THE DAILY NATION editorial of May 5, titled Relevance Of Heroes Day On The Decline, goes on to speak of holidays so close to each other and the loss of productivity in the workplace, and so on.
But why the lack of interest, enthusiasm and love for our heroes? Have the Minister of Culture and his ministry been trumpeting in advance the coming celebrations?
World Cup football, cricket, athletics, Sandy Lane Gold Cup and other activities are trumpeted by those concerned. Crop Over, Kadooment and the late night Foreday Morning. Things are bellowed by the relevant people well in advance.
Why can they not apply the same zest and appreciation to the celebration of our heroes? They may not make a lot of money therefrom, but the country would gain respect far and wide.
When a nation succeeds, the leaders rejoice in taking the glory. When it fails the said leaders blame everybody far and wide. Can you imagine the great and mighty men in this place seemingly do not know how or do not want to stimulate the people to joyfully celebrate our heroes?
This state of affairs must not continue. Barbados is a small place but great. And outsiders have been watching with great respect especially because of the great work of the great man the Father of Independence Errol Walton Barrow. And if the next move is to roll all the heroes together, that would be to my mind a disgrace.
Why? Because it would be the start of the dilution of the work and stature of the great man. The other heroes are great but Barrow is the greatest.
Barrow did not come out of a dynasty and become king. He came within a system where he had to form a party in order to accomplish his mission. And did he spend ten years in office before he got the poverty-stricken into free secondary education?
What about the other services he set up to help the poor? The cost was substantial. But where was the money going before?
I must say he was a man of action and not long-talk. However, for what it is worth, I suggest sponsoring a poetry competition for schoolchildren – with prizes – for which they would write poems on the life and times of each hero. And then a poem on all of them. Music would be put to all of them. Not wuk-up music, though. Those works would be sacred and respected by all.
Poetry helps both the individual and the country.
– HORACE GREEN 
