As often as we know it, issues of national importance are presented to the public either as a deliberate strategy on the part of governments or leaked by high-level officials in order to gauge people’s reaction prior to the announcement of the measures being contemplated.
Irrespective of how the information gets out, the bottom line is that everyone with the relevant knowledge should always come forward and challenge whatever is done by those in authority in the name of the people.
The reality, though, is that some among us allow themselves to be intimidated by those holding high offices to the extent that certain critical issues are overlooked and not commented on to protect the interest of the public.
When the issues are considered controversial, the silence gets deafening. I submit that we in the Caribbean are living in crucial times and therefore should never fail to speak out on any matter if such actions are deemed beneficial to the massive, despite the consequences.
Here is a shimmering case in point: In a thought-provoking piece entitled Cool It: An Essay On Climate Change, British politician Nigel Lawson said: “There is something odd about the global warming debate – or the climate change debate, as we are now expected to call it, since global warming has for the time being come to a halt.
“I have never shied away from controversy, nor – for example, as Chancellor of the Exchequer– worried about being unpopular if I believed that what I was saying and doing was in the public interest.”
Lawson continues: “But I have never in my life experienced the extremes of personal hostility, vituperation and vilification which I – along with other dissenters, of course – have received for my views on global warming and global warming policies.”
You see, folks, life is never about straight roads. There will always be twists and turns. There will always be extremely difficult terrains to manoeuvre. What do we, as concerned citizens, do when faced with such circumstances? What should we actually do?
I am absolutely convinced that when it comes to taking action in the public interest, good citizens should never allow themselves to be bullied into submission by politicians or other high-ranking officials despite the things they say and do even if the implications of such vile acts are belittling at times.
In practical terms, there must come times when people have to stand up to those oppressing them and say loud and clear that enough is enough.
Otherwise, the growing incidence of poverty among many of our ordinary citizens will continue to rise, unemployment will become ubiquitous and vexing, fiscal mismanagement will flourish, corruption among public officials will intensify, accountability and transparency in governments’ operations will cease and the maintenance of law and order in our societies will become a fad of the past.
Is a society characterised by those negative features what do you wish for?
Are those social and economic ills what you want for your country and fellow citizens?
If, like me, you answer no to both questions, then you have to rethink your stance on all matters of national concerns and start acting immediately in the public interest.
Are you up to that challenge?
Email: bfrancis@uwi.edu.bb