Be honest: this is about discrediting Marc Bean

“Ulterior motives” is the phrase that came to mind when MP Terry Lister and the Premier Michael Dunkley put the bill to drug test MPs and Senators forward in the House of Assembly.

In my humble opinion, the motion was tabled for nothing other than ulterior political reasons; an attempt to attack the credibility of individuals whom they suspect may be committing some kind of wrongdoing. 

There is a saying that my Jamaican buddies used to say: “Bucket wid hole a battam nuh have no business down ah riverside”. 

The meaning of this is that you can’t expect to hold credibility by criticizing others if you have similar faults of your own; the principle of making sure your backyard is clean before you come and talk about someone else. 

Perhaps one of the MPs that brought the motion had never heard the saying; as he found himself performing rhetorical gymnastics of Olympic proportions trying to defend and deflect from his own alleged dubious past.

Typical UBP tactics

Over the past week I’ve witnessed the heightened personal attack on Opposition Leader Marc Bean. Typical UBP tactics. If you can’t beat them, take them out, because you’ve got to win by any means necessary. Let’s be frank, this is part of an attempt to discredit the Opposition Leader and a few others; an attempt to try and show that these individuals are not capable of governing Bermuda.

Firstly, allow me to say that I do understand and support wholeheartedly the principle that our leaders and lawmakers should not break the law. 

Leaders should conduct their job with the greatest degree of integrity. As we should all understand, however, no one is perfect. We will definitely understand this when we look in the House of Assembly where we see our ‘Honourable’ MPs include individuals with a dubious personal track record. All of them voted for the bill to pass, and did so in the name of honour and morality. 

Funny, one might say, hypocritical another might say. For me, however, I am a firm believer that the past is the past and I give these individuals the benefit of the doubt as I believe that what they may have done in the past and in the privacy of their own home hasn’t prohibited them from doing some positive things for their constituents.

Having said that, let’s say for instance we have a public servant who is productive in representing his or her constituents and their views, and productively assisting in the passing of bills and laws that prove to be for the betterment of society; a brilliant individual that unites the people. Should that public servant now be prohibited from doing the great things they do for the community and his or her constituents because they, in the privacy of their own home, occasionally consume marijuana? In my humble opinion, the motion that was just passed suggests just that.

The bill was brought as part of a move riddled with ulterior political motives; a total disregard for the time that could have been used to do something that will better the people of this country. 

Something’s wrong

Bermuda, we must ask ourselves: how does the bill benefit us a people? When we have scholarships being cut for our kids who seek to further their education, jobs being made redundant every day, and the price of living skyrocketing, our public servants are debating to drug test MPs and Senators. 

Something isn’t right with that picture. We deserve better, let’s demand from our government that they start passing bills, debating motions, and creating laws that will see our youth prosper,  benefit us as a people, and unite us as a country.