Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Dr. Fraser- Point of View
January 4, 2013

So, this is 2013

Well, we are into a new year, 2013. Many of us would have made New Year resolutions and some of us would have gone to church. To a large extent, these are more ritualistic than anything else. We feel we have to do them.

Outside of that feeling that we are expected to do these things there is no more meaning to them. We talk of the New Year, as if with the New Year, a new order of things has or will suddenly emerge. Monday was what we call Old Year’s Day.{{more}} Tuesday was New Year’s Day. All that has really happened is that Monday has given way to Tuesday. Despite our resolutions, little would have changed. No new order can come unless we make a special effort to put things in place.

The Searchlight newspaper, in its editorial in the issue of December 28 stated: “Importantly in 2013, we wish for a return to the good old-fashioned virtues of courtesy, kindness, thoughtfulness, empathy and respect for our fellow citizens, as these help to oil the machinery of day-to-day life and make the world a more pleasant place in which to live.” For some reason it extends its wish for a more pleasant place in which to live to the ‘world’.

In the long run that is good, because we are naturally a part of a broader entity, but let us first start with SVG. Just by wishing for these things are not going to make them a reality. 2013 is not by magic going to bring back to us the ‘good, old-fashioned virtues of courtesy.’ Empathy and respect for our fellow citizens are not going to emerge out of thin air. Of course, we wish for these things, but is our country putting anything in place to ensure that these happen? Even more, what do we need to put in place and whose responsibility is it?

We all, as citizens of this space, have the responsibility to do what we can in our particular spheres of operation. Very often we sit down and wait on government and naturally government has to create the kind of climate and environment that will allow all of us to make our contribution. This is easier said than done, because when we try to do these, the government feels that we are treading on sacred grounds that are reserved for them, as holy people. They are, however, even prepared to allow some of this to happen, but only when it fits in with what they want and does not in their view represent a criticism of how they function.

So, the issues identified by the editorial of the Searchlight are necessary, but how do we set about ensuring that we can make some progress on the way to restoring these values? I heard only a brief part of a sermon delivered by the Roman Catholic Bishop on Old Year’s Night. He spoke particularly about the divisiveness and hypocrisy in all areas of the society. He was certainly on the right track. Our focus quite often on these matters when we are discussing them is on government, but when we speak about leadership it should involve the private sector, non-governmental organisations, the churches, the schools, in fact all entities that make up what is St Vincent and the Grenadines. Leadership outside of government is often weak, full of hypocrisy, self-serving, politically partisan, sometimes corrupt. A number of organisations exist in name only, with only a few people functioning.

There are some who want the name and title, but without doing what they were selected to do.

So, here we go. The newspapers for December 28 highlighted a drug shoot- out in the Morne Ronde mountain, a security guard in Ribishi found dead with chop wounds. Barrouallie was quite active over the season. There were gunshots seemingly banging out the old year at a function at a disco on Boxing Day. Then there was a boat ride that went hopelessly wrong and had to be abandoned when fighting broke out on the boat. Are we going to abandon all this nonsense out of respect for the New Year? No, it does not happen like this. We hear that there were 28 homicides for 2012, up from the 25 in 2011.

But that was on December 28 and this might have gone up by December 31.

The News in its year end issue focused on some of the harsh realities of 2012; the economic climate, shortage of basic items at the hospital, vulgar lyrics on some mini-vans and the talk during the year of demon possession, particularly at schools. The Vincentian newspaper asked that we separate fact from fiction and called for our collective effort, since only this will guarantee our survival.

So, a lot has been thrown on the table for 2013. The big question is where do we go from here? Admittedly we have to separate fact from fiction, for we can only work with the realities. We have a big problem here because many of us tend to see fact where there is fiction. We deny reality even when it stares us in our faces. So, before we try to come up with solutions, let us ensure that we are dealing with what really exists and not with fantasy or an overblown imagination.

Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Villa woman in  hospital after being stabbed over 20 times
    Front Page
    Villa woman in hospital after being stabbed over 20 times
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Police are said to be carrying out investigations into the stabbing of Rafia Sardine, a 20-year-old female of Villa. Reports are that Sardine, a FLOW ...
    RSVGPF most hacked of gov’t agencies
    Front Page
    RSVGPF most hacked of gov’t agencies
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    In St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), an analysis has found that the most hacked government entity was the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Polic...
    Event staged locally to mark Africa/ Caricom Day
    Front Page
    Event staged locally to mark Africa/ Caricom Day
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Leaders of Governments and institutions from countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and the continent of Africa, gathered at the weekend for ...
    PM, proud of his constituents
    Front Page
    PM, proud of his constituents
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is proud of the persons in his constituency who continue to aim for higher education. Dr Gonsalves is the parliame...
    Van conductor to be sentenced for beating pregnant ex-girlfriend
    Front Page
    Van conductor to be sentenced for beating pregnant ex-girlfriend
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    A van conductor, who beat his five- months pregnant ex-girlfriend after she refused to get back with him, has been remanded pending sentencing. Onez J...
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    To the haunting timeless reggae melody of Jimmy Cliff’s classic ‘Journey’, Curtis King, who was selected as the candidate for the Unity Labour Party (...
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    News
    King selected again for the ULP in West St George
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    To the haunting timeless reggae melody of Jimmy Cliff’s classic ‘Journey’, Curtis King, who was selected as the candidate for the Unity Labour Party (...
    Steel wielding Lowman’s Hill man to be sentenced tomorrow
    From the Courts, News
    Steel wielding Lowman’s Hill man to be sentenced tomorrow
    Webmaster 
    September 9, 2025
    A Lowman’s Hill man who struck another villager in his head with a piece of steel will know his fate tomorrow, September 10, 2025. Kevin Roberts, 25, ...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok