January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Could black bigotry be denying us Independence?
Scroll back to the time during 'Jack' Sharpe's 1977 'Independence' road show, when he and his UBP mates were going up and down Bermuda talking about Independence. Fast forward to 1995 when we had the flawed referendum on Independence and Sir John Swan said that he would stand or fall depending on the results of the referendum. Now come all the way forward to 2005 and 2006.
In 1977, black Bermudians — as a separate bloc — were the strongest advocates for Independence. Leap forward twenty-nine years to 2006.
The polls, and plenty of private conversations, indicate that amongst black Bermudians there has been a shift away from Independence.
Clearly even with a popularly elected government that supports Independence, the voters are not prepared to strongly support any fresh move towards Independence. Clearly, then, there is a split — a gulf — between the leaders and the led.
Well, that's the way I saw it up until Friday May 26, 2006. After that day, I see and sense an electorate that will now take yet one more step away from seriously contemplating Independence. The whole of the government of this day displayed a level of cowardice that suggests that any leading that they do will always be like this: First, they will go fifty miles to the rear. Second, they will make sure that they are as safe as humanly possible. Third, then and only then, they will all shout to all who can hear…. "Charge!... I'm with you!" With so many so-called leaders showing this kind of personal and moral strength, we have to stop singing at exactly the point I've indicated.
The one group in whom faith is being lost is the totality of the whole bunch who sit in today's Parliament. The quality of moral fibre that this whole lot possesses is so clearly demonstrated by the reality that even those Members of Parliament who are believed to be gay, did not raise their voices — in their own interests! Compare and contrast that silence with the voluminous verbosity and vocality on matters of their own pay and remuneration.
Bermuda has a socio-economic split. Bermuda has an ethno-political split. Bermuda has a history of lawful and enforced racial discrimination.
Old fashioned cowards
I do not believe that Bermuda will go forward into Independence with the present style of leadership and the basal values that, by all of their combined actions, this Parliamentary leadership actually represents. The recent cowardly non-vote coupled with other earlier and still un-withdrawn expressions from a Cabinet Minister, suggests that today's government — in its totality — contains high levels of a quality of plain old-fashioned bigotry that is heavily reminiscent of past eras of lawful and enforced segregation. Spread right throughout all members, there is a distinct unwillingness to take a clear and public personal stand on an issue of simple human principle.
I have the distinct impression that if this lot had been around in May 1833, they would have voted unanimously — blacks and whites, but especially blacks — for the retention of slavery and the defeat of Emancipation.
Concealed bigotry is bothersome. Open bigotry is unacceptable. I don't think that the cause of Independence and the further advance of the principle of freedom and equality is being helped by open expressions of bigotry.
Clearly, discrimination can only be supported by bigotry. Clearly, going forward into the second decade of this 21st century, if discrimination is to be supported and maintained, then key groups of Bermudians have not moved out of the Middle Ages and will happily maintain and enforce discriminations into the future.
Back in Jack Sharpe's day, white bigotry against blacks was a driving force towards Independence. Thirty years later, it looks as if black bigotry and general bigotry is emerging as a force driving away from Independence. Now, with the recent Human Rights amendment debacle, virtually all liberal, modern thinking, and forward looking Bermudians won't want to see even the glimmer of Independence peeping over the horizon.
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