Is patriotism dead?

My mind turned to this sanctifying word, patriot, when I read, once again, about the murderous ravaging of our “national bird,” the Scarlet Ibis, in what is called “the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.” It was an unpatriotic act.

You see, there are things that represent the country, the nation.

For example, the flag or national anthem, the “national bird,” must be respected and defended too.

Small as these may appear, our attitudes to them reflect some degree of patriotism. But you see, we cannot expect only the “small man,” the “untitled, ordinary” citizen, to obey the laws or be patriotic. This is porous patriotism.

When highly-positioned persons go and shoot down the scarlet ibis, or buy them with impunity, what you expect to happen lower down? Curried scarlet ibis has grown into a boastful dish at high-class parties.

But who cares? A high-priced lawyer will take care of that. It has happened before.

It is this same attitude towards dumping rubbish, digging up the hills, stinking up the rivers and beaches with bottles, paper boxes and what else is left behind after serving personal pleasures. The next person to use this polluted space could go to hell. That is why I still feel sorry for Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Kazim Hosein.

The message from his National Clean-Up Campaign has not yet sunk in. The rubbish and junk are still being dumped with the regional corporations and related authorities refusing to understand that without well-placed dumpsters, the rubbish will flow untidily. But perhaps, the unpatriotic corruption Mr Hosein is now discovering at some corporations is connected.

PM Dr Keith Rowley has already spoken about the corruption-garbage gathering connection.

State corruption and ‘tiefing,’ like shooting the Scarlet Ibis and polluting our rivers and beaches, shows a lack of patriotism, no care for the country’s welfare.

I am angry about the Scarlet Ibis but also about our rivers and beaches. Local tourism? Marine CEPEP? Litter wardens? Our youths don’t know how the rivers and beaches used to be. You could have clearly seen the fishes in the river water. Crayfish, guabin and catfish too.

With all these councillors, corporations, ministries and legislation around, you ask yourself, “what went wrong?” We got independence, but too many people it seems, still don’t feel this country belongs to them.

The inefficiency, neglect and irresponsibility of public officials also reflect a lack of patriotism.

In fact, look around, you are more likely to see more selfishness and self-serving postures than the patriotism this young, independent country requires for its development.

In fact, high level platform speeches about patriotism often make things worse. The speakers lack credibility themselves.

The amount of “trust” people have in their institutions provides crucial relief against selfishness and renegade individualism. A culture of selfishness and lack of patriotism has grown to the extent that people feel those who should care for them do not care.

Patriotism, it seems, is a two-way street. Beyond aesthetics and civic character, patriotism drives economic progress too.

So as we shyly approach the country’s 55th Independence Anniversary, the most pressing question today is “how patriotic is our post-colonial population?” We have not fought any war. We had no need to defend the country from an invading army. Countries which have fought wars to be liberated or to defend their freedoms, the blood and scars from common cause have inspired patriotism.

This word “selfishness” means “concerned only with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.” Killing the Scarlet Ibis was for “personal pleasure,” not a patriotic act. Of course, pleasure-seeking, energised by a spirit of independence, has been a trigger for capitalism and even economic progress.

Today, is it that the struggles for personal status and wealth within the country’s multi-sectoral, multi-ethnic, politically pluralistic structure have t h r o w n up overwhelming bar r i e r s a g a i n s t the practice of patriotism? Is patriotism dead?