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
      • 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
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
R. Rose - Eye of the Needle
December 13, 2019

“Larn’ Yo’ Lessons Well”

We like to recall the early days of our life and the sage advice of our Grannies –“Larn yo’ lessons well”. In so doing, Granny was referring not only to our education in school but the lessons of life in general.

It is a critical piece of advice which we have not always heeded, to our detriment. For too many of us, that bit of advice is often restricted to our formal education and we fail to heed or understand the lessons of everyday life. We are the worse off because of it.

One glaring example of this weakness of ours is the field of politics and among the biggest culprits are political parties and politicians, real and imagined. So bent are these on believing their own propaganda that they continually ignore the lessons from their teacher, the electorate, and attempt to spin the teaching of reality to suit their own purposes. No wonder that the failure rate in the Caribbean in this category is so high!

Each general election fought in the Caribbean brings with it a rich body of lessons which ought to enrich the education of this group of persons and better equip them for their own challenges ahead. Sadly, our collective experience has demonstrated either a refusal or incapacity to absorb the lessons. After each round we resort either to triumphalism, mistakenly believing that winning at the polls is a blanket endorsement of all that we do and say, or to “rejectionism” and what I would call “Oppositionism”, more strident opposition to all things on the other side, good and bad alike.

Let us take the recent elections in Dominica as an example, for the lessons are fresh and right before us. As in almost every country where elections are held, including that of the leading lecturer in “democracy”, the USA, there seems to be controversy over the electoral system and the conduct of elections. Yet for some strange reason we seem not to want to fix our problems by rational and intelligent discussion and consensus, but by political confrontation and resort to the courts. We have had precious little to show for it. Public education and engagement will surely realize more benefits, but these do not suit our warped political perceptions.

Among the biggest bones of contention are always the Voters List and its accuracy. It is a critical area which has bearing on who is registered and important aspects such as voter identification.

No one can deny the centrality of these to the conduct of elections and it is therefore vital that agreement be arrived at on such issues well in advance of elections so that these administrative issues do not cloud our choices of whom we should trust to govern our nation’s affairs. Dominica has again demonstrated to us that we must collectively address any loopholes real or imagined, before we embark on our next exercise.

Yet there is a teaching from Granny that is forgotten. That is the old saying that “prevention is better than cure”. Thus if political parties would spend time on familiarity with not just the List, but with people in their communities, not only will they be in a better position to carry out the tasks of vigilance on election day, but they would also make it very difficult for fraud to be committed and save a lot of time and money on expensive court cases which resolve nothing, or on vitriolic campaigns which spread more hate than produce results.

Talking of campaigns of hate and violence, Dominica again demonstrated the futility of that approach. Clearly the electorate gave a verdict on that, though ‘Duncy Head and company’ seem not to understand. Amusingly, I hear some local folk here making reference to what is called “the road-block revolution” of 2000. If, 20 years after, there are still politicians who believe that it was the road-blocks of that time which gave the ULP victory in the 2001 elections, then they must go back to the political school. If you do not understand our history, you are incapable of leading.

The lessons of Dominica would be incomplete unless we focus on the critical areas of campaign financing and related to it, the controversial Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes. The victory of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) in the face of exposures and allegations of abuse of the system and how it can be used to exploit our ‘open sesame’ approach to campaign financing, can cause these issues to be swept under the carpet. We must not allow this to happen for campaign financing has gone far beyond our control and has grave implications for our democracy. The finger-pointing should not be at the conduct of parties but at the system itself, it is an open invitation to corruption and the continued domination of the majority by the moneyed class.

Those are the lessons which we can take home for our homework over the Christmas season so that we can show Granny in 2020 that “We larn’ our lessons well”.

Renwick Rose is a community activist and social commentator.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Front Page
    Domestic worker killed at Long Wall
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    FAMILY MEMBERS of a woman who was killed at Long Wall say they suspect their relative was hacked by a person they all know very well. On Tuesday, Sept...
    NDP never built a single house in SVG – Finance Minister
    Front Page
    NDP never built a single house in SVG – Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE IDEA THAT HOUSING is a right, that every Vincentian has a right to safe and secure housing, and that the government has a role to play in ensuring...
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Front Page
    No bail for Police officer charged with attempted murder
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A POLICE OFFICER, who allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend 26 times about her body was remanded even as his lawyer argued that the Royal St Vincent and...
    New ULP Administration will roll out AI policy
    Front Page
    New ULP Administration will roll out AI policy
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A NEW UNITY LABOUR PARTY ADMINISTRATION will be rolling out an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy to embrace its positives and guard against the nega...
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversary
    Front Page
    Sandy Bay Secondary School marks 20th Anniversary
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 9,2025 was a memorable day for the staff and students of the Sandy Bay Secondary School, which was marking its 20th anniversary wi...
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    News
    Foundation implements community driven project in SVG
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    THE ASHLEY LASHLEY Foundation, with support from the United States Government, is implementing a local-level project entitled “Community-Driven Strate...
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    News
    Skills not available locally, non-nationals have to be hired says Finance Minister
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    NON- NATIONALS ARE being hired to fill several jobs in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) simply because locals did not have the required skill sets....
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    News
    Montgomery Daniel squashes rumours that he’s sick
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Montgomery Daniel has sought to clear around rumours that have been circulating relating to his health. Speaking on NBC radio on...
    $1.3 billion in Tourism investment to yield 2,000 jobs – Camillo
    News
    $1.3 billion in Tourism investment to yield 2,000 jobs – Camillo
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    The GOVERNMENT of St Vincent and the Grenadines is set to sign agreements for tourism investment of $1.3 billion on mainland St.Vincent. On Monday, Se...
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    From the Courts, News
    Bagga’ man pleads guilty to illegal gun, ammo possession
    Webmaster 
    September 12, 2025
    A BARROUALLIE MAN will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to being in illegal possession of a firearm and eight rounds of ammunition. Demron...

    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