The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS MAY 7th approaches, all registered voters and people who we think are registered will be faced with a common problem.

Someone is going to tell you how you should be voting.

PLP, FNM, DNA or Independent it really does not matter, someone's representative or even the candidate is going to get in your face and attempt to have a one-sided discussion with you, based on their overly informed opinion.

I would implore you to have the discussion, and, listen carefully to what they are saying.

Those who would be fair will give you their opinion and not try to "win the argument".

Those who would try to win the argument will be coming from an environment where discussion is not really allowed, a place where persons dressed in the same colours are routinely slapped down for expressing views that are dissimilar or not as radical as they should be.

Those who speak to you must be qualified to speak, and their speech should be such that they can have a discussion and walk away pleased that they had an opportunity to speak to a person who did not get all "yuck up", because something was said that they did not agree with.

There are winners and losers in each election, but the real winners are the persons who can look over the fence or May 8th and say, "Good morning" to their neighbour, sincerely.

We have to realise, that no matter who the winners or losers are, there are still couple of days left in that week, and those days are the beginning of another five year period where the colour of your flag or T-shirt has nothing to do with the routine responsibilities of life.

If you do not see it this way, you may have to find a Pastor, psychiatrist or liquor store, if things do not go your way on May 7th.

EDWARD HUTCHESON

Nassau,

April 21, 2012.