We’ve probably all heard the quote: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. My cousin reminded me of this recently, after she’d heard Joel Osteen, popular American pastor, apparently expressing a similar sentiment.
Osteen might have been speaking in a slightly different context, but the question nevertheless is, how does one “know the difference”? If we accept whatever’s dished out to us daily without taking a stand, we might be faced with the situation described by Martin Niemöller (1892-1984): “. . . they came for the trade unionists; and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.” President Kennedy also made the point that on important moral issues, it’s wrong to sit on the fence and refuse to take a side.
Although each of us might think we’re powerless
to change anything, remember: “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts, will be written the history of this generation.” (Robert Kennedy)
True, this collaborative approach seems lost on Government, but I agree with Ken Hewitt in the last Sunday Sun that partisan posturing is a luxury we can no longer afford and the time has come to bring our collective strengths together, all for the common good.
Public opinion prevailed in Lime’s recent unilateral decision to impose a charge for printed bills. It retracted this and did the reasonable thing – reward those who sign up for e-billing. So we, the public, do have power to bring about change, but it should be positive, not change for the sake of changing.
Regarding the Lime/Columbus (Flow) merger. Most, if not all Barbadians, welcomed Flow’s entry into the landline market. It provided a choice and a possible reprieve from the awful service we’ve become accustomed to from Lime.
I was at Lime’s office recently. It’s pristine – almost sterile in fact. Maybe the Queen Elizabeth Hospital could take a look. A lady deposited a box of equipment, saying she seldom receives service for two consecutive days and could they remove their service from her home. It was quite apparent she intended switching to Flow. Imagine her surprise shortly after to find herself “back in the same boat”.
Some argue that our phone service was always a monopoly since its inception in 1884, so what’s the problem. The difference is that back then, in spite of the monopoly, customers received good service, were able to speak to human beings who were familiar with their language and their country, and not machines or people halfway across the world who seem programmed with answers, regardless of your questions.
Somehow, I’m not at all convinced when the CEO says: “We are forming a new company, with a new leadership team and a new culture, putting our customers at the heart of the business.” Just like I’m not convinced by the Attorney General’s claim that crime has decreased when almost daily there’s an attack with a gun, cutlass or other weapon.
With such mergers, the operation becomes too large, cumbersome, automated and impersonal to give good customer service.
The public outcry seemed to shock the Fair Trading Commission into action, promising a swift ruling. Let’s hope it’s more reasonable than the one on the telephone number omissions in the 2013-2014 directory.
But there are times when we must strive to maintain the status quo – like our legislation against marijuana use, our right to teach The Bible and say prayers in schools, and to wish our friends a “Happy Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays”.
Let’s remember that persistence seldom fails. Like the song says: “Once there was a silly old ram, thought he’d punch a hole in a dam; no one could make that ram scram; he kept buttin’ that dam; ’cause he had high hopes . . . . So any time you’re feelin’ bad . . . , just remember that ram: Oops, there goes a billion kilowatt dam!”
• Dr Frances Chandler is a former Independent senator. Email fchandler@caribsurf.com.
