Dear Editor,
One of the daily quotes carried by Stabroek News reads, “To betray you must first belong” – Harold Philby. This quotation reminded me of a line in a poem I had written that says, “How yuh could feel like a man if yuh don’t belong?” For me this quote by Philby is very practical and straightforward, and automatically raises the question of patriotism that the masses are often called upon to show. A sense of belonging is eluding many of us today at a time when everything seems to have gone haywire and there is an uphill battle by the working class to survive. When you move about and see what’s happening, how people exist, how they view the various crimes and immoralities, then you know that nothing is normal and anything is possible. And Lord knows, this has been noted a thousand times. More sadly, listening to big people – the elderly – makes for convoluted ideas: “Look after yuh self”; “You K wha people seh, talking don’t mine yuh”; “Don’t bother with nobody yuh ain’t see, is that everybody doing.” And you can bet that such advice is well heeded by our youths; in fact they don’t have to be preached to any more, since hustle is the order of the day and they have already figured it out and mastered the art of it. A great part of our people it seems are carnally consumed and spiritually blind; at the rate we are going we may very soon “lose that breed of noble blood.” Principles, conviction, morals, decency have all been dumped for the grab and hustle, get what you can at any cost. They are schooled and advised on the virtue and benefits of being a mercenary, with the maxim “the end justifies the means” as trump. There is no more time for being your brothers’ keeper; anything that can be imagined happens in a lawless free for all.
And so crime abounds and spirals out of control consuming the very institutions that were created to contain it, as was so masterfully depicted by an SN cartoon of July 2010, where a huge monster-like anaconda slithers out of its feeble cage like the incredible hulk, menacingly brooding down on the Minister of Home Affairs taking the salute. And this is exactly what the many uneducated and unemployed are into.
Then when we’re faced with the fruits of our advice – the various forms of crime – we make a loud noise and a whole heap of brouhaha. For some odd reason some are encouraged to feel less guilty and are even proud employing the same unwholesome means once they are educated, as if a rogue immaculately dressed and educated is different from one in rags. In fact they both by their sordid acts inflict pain, cause suffering and discomfort, and hurt people just the same – all crimes.
The point is always made about the importance and value of education which must be instilled in every child, and which we can never afford to neglect, but it must be equally noted that indispensible as it is, education in itself does not make for less crime and a better society if there are no job opportunities. In such circumstances, it seems to me that the crimes will surely multiply, but with more educated people being involved, and here is where the system must be targeted as failing, and be corrected or changed as may be necessary.
This brings me back to addressing a sense of belonging and patriotism. Development is a people’s thing; development equals people, and the two should go hand in hand because you can’t have one without the other, for that would be a ridiculous contradiction. Lovely buildings, beautiful highways, even wonderful scenery mean very little or nothing to someone who does not know where the next meal is coming from. Development in all its forms must be structured to serve people; people lacking the means to exploit and benefit from material advancement will not be able to better their lives.
As we are at present, many are held captive, left stranded and wallowing on the brink of existence because of the vast economic disparities in the face of the endless billions floating around. A large majority is floundering, living a life of scramble. There is a kind of hopelessness, of just rolling along from day to day like a stream, a hand to mouth existence, so how could such people have a genuine sense of belonging? It is this wretched condition that has spread its vile tentacles with deleterious results in every nook and cranny, and is reflected in what we see happening: dysfunctional homes; broken marriages; delinquency; school drop-outs; poor health and senseless and sickening violence and crime. When one feels thus isolated, neglected and alienated because of one’s impecunious lot, it stands to reason that there can hardly be a sense of true belonging, and whatever actions are taken to survive would not produce a feeling of guilt/betrayal. Conversely such a person is more likely to sing along with Sammy Davis Jr, “I can’t be right for somebody else if I’m not right for me.” I contend, therefore, that place of birth does not automatically command one to be patriotic; there must first be an inner calling, an urge from an overwhelming sense of belonging. Unless there is a system geared towards and encompassing the basic needs of the masses, where their returns from their labour are valued, then and most naturally they will respond accordingly. The now famous phrase coined by John F Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” is a healthy and appealing exhortation to display nationalism and pride. But this call must also be hinged on a practical condition: that the country has been caring for and addressing the needs/interests of its people – all its people – creating a sense of belonging, and an optimistic future on the horizon. If not, then this appeal would be lacking in both substance and magnetism. Patriotism is a very noble commitment that is driven by pure love for one’s land of birth or hometown and is often viewed as sacred duty, yet it is hardly expected that one would take it to a ridiculous level.
Black civil rights activist Malcolm X got it smack on target when he took objection to being called an American by using the ‘dinner analogy’: “How can I sit at your table with no food on my plate and call myself a diner?” Simply put, if allowance is not made within the scheme of things that guarantees the well-being and protection of an individual who has nothing when tomorrow comes, then no deal. One who is rejected and neglected does not feel as if they belong and reacts out of a commitment to survival at any cost.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
