I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. Tired of the social media warfare – the voice notes, memes, tiktok, whatsapp messages – all of it. I’m tired of the “tit for tat, butter for fat” mentality that seems to pervade all aspects of our community and our institutions. None of it is serving the country well. Instead, it only serves to promote chaos, discord and a sense of instability, none of which is productive. It seems that the country is being sucked down the drain in a swirling pool of mud.
There is nothing to be gained from all of this mudslinging, name-calling and the like. While there may be some dissatisfaction with Government and its institutions, the obvious attempts to dismantle them are causing more harm than good. At this critical juncture, when Anguilla is attempting to turn the corner in this pandemic and reboot the economy, the last thing we need is for there to be a lack of investor confidence in Anguilla – due to political volatility. Who can take us seriously when we unleash our rhetoric for consumption by the whole wide world? Who can respect us when we use dirty tactics to silence critics? Who can trust us when we only divulge the truth when it is politically convenient? Who can save us when we seem intent on destroying ourselves?
I am by no means suggesting that there is no room for constructive criticism. There should always be room for mature discourse and analysis of issues affecting us, even when views diverge. However, our current situation is an indication that we are far from a position of maturity. In fact, like infants we squeal and squirm to get attention, but we are yet to properly articulate the issues. We revert to name-calling, defamatory statements and ridicule because we are not mature enough to engage in meaningful debate. We hide behind memes, whatsapp messages and the like, because we aren’t mature enough to stand behind our statements. We put on our boxing gloves and fight fire with fire, rumour with rumour, allegation with counter-allegation, because we aren’t sufficiently mature to address the real issues and work collaboratively to devise solutions.
We are so busy being divided, that we cannot see that Anguilla needs our collective wisdom, talent, skills and experience. Anguilla needs all of us – the best of each of us. Are our words and actions helping to build Anguilla, or are they only serving our selfish purposes? Will they benefit Anguilla in the long term or fulfil our temporary impulses? Is this the best that we can do for this island we call our home?
I would dare to say that we have lost our way. We are caught in a vicious cycle of discontentment which drives us to tear-down and start over, again and again – governments, organisations, boards, programmes and the list goes on. As a result no real progress is made, but discontentment grows. The only way past this, is our own realisation that we are self-destructing coupled with a conscious effort to change course. Nobody wants to be on a boat headed for the rocks. It is time for all of us to cry: “hard lee!”
