DEAR SIR, I am writing to congratulate you on your attempt to restore the pride and respect that The Royal Barbados Police Force once enjoyed, and by extension the restoration of order in the country as a whole.
You display great courage and I applaud you for that. Courageous leaders and decision makers in Barbados have become endangered species. I want to encourage you to stand firm in your belief that the police force must be held to high standards.
Although the proverbial horse might have bolted and closing the door would be futile, we can still stop the animal from running too far by reining it in. People are scared to speak out. You sir, stand out like a beacon. I have nothing but admiration for your unbridled self-confidence which is “unBajanlike”.
I feel compelled to also say that unlike what was once said by the former prime minister, Owen Arthur, the Royal Barbados Police Force is “special”, and all of your men should be told that emphatically. You put your lives on the line every day in order to protect this country.
There must be order and in achieving order, every “right” cannot be satisfied.
Being denied the “right” to wear your hair in a particular style will not cause you to do your job inefficiently. Not being allowed to wear tattoos, which will enhance your appearance as an empowered officer, will surely not compromise your professionalism.
Exercising these “rights” can never be more important than the preservation of this country, or the prevention of crime, or the solving of crime.
Some people take “rights” to unthinkable heights. I once saw a gentleman in the hospital in “traction”. Both of his feet were in plaster of Paris and his neck was “collared” to the point where it could hardly move. And in all of this, the gentleman was “boasting” that he had the right of way and that is why he did not “ease up”. Well, being right does not repair your bones. Exercising rights is not always beneficial.
The police force is vital to every society and must be seen as a “force” and not as a “farce”. It is a stabilising factor. It ensures that our citizens feel safe. This is a fundamental ingredient for achieving happiness.
Most other leaders seem too preoccupied with what people will say about them. When you are given a job, you should do it fearlessly. If you are afraid to do your job, you will not do it properly. It is said that “courage is not the absence of fear; it is the conquering of fear”.
Our politicians seem afraid to make the hard decisions which they have been empowered to do. They are trying to please their constituents and the electorate at large in order to get re-elected. This, according to history, might be good political strategy, but, it allows for the speedy erosion of a country’s values and even its very existence.
It should be impressed upon our politicians that to appease voters just for a vote is tantamount to bribery and you never get respect for this type of behaviour. Your legacy suffers, even if only in your conscience.
Sir, this country needs you and your courage like a withering plant needs rainwater. When people criticise without offering any meaningful suggestions, they should be ignored. Do not be distracted by those weaklings and cowards who don’t have the “guts” to identify themselves on the call-in programmes. Personally, I have no respect for those who hide behind the anonymity of radio. They all have the same name-”caller”, “caller”, “caller”.
We are a fragile country with our people being our only resource. Therefore, for survival, it is imperative that our people be disciplined and if they do not show self-discipline, then they would have to be disciplined by an outside force.
The minibus culture is a major embarrassment. They behave contrary to the accepted norms of civil people. No society with an interest in development and progress should ever embrace the behaviour that they display on a daily basis.
Morals, decency, respect for authority, honesty, integrity, discipline – all of the values that we as a people were respected for – have all taken a serious decline.
Sir, Bajans love to copy, and unfortunately we have copied the bad habits of other countries. We must reclaim this country. It is not too late. Pride must be restored.
You Sir, are the one stone of hope to be hued from the mountain of despair of which Martin Luther King spoke.
Do not give up. I know many people who support you although they don’t have the courage to say it publicly.
No smooth sea has ever made a skilful mariner.
Best Regards,
Mac Fingall
Mac Fingall is an entertainer and retired secondary schoolteacher. Email [email protected]
