Importance of independent thinkers

Be that as it may, Maraj is not the only person who thinks I am biased because recently, a judge in one of our nation’s courts personally expressed to me his opinion that I seem to favour the UNC in my columns.

Now, notwithstanding the fact that I view Maraj’s recklessly public statement as maligning my character, I see both comments as confirmation that I am doing the right thing with my columns.

There honestly is no better feeling than knowing that I am an equal opportunity offender engendering animosity from both sides merely because of my innate ability to view situations without an ounce of bias; I call a spade a spade.

I cannot change the way a person interprets my words, but if my columns are read in isolation, it is quite easy to assume that I come down on one side of the fence, when in reality I don’t.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, the only party card I have is my Trinidad and Tobago identification card, which means I owe loyalty only to my God, my country and my family.

Trinidad and Tobago really needs more people who are willing to objectively process the news and give unbiased views on any political situation; otherwise we will never be able to see past the nonsense that is being passed off as policy by our governments.

In 1901, Albert Einstein said that “blind obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of the truth” and it is a quote that continues to guide my thought process.

Without any intention of sounding narcissistic or conceited, we need more people like me who are fearless independent thinkers that reject all notion of party before country.

I have given up on most of the older generation ever being independent thinkers because religious extremism, racism and blind party loyalty has been so entrenched in them by folks like Dr Eric Williams and Basdeo Panday that it appears near impossible to change their minds on any issue.

To this day, despite my best attempts, I cannot get party loyalists from either side to understand that their lives have hardly improved under the PNM, while it got far worse as a result of the UNC.

Consider this a clarion call for the youths to pick up the mantle to take our country forward.

Many of us have studied away, so we have had more exposure to the differences that exist in the world; we should be more open minded to individual choices and more willing to challenge the status quo and so-called conventional “wisdom”.

Of course, I am not trying to imply that all young people are independent liberals because that would be a lie.

When I first returned home, I experimented with the youth organisations of the PP who were in government at the time, the PNM and the MSJ, and it shocked me to see so many young — supposedly educated and intelligent — sycophants.

It did not take me long to realise that none of the sheeplings in these groups were interested in anything beyond what benefits the alignment would bring them.

It sickened me then and it sickens me now to recollect that experience.

There are way too many Trinbagonians who believe everything they hear from politicians; trust must always be a gift that has to be earned. If more of us would attempt to think independently and challenge everything we hear from politicians, it would open up a wealth of potential knowledge that will allow for more informed decision-making.

And those better informed decisions would eventually lead to the dismantling of the current corrupt two-party system.

As we’re on this topic, I have to thank the Newsday for the opportunity, support and guidance over the past years as I developed (hopefully) as a columnist. The editors have never attempted to stifle my opinions, nor have they attempted to impose whatever v i e w s t h e y m a y have on me.

T r u e i n d e - p e n - dence – I could n o t ask for more.