Independent thinking and low self-esteem

My experience in the 1970s of assisting with what was then called “reconstructing” TT was met with apprehension and much defensive thinking. Accusations like these ran through the discourse of my identity, “You en like the PNM” or “She is a communist.” My work was done, in conjunction with others, to establish and deliver in a timely manner more than one government initiative essential for our country.

However, I felt my professional engagement was minimised by some in political authority or by PNM members.

Broome’s critique, I believe, applies to the 21st century, therefore I am amazed that demon has not left us.

People still seem to feel threatened or embarrassed when others point to new ideas to effect/transform the shape of things positively in the nation.

The eye of politicism rears its head.

Politicism is like religion, racism, sexism etc — you belong to one group so you can disparage the other and vice versa. It is not based on reason, and its non-ethics are harmful to all human relations.

I reflect on Broome’s other point with the question: where are we going as Trinidadians/ Tobagonians? He names the younger generation “sycophants.” Thinking hard, I have to agree with him, yet the issue frightens me as I am an idealist, with a hope that young people with conscious intelligence might reform public attitude.

Because tall buildings and oil and gas finds alone do not constitute effective human development; they may just disrupt it.

Yet, when I take a mere dip into our history I recognise that our inheritance of the ideology of early oppressors dominates; we have assimilated too much of it. Briefly we have sights on “rags to riches”: settling into “we en bizness” when we “get troo.” It is hard for me to come up with a solution.

However, I feel attempts perpetuated by people like Broome and me are intentional to promote a critical and compassionate environment enhancing strategies for human development.

I remain conscious of my hard work, which made positive contributions to my country, from my young adulthood, both at home and in the diaspora.

I must conclude with a belief that the nation manifests some measure of low self-esteem when it cannot embrace independent and critical thinking when carried out by citizens whose actions are riveted to our country as a whole, and nothing else.

DR YVONNE BOBB-SMITH educator, librarian, author