Nasty politics and downright disrespect

EDITOR: Much has been made of comments by the Prime Minister regarding the Leader of Opposition, and rightly so. While the comments made were in poor taste, it is not unusual for distasteful remarks to come from political platforms. Where such comments rear their ugly heads one should apologize promptly.

The Prime Minister chose incomprehensibly to put his foot in it again by commenting on his Blackness. The fire was further fueled by the Prime Minister’s reference to his Portuguese heritage.

{{more}}What really seems to have driven the situation into a state of ravenous frenzy was the Prime Minister’s categorization of four specific individuals from the leadership of the NDP as roast breadfruits.

With the country already split down partisan political lines, supporters of the NDP took hold of these unfortunate comments and seemed intent on breathing racism into life in this country.

Does anyone in SVG honestly believe that the Prime Minister hates Black people? Be truthful! Why then is the NDP so persistent on the issue? It is a shameful, desperate, and irresponsible attempt to garner support for the NDP.

I am very upset. Men for whom I had respect have now shown themselves to be so enthralled with the quest for power they have become as unprincipled as the very persons whom they chided as rabble-rousers and lawbreakers.

To the Leader of the Opposition: you Sir are frequently hailed as Mr Clean. How clean are you? You hired the host of the ‘New Times’ program to be spokesperson for the NDP. Every day for more than four and a half years now, the New Times host has pulled down and verbally attacked countless Black Professionals in this country.

His arsenal includes such gems as BOOT LICKERS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER, DUNCE, BOY BEACH, and BOY GEORGE among others.

Based on these highly disrespectful comments toward black professionals from the ranks of the ULP, are we to assume that the New Times host and by extension the Opposition Leader are racist toward black people?

In all the time the New Times host has carried on, we have neither seen nor heard of any attempt by the Opposition Leader to have the host modify his behaviour or apologize for any of his remarks.

On the contrary by his own words on the very same program, the Opposition Leader thinks that the host is doing a bang up job, a bang up job teaching young and old how to disrespect their

leadership and their peers on behalf of the Opposition Leader and the NDP!

After four-and-a-half years of downright disrespect, NDP has the audacity to claim that their campaign is the cleanest. Shame on you!

What is good for the Goose is good for the Gander. By all means, where the Prime Minister and the ULP have been disrespectful take them to task.

However we cannot take one side to task and pretend not see what the other side has been doing every day for four-and-a-half years.

In this latest attempt to further divide our country, what NDP has unwittingly done is to bring into sharp relief, how many black people feel about themselves. It is quite clear we do not at all have a healthy, secure self image.

This is particularly true of young black males. When the Prime Minister publicly owned his Portuguese heritage, many took it to mean he was saying he was better than them. I personally took the comment to mean that the Prime Minister loved himself the way he was made. I have said it before, I feel the same way about myself, “I am a formidable specimen wonderfully made”.

Don’t play this game. What we say to and about each other is heard around the world, you never know who is looking on. Don’t exploit peoples’ insecurities. People who don’t love themselves can’t love.

SALT