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I have been hearing and reading several commentaries on the need for apologies to be made. There are those who believe that 'whites' owe 'blacks' an apology for things that were committed against the black race many decades ago. I find that very interesting. It caused me to ponder. Hence, I began to wonder about Bermuda and who perhaps really owes whom an apology.

I began to think about our senior citizens and how they struggled through a racist past in order that I might enjoy living in a better place today. I think about the many who sacrificed so that I could live in a beautiful and safe Bermuda.

I may not be able to leave my house open today, but there was a time I remember when people in my neighbourhood did so. I may not be able to freely go to a neighbour and ask to borrow a cup of sugar or flour, but I do remember a time when I was sent to the house next door to get a cup of flour or something.

I may not trust my children to play in everyone's yard, but I do remember a time when I could go over to Mr. Armstrong's yard, Mrs. Robinson's yard, Mrs. Allick's yard, Mrs. Simon's yard, Mrs. Rawlins' yard, or Mrs. Wolffe's yard and play until the sun went down.

Given this knowledge, I wonder why I should blame the present condition and state of Bermuda on others. Were we doing good until 1970 and then some boogey-man came and took us back to some slavery. No. We have made our own prison and it is located in our minds. The only people holding back most Bermudians are most Bermudians.

Apologies needed

Now, this is not to say that apologies are not needed. So here are my apologies. I apologize to Rosa Parks because now that we can sit anywhere on the bus, we prefer to sit at the back. Now that we have the privilege of sitting on the bus, we have our younger generations who sit on the bus and will not get up to offer a senior citizen a seat. I apologize.

I apologize to Rose Harvey, my principal at Elliott Primary School. I apologize because a part of her care to us was the rod of correction. Yes, Mrs. Harvey, thank you for the one time I got the ruler. I do apologize because now the ruler is seen as a cruel instrument of brutality, and so our children now take up canes, bats, and clubs and kill each other. I apologize.

I apologize to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because you stood for justice and making a better way for all of mankind. I apologize because where you wanted to bring races together, we in Bermuda are still bent on keeping the races apart. Whatever happened to "we are all of God's children"? I believe this, don't you?

I apologize to Mrs. Beverly Brock, my physical education teacher at West Pembroke Primary. I apologize because while you taught us to play sports fairly and you insisted that we keep the rules of the game, today our children play by their own rules. I apologize because parents have "dropped the ball" and we do not want to take the ownership. We want to play the blame game. I apologize.

I apologize to Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Dr. E. F. Gordon, and all of those who fought for black people to be free. I apologize because in our apparent mode of false freedom we have placed ourselves back in the worst slavery of all - mental slavery. With our quest for freedom we have enslaved ourselves in alcoholism, drugs, sexual perversion, and a hatred for godliness. I sincerely apologize.

Taking responsibility

What am I trying to say here Bermuda? We must stop playing the blame game for our present woes being the responsibility of anyone other than ourselves. Where we are today is a composite of every choice we have freely made.

What a shame, that when things do not work out we seek to cop out by placing blame on someone else. No! An empowered people have the power to do something. They can continue to become empowered or they can use that same power to destroy the things that past generations have fought for, thereby losing power. I apologize. Respice finem.

Rev. Dr. Maria Seaman serves as the pastor of Shekinah Worship Centre, worshipping at the Victor Scott Primary School, Glebe Road, Pembroke.[[In-content Ad]]

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