This is the season when various persons, both new and old, are putting their hands up to be possible political and government leaders in our society.
While it may seem like a lucrative and noble career, the responsibility of shaping tomorrow is a task that will take only the strong to accomplish.
The demands, needs and aspirations of the people are plenty, because we live in a time of expectancy and instant gratification.
With plenty of people who think they are all entitled, even to the point of getting everything for free, everybody feels qualified and feels that they need to be rewarded and to be counted, as well as being compensated, for anything they do. No “free” anything, no favours, no service without pay and no involvement unless it is profitable.
So, for the many who want to be in the political mix and want to enjoy the perks and get the prestige, recognition and respect that goes with the job, they have to become more honest, more committed, more creative and more human with their deeds.
It is not uncommon or unusual to get square pegs in round holes. People are sometimes positioned to take up certain responsibility, but lack the skills and the know-how, the wisdom and the education, far-less the vision.
Dealing with tomorrow is more than dealing with your country, folks. You have to be prepared to combat the world, deal with trends, political ideologies, global situations like climate change and the upsurge in criminality.
Today, everyone wants to deal with the black market, money laundering, arms, drugs and import of unlawful substances.
We have a sinful society that’s full of greed and disrespect, plenty of misinformation and false educators, and suppressed wisdom. To deal with all these diverse people with lawless attitudes is a task for only the anointed, not the appointed.
We cannot continue to bluff or try to fool the people, or offer misrepresentation. Instead, we have to deal with our situation head-on.
I therefore hope all these thoughts are put into focus before accepting the role of governance.
The St. Lucia that we ought to have is not presently available, so the changes, and laws and education we need has to be properly thought -out before implementation. We have to battle against foreign influences, as well as all the negative cultural changes that now influence our society. We must change the mindset of the present to think more of ‘We’ and ‘Us’ than of just ‘I’ or ‘Me’.
Let’s create unity, rather than this existing division, especially politically.
United, we can prosper. But divided, we will collapse. So, my advice to all the wannabe political hopefuls is: Don’t jump in the water if you can’t swim; and pay attention to those who want to keep us enslaved permanently, those keeping colonialism and colonization alive, bowing to the demands of the so-called first world.