The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Perhaps it’s because people have such bad memories that we can listen to a Pastor pontificate about a Prime Minister who wants to be God, or wants to be “a” god and not remember that it is actually a class of Pastors who have had a hand in creating the political monsters we have had to deal with since 1967.

I am speaking about those “men of the cloth” who would have a word with their Member of Parliament or whoever the current Prime Minister was even before they checked with God.

Always found myself perturbed by the culturally accepted norm that as soon as a person was appointed as a Pastor or elected as a member of Parliament, they received an instant anointing from somewhere that equipped you with whatever gifts, talents or wisdom that was needed for the assignment ahead.

I don’t think that most Pastors who lambast the government or the Prime Minister are speaking for themselves.

There is a very disgruntled under sixty demographic who have spent their best years of their lives moving back and forward between different political alternatives and now are at a crossroads and there are no clear choices to make.

If you listen to the talk shows and keep watch on Facebook you can sense the uneasiness and volatility in many of the responses to some of the even mundane questions. It looks like there is a price to pay for our misuse of the opportunities afforded us from 1973.

I take notice of the coronavirus’s impact rates on nations that are larger and smaller than ours, especially those with a high literacy rate and intact social cultures; their rates have a much lower per-capita number that ours.

You are thinking how did I get from Pastors to COVID-19? Very intentionally. This pandemic presents us with an opportunity to adequately assess what and who is working for us.

It is not going to be enough for Pastors to get on the national stage and take issue with a situation that some of them have helped to create and encourage, and now want to play “bo-peep” with the sensibilities of persons who are going through some very rough times.

Leaders of all categories need to back up a bit and see this for what it is. A major adjustment, that is going to take skills they did not know they had or new skills they have to acquire.

I tell most of my friends that after they swing their feet over the bed, touch the floor and give God thanks for another day, only four things matter right now.

Farming, Fishing, Transportation and Toilet Paper, and everything we do right now revolves around those necessities.

Get used to different, get back to basics and use the digital framework and common sense to plot a path forward.

EDWARD HUTCHESON

Nassau,

October 29, 2020.