agitated for the promise of true freedom and putting Bahamians first. To this very date, there is still a high level of dissatisfaction in both parties and The Bahamas remains in a quandary. Both parties have implemented good policies and both parties have been accused of betraying the trust of the Bahamian people.
It is too late now to blame the white man because the political power is firmly in the hands of the majority and there has been a major shift in the economic power base. The burden of freedom remains on the majority and the people expect the promise of the new Bahamas promised since 1967 to be fulfilled. It is an arduous task but when you ask for power and you get it, the responsibility is now on you. We celebrate majority rule, but the promise is still somewhat unfulfilled.
Will we get there?
Time will tell but the expectation of the people will not change. They want true freedom, and they want it now. Hopefully, we will continue as a nation in progressing to the promise of 1967.
• Pastor Dave Burrows is senior pastor at Bahamas Faith Ministries International. Feel free to email comments, whether you agree or disagree, to pastordaveburrows@hotmail.com. I appreciate your input and dialogue. We become better when we discuss, examine and exchange.
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source https://thenassauguardian.com/majority-rule-and-the-burden-of-freedom/
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