I believe that the vast majority of persons who call Anguilla “home” by birth or by choice, whether resident on island or abroad, are quite disappointed, disgusted and often embarrassed, by the very low level of politics in Anguilla. This is evidenced by the low, low standard of debate and decorum in the Honourable House of Assembly and, with few exceptions, in the political speeches made in public from the podium. I felt humiliated and insulted recently when a group of us were told that there are persons in Anguilla who call up their friends when the Honourable House of Assembly is meeting telling them to tune in to the radio station because the “comedy hour is on”. I personally have heard several young people in Anguilla say at different times something like this: “Who me, I no longer listen to the House.”
Whatever one may think of those comments, they do reflect the attitude of many Anguillians, at home and abroad, and it is an indisputable fact that on most occasions the behavoiur and comments of members, and the level of debate in the Honourable House, fall far below the standard of what is expected and what can be called “honourable”. On one hand, I am appealing to you the honourable members of the House to consider seriously your role as legislators and decision-makers for this island. What you say and do in the House will either add value to Anguilla or result in a devaluation of all of us. I am also appealing to you the citizens of Anguilla to no longer accept behavior that is below the dignity of the office. We must hold our leaders in every field accountable especially those who hold high office. We must hold them to high standards of truth, behaviour, ethics and performance. Let us say goodbye to mediocrity, indecency, falsifications and the like, and let us all welcome and work to build a new Anguilla. If we don’t somebody else will and we will all perish.
As this year rolls on, and as the election fever rises to higher levels, I wish to encourage everyone to be deliberate and stay on high ground and remind your friends and others to do the same. In this connection, I wish to highlight two articles which appeared in The Anguillian for Friday, 7th February 2014. One was written by Mr. Victor Banks and the other by Mr. N. Ashton Bradley. I highlight them because they were not negative as so many of their articles have been in the past, although there was the occasional not-so-negative and positive one. Indeed, there was something quite positive about these two articles and I do hope that this signals a definite and needed change. If people, especially the young are fed with negativity from leaders and shapers of thought, all the time or most of the time, they will definitely be influenced to think and behave negatively. I have long held the view that the constant and strong notes of negativism which our children and youth hear regularly coming from politicians, and others, are contributing significantly to the low level of our social ethos and the high level of crime and violence. I therefore appeal as strongly as I can to all who use the media to be as analytical, objective and positive as you can so that you can help lift the tone of our social ethos.
I like the list of ‘dos and donts in Mr. Banks’ article. If I may be presumptuous, I would suggest that he should provide some more at a later date, and consider republishing the list. Our voters need all the good and sound advice they can be given so that they can be equipped to “vote wisely.”
My concern, however, is with the first part of the article. Sir, your long experience of more than thirty years in the political arena has certainly qualified you to speak with authority about the challenges one is likely to face once that individual decides to “throw your towel.” You pointed out that such an individual becomes “fair game for everyone desirous of putting your business on the street or dragging your name in the mud” with lies, half-truths, and total fabrications, and that even one’s family is not off limits. Over the thirty plus years of your involvement you would have had more than your fair share of that abuse. One can therefore appreciate your comments that “it is not a bed of roses”, or the comment of one of your good friends that “it is a dirty job … but somebody has to do it.” You concluded: “Indeed, the circumstances of one’s birth, and the manner of the same, may become the subject of many debates and discussions throughout the campaign. Anything and everything goes.”
My great disappointment with this first part of your article is that in it you seem to accept that negative mudslinging, character assassination, lies, fabrications, rumours, vicious attacks, and the like, are a necessary part of the political campaign process, and that this time there will be more of the same. My point is that it is not, and the sooner we do things differently and more honourably the better.
In my judgment your column would have been much more positive and “statesmanlike” if you had made a strong and passionate plea for every politician and their supporters to “raise the bar” by changing from the negative to the more objective and issues oriented campaigning. To set the stage for your list of dos and donts, you could have appealed to all concerned to refrain from indulging in personal and family attacks, rumours, innuendos and lies of any kind, and instead stick to the facts and to the objective analysis of policies and decisions and their impact on the island in general and the livelihood of people. Your long years in the forefront of our politics have made you eminently qualified to make that appeal, and then to lead by example. I believe others would follow. Even now it is not too late to do so.
I am a firm believer, and I repeat again, that “politics is by nature a good thing.” I will never agree with anyone who says “it is a dirty job.” Like every other job, vocation or career, politics has its own unique set of opportunities, challenges and temptations, and I would insist in saying that the “dirt” and “smut” and other negatives that we associate with politics are there because of some of the practitioners and some of their supporters. If disrespectful persons become politicians they will make politics disrespectful. In St. Matthew 7:16, Jesus enunciated a fundamental principle of human character and behavior which is still relevant. It is this: A good tree bears good fruit and a corrupt tree bears corrupt fruit. The actual quote is this: “You will know them by their fruits … every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Later on, in the New Testament, St. Paul alluding to this same principle in a passage captioned “Rules for the New Life” writes: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up.”
I believe that the time has come for all of us, politicians and supporters alike, to make a deliberate change to significantly lift the level and tone of politics in Anguilla. The mudslinging, character assassination , half-truths, etc., have not led to progress, and never will. Citizens in general are now disgusted by it, and so my appeal is for politicians to abandon that unhelpful rhetoric. We need to shift to an “issues oriented” form of campaigning.
Citizens, you must say to those who are asking for your vote, “Tell us clearly what you are going to do that will bring progress to Anguilla and help us live better.” Anyone who does not answer the question satisfactorily, or who makes empty promises, does not deserve your vote.
I believe that it would be a very useful and great thing if all the politicians and aspirants can get together and agree that in, going forward, they will commit to certain guidelines and covenants that will ensure honour and nobility in politics. This will not mean that the content of their speeches, discussions, debates and presentations will be the same. However, it will mean that all politicians and their supporters will observe certain principles and ethical standards, and will not fall below but rise to a certain level. This will be a challenge but it is possible and, as we embrace challenge in a creative way and in the interest of the “higher good” for all, everyone will benefit. Without wishing to be simplistic that higher good must mean genuine national progress which puts people first, better standards of living because they have the means of livelihood, and a sense of identity, purpose and hope, genuine love and concern for our neighbours because we value our humanity, and justice and fairness for all because of the supremacy of the rule of law.
Going forward then, we need men and women of quality and creative leadership capacity who are selfless but committed to this higher good, and herein lies the goodness of politics.
