Newton’s third law of Physics states that, “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Based on my observations, this statement can be applied not only to the field of science but also to our interactions as human beings. Newton’s law simply refers to the fact that every interaction involves a pair of forces acting on the interacting objects. There is an action and a reaction.
We have seen actions and reactions at play in respect of interactions in the media over the past several weeks, in relation to the incident between a hotel guest and an employee that resulted in the death of the employee. It has been interesting, and in many instances disheartening, to follow the postings, particularly on social media as supporters of Kenny Mitchell (the hotel employee) and Scott Hapgood (the hotel guest) share their stories with the media. My attention has been attracted not so much by the different versions set out by each side in their postings, but rather by the responses of persons to the fact that such postings are occurring.
Why would one group assume that they have the right to tell their story but the other group does not? After all, for every action one expects that there will at least be an equal and opposite reaction. It is unrealistic to expect that a media attack will not attract a reaction from the subject of the attack. In fact inhuman interactionsreactions are very likely to exceed the initial actions. Sometimes the initiator of the initial attack discovers that he/she is ill equipped to properly respond to the reaction to his/her initial action. It is my humble view that it is always wise to assess the weaponry and armory available to you before launching an attack.
I have heard many wise and older heads in our community refer to the wisdom of fighting your wars with guile rather than to engage in a direct and poorly thought out attack. While the word guile can connote negative concepts such as trickery and dishonesty, older heads generally used the word to connote the need to be smart in your dealings so as to achieve your desired goal with little resistance, rather than to push ahead in an obvious way, demonstrating your clear intention and allowing others to resist or even prevent the achievement of your desired goal.
What does the call for justice for Kenny actually mean? It is unclear to me whether those who call for justice for Kenny will consider justice to have been served once Scott Hapgood returns to Anguilla and stands trial for manslaughter, or whether only the return of a verdict of guilty of manslaughter will be considered as justice for Kenny. Whatever the call for justice for Kenny is intended to mean, I believe it would be wise for persons calling for justice for Kenny to consider whether their actions and words will serve to achieve what they consider to be justice for Kenny.
From my perspective, the ‘brute force’ approach taken to achieving ‘justice for Kenny’ might very well serve to impede the achievement of that desired goal. The anger expressed at the counter response in the media to the call for justice for Kenny suggests that those calling for justice for Kenny did not properly contemplate their game plan, before entering the field of battle. Guile, as envisaged by our forebears, contemplates strategising before engaging in action. Today, it appears to be more often the case that we dive right in without strategising and, instead, simply respond to the reaction our actions cause. All this achieves is a seesaw effect where we engage in the constant exertion of force against each other, while making no real progress towards achieving our stated goal. Sadly, the battle being played out in the media between supporters of Kenny Mitchell and those of Scott Hapgood is but a reflection of how most persons currently seem to pursue their goals.
Many of us, here in Anguilla, have been slow to achieve our stated goals because we have been forging ahead without having first devised a well-thought-out strategic plan designed to guide us through the process of achieving our desired and stated goals. It is my hope that, at the very least, the media interactions surrounding the cry for justice for Kenny will serve to emphasise the need to engage in strategic thinking before taking action.
Will the employment of guile be a valued stratagem going forward?
