I NOTICED AGAIN the quarrel between the two factions as to who led the slave revolt in Barbados against their enslavement. Some say Bussa and other say Franklyn. And to be quite honest they behave like little children in my day when we argued who was the best boxer or best cricketer. What a waste of time. But we were children.
But today, what does it matter who led the rebellion in 1816 or whenever it was. It was a failure. Full stop! I have noticed that the Blacks are led by their historians to laud and praise and rejoice in failure.
A few years ago I heard a Government Minister, a historian, praising and glorifying Crispus Attucks – my spelling – the black slave in America who was in the American army fighting against the British, who wanted to keep America a British colony. The British knocked him over with one bullet. The black slave fired not a one bullet. But Blacks to this day rejoice in calling him a hero.
Are we Blacks so desperate for heroes? I would consider Churchill, Montgomery, and other such fellows of any race who fought and won, heroes. But to emphatically call an all-time loser a hero is taking it too far.
Now, would you say that all our Prime Ministers of CARICOM are heroes? To say yes would be a gross devaluation of heroism. But then again some say that we Blacks wallow in mediocrity. We will have to raise the bar.
However, I do hope this Bussa/Franklyn thing will end now. More than 90 per cent of Barbadians swear that Bussa is a hero. Ask them to write an essay on his life. It is doubtful if anyone would find 25 words to set on paper. That shows how easy it is to fool the masses. So ask the historians to teach the children and young people something of real substance that they may strive for or shut up.
– HORACE GREEN
