Be a part of the change and help unify our island

FRIDAY, DEC. 21: “Give thanks and praises to the Most-I (Jah!);

Give thanks and praises so high (so high).

He will not deceive us my brethren;

He will only lead us again (again):

Oh, take that veil from off of your eyes;

Look into the future of realize.”

— Bob Marley

Now that the election is over let us do what Bob spoke of —  “look into the future of realize”. Where do we go from here?

Let us look at what we must address from today forward.

Education

We must continue to not only support our children, we must be right there with them every step of the way. Whether they be in private  or public school, equal effort must be put in by us as parents. Money buys us a lot, but it cannot buy common sense. Involved parents = successful students. We must stop thinking that teaching ends at 3:30pm. Get your kids involved in as many extra-curricular activities as possible. They will need a well-rounded personal statement when applying to universities.

Racial issues

No longer must we continue to say “those people are to blame”. Statistics show that we as PLP supporters are predominately black, OBA supporters predominately white, yet we are all Bermudians. We must stop the hypocrisy of one-way integration.

Whites must begin to support us socially and economically and stop the boycotting. Barring that, the image of One Bermuda will fade quickly. It is unfortunate that when a white person speaks on race it is met with applause, but when a black person speaks out on race, it is met with condemnation from the white sectors.

For the record I have followed Tom Vesey’s columns for many years and he seems to have a large degree of respect from both communities. Blacks must stop thinking “white ice is colder than black ice”. If we do not support our own, socially, economically, and politically, then how do we expect others to support us? Lead by example.

Political accountability

No longer will I sit back and read about what these politicians are doing or not doing. I encourage those of you in my generation, to get involved in the political parties and processes.

Each party needs new blood and new ideas. Yes, we love and respect our elders, but it is our time now to seize the day and bridge the gaps between our parents and our children. The elders need our youth and vitality. We must educate all of Bermuda’s children about political and social issues.

Don’t hold them accountable; get involved — hold ourselves accountable.

Financial responsibility

99% of us will never earn what Puff Daddy or David Beckham makes. So why do we feel we need to live their lifestyles? Start increasing your savings plan. Take lunch to work, stop buying lunch daily. Plan for retirement now. Neither political party is responsible for your mortgage, nor your children’s university fees. This is on us. Jesus saves — do you?

Most importantly, let us teach our children the value of family over Facebook, morality over money and dedication over division.

The election is over, now time for the real work. Many have spoken passionately about the need for standing strong or time for change. So I challenge you to change Bermuda for the better and stand strong for the values that built this island.

Today we begin a journey of helping our fellow Bermudians to understand the need for national unity. I have been blessed to be given this column to express the views of my peers. I will continue to represent the people that I have grown with and live with. Along life’s journeys we meet new people and hear different ideas. So from time to time I will give a snapshot of something different. I am but one person. Each one of us has a gift or talent. Let us use them to uplift our Bermuda.

I conclude as I started. Give thanks and praises unto God. Let us now look within, to rebuild from the bottom up. Our message must be of dedication, determination and development over despair.

To all segments of our island, from today forward we must say, One Love and All We Need is Love.

I love you all.

Feel free to share your thoughts — email me: [email protected].