By Cyndie Demming
It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, “Great minds discuss ideas: Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.”
Hats off to the author(s) who coined the phrase - “silly season”. Indeed, we are in the “silly season of the political campaign in St. Kitts and Nevis and, believe it or not, I have high expectations for our politicians to behave in an acceptable manner. I know it would not be silly of me to ponder political maturity as we celebrate 26 years of nationhood!
Recently we have heard excellent examples of what I would call a blatant abuse of women in particular and personal attacks on people in general on the political platform. The case of sitting parliamentarians abusing women is not surprising to most of us. They were heard all over the world from their party’s platform at a public meeting pointedly calling and discriminating against the wife of a candidate of the People Action Movement. The use of defamatory and derogatory words like “cripple and invalid lying on the bed next to him”, is shameful, even to be uttered by the ordinary man on the street much less pillars of society and upstanding citizens whose lifestyles should be role models for our youth. Small wonder our misguided youth behave the way they do.
This is not the first time this type of attack was levied on women. I know of a case personally where during the 2005 political campaign, the campaign chair for the PAM was attacked by the Labour Party and by the leader himself when he incited supporters to dig the Chairwoman with a pin so that she can be deflated. This in itself is abuse in all forms including violence. The young lady in question showed political maturity and true leadership, thus dismissing the verbal attacks and abuse as political rhetoric.
The situations outlined are real and sad to say this foul and unacceptable conduct of political platform speakers has become a trend; it is now the norm for insults and personal attack of character assassination to be pelted from the platform under the guise of amusement for supporters. Though it frustrates most of us, many sit idly by and do nothing as if condoning wrong while the rest of us are simply afraid to speak up. I dear to be different, I am doing what I think is right because I will be criticised anyway. I call on and seek the support of the Labour candidate for Constituency 2, former Speaker of the House of Parliament, Marcella Liburd, who coincidentally shares a platform with men who have no respect for women; Ambassador Roslyn Hazelle; Director of Gender Affairs Ingrid Charles Gumbs; Acting Director of Gender Affairs Cecilia Christopher; members of Women NGO’s, like the National Women’s Group and Winning with Women; the Chamber of Industry and Commerce; the Evangelical Association; the Christian Council; all leaders of political parties - PAM, Labour, NRP, CCM, UNEP, and the Rastafarians to strongly condemn the attacks on Bernard Welsh’s wife and all personal attacks for that matter.
I implore political parties to raise the standard of the political campaign. Take the campaign to a level where intelligent people are not embarrassed to call themselves supporters of any particular party. Discuss issues and ideas, not personalities. Speak to how each citizen can contribute to a decrease in the national debt, how to curb the incidences of criminal activities, how to create an atmosphere where people are empowered and there is a robust job market and work opportunities, opportunities to evoke entrepreneurship.
In short, tell us, the electorate, how you are going to increase our spending power so as to generate a healthy circulation of money in the economy. Gone are the days when people vote based on family affiliation and association. The electorate is looking for leaders who can address in a positive way the challenges at hand in a manner that will create well needed change, effect growth in the economy, decrease crime, provide a safe environment, cause empowerment of the people and our nation, and find innovative ways to attract and retain investors in daunting financial global difficulties.
The challenges we face can be transformed into opportunities, but only when we stop the abuse of women. I admonish you to must stop the abuse of women NOW!
A word to the wise is enough.
