Real way out of our racial problems

THE EDITOR: Amidst all the news about the Ken Gordon led initiative to do something about the deteriorating race relations in the country there was an interesting article in the newspaper (that apparently went unnoticed by most) describing an incident that illustrates the root cause of most of the problems of this country, including the one of race. The incident occurred on the occasion of the handover of keys to owners of houses on the recently completed NHA housing project at River Estate. One of the beneficiaries (probably a PNM supporter) was reported to have made what appeared to have been quite a valid complaint which has not been denied by Government (if anything the reported response from Government officials suggests the facts to be true). The complaint was about an agreement with Government for the delivery of a house of some 1500 square feet in floor area at a price of $295,000 and the fact that what the beneficiary received was one of 1023 square feet (a reduction in area of some 31 per cent) with no change in price or plausible explanation.

This in simple language appears to be a breach of contract that can be challenged in Law. It may well be unethical and to the best of my knowledge has never been tried even by the most unscrupulous of private sector developers. In this instance the charge was against the Government and defended by some strange logic only understood by Cabinet Ministers and their blind supporters. While there may be reasons for Government failing to deliver on its commitment to citizens, what cannot be forgiven is the self righteous, arrogant and insensitive manner in which Government dismissed the beneficiary’s complaint without any attempt at settlement. Issues like this one and several others pertaining to morality, ethics, leadership, loyalty, corruption, patriotism, et cetera xwould seemingly not be addressed by the Gordon initiative with its reported focus on race relations (also, the similarity between this focus and the current one of the UNC, and the fact that there is no clear acknowledgement of the fact that racism contributes more to the marginalisation of blacks than it does to any other race, have made many blacks suspicious of the initiative).

The Gordon programme also calls for Constitutional Reform but I am one of those who do not see how this will alter, to any meaningful extent, our society or improve the quality of our leadership when the present Constitution, not for the first time, can be publicly breached by a Minister in his dealings with a citizen — and no one cries foul or publicly insists on fair play. This is not to say that there is no need for such reform but at this stage whatever has to be done must begin and end with all of us taking responsibility for our country and by extension each other —whatever the cost. I understand and acknowledge that our problems begin (ok, perhaps began) in the realm of politics with the exploitation and perpetuation of the negative aspects of race by our politicians, leaders and the few others who also benefit from having these social fissures open and festering. I also understand that in such a system there is considerable room for politicians to betray their own race since they really only stoke the racial insecurity in order to create a demand for their “protection” against what are perceived threats from other races.

Of course when they are successful they benefit in the form of power, money, etc (a formula not unlike that used by gangsters, the mafia), and they will harvest these benefits even, and often, at the expense of members of their own race. Indeed, they will even form alliances across the same racial lines, with the supposed “enemy”, in order to ensure fulfilment of such personal benefits. How can we then attempt to deal with the problem of race without tackling the politics? Isn’t the real way out of this to identify and define goals and programmes that are in the national interest and therefore common to all races? Couldn’t this be done by asking acknowledged representatives of each race to put forward (at the same time) what they would like to see done in the interest of country? Isn’t it just possible that there may be enough agreement among the races on such goals and programmes that, after agreeing an implementation programme, there could be enough work to keep us all busy for the next generation?

Such a programme coupled with a united approach to winning our country back from the proliferation of foreign companies (disguised as local ones) who exploit our personal and national weaknesses (lack of patriotism, corruptibility/greed, lack of leadership) so as to steal our patrimony. I may appear to have strayed somewhat but my essential point is that race is the handmaiden of our politics and therefore cannot be dealt with in isolation. It also cannot be dealt with by our present crop of politicians and leaders since it will bring about the demise of the type of politics that keeps their rank and file in place. The example of the River Estate incident related at the beginning was meant to highlight how the Constitution and politics fail us, how we fail each other and where the Gordon initiative comes up short in its failure to include measures that can serve to improve the quality of our leadership, instill in us a strong sense of belonging and love for country and lift our moral and spiritual values. Of course, I do not for a moment think that Gordon and his colleagues have unveiled their full plan and hope I have not preempted part of what is to come in the future.

EUGENE A REYNALD
Port-of-Spain