SOMETIMES IN LIFE we see things that are wrong and we say or do nothing, much to our own peril. Other times we pretend we did not see or do not know and refuse to express our views and state the truth.
I firmly believe that as a result of this non-action, the decay in morals and good manners and an alarming environment of disrespect for each other has wildly escalated in this beautiful island of ours. The old idiom “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” is still very relevant.
I was compelled to write this letter after hearing the cries, pain and indeed hopelessness of an elderly lady on the CBC radio call-in programme last Tuesday, October 18. All that senior citizen was seeking was to have her water tank topped up in a rural district, where there has been a serious water shortage.
She claimed on national radio (and I have no reason to doubt her truthfulness) that during her conversation with an employee at the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), she was rudely asked if she wanted him to have his urine sent to her to compensate for the absence of water. It should also be noted that she has a physical challenge, as she walks with a stick.
As a people we have tolerated this type of disrespect, shoddy service and downright bad manners from public workers for too long. And in most cases it is because there are not any enforced serious consequences for indiscipline.
I would hasten to interject that there are some excellent workers in the service, but the deviant few are tarnishing the quality of the others who are in the majority.
No society can productively thrive – whether politically, religiously or even economically – unless the basic tenants of discipline are observed, and there are consequences when the accepted codes are breached. So I am calling for supervisors, managers and others at the administrative level to do the job you are paid to do.
Stop worrying about your pension and “lil pick”, and who would or would not be your friend at the end of the day. Stop worrying about who might not do you a favour anymore. Stop worrying about who would not give you that “big mout’” drink at Christmas and who would no longer drop to school the children. Let us turn around this country and be fair, courteous and respectful to all.
Recently there have been many lofty and public pronouncements about what to expect from the BWA. This situation is an excellent opportunity for us to draw our conclusions.
Society should be looking on to see if there is any in-depth investigation into that dastardly and uncalled for comment by that employee, and if there will be consequences, as long as the evidence suggests there was an infraction.
– DAVID MORRIS, JP
