Behind These Castle Walls...

while it really seem like the kings life seem glamorous
as seen through the eyes of untrained amateurs
because the camera's don't see beyond the walls of the smiles
only counts until it falls in the pile - T.I.

Artist T.I.'s lyrics send home a message that begs to be heard. It's not all pink sand and blue skies here in our beautiful Bermuda. The erosion of our sins from years of abuse are finally catching up with us and the promises of bountiful futures are now as weak as the fortifications that once secured our shores. Limestone dreams turning to sand in our hands. The rot is finally coming to the surface and if we fail to react properly and quickly...our castle walls will crumble.

Prophecy of doom? Maybe. Are we able to see the promising futures we had all hoped for? Is the crystal ball clearly giving us hope for a better tomorrow? Of course not. There are no magical instruments, no tarot cards, and no biblical prophecies that can ensure that our future generations will have the ability to recover from the damage that we are doing. Let's not talk of personal futures, let's begin to think about our children, their children, their children's children. Let's project what our island will be like in the next 25 years.Are we as confident that the way we do things now are going to be able to sustain us? When will the economy rebound? Will Bermudians  be able to get jobs? What can we do to curtail the violent streak that has plagued us the past few years? Will we ever be able to come together as a community, irrespective of those things that continue to separate us (religion, race etc.)?

Interesting questions for sure. In my previous posts, I discussed the importance of change and that we should start considering the ways we can create change in our country. There has been a change in recent years, and it really is important to look at those changes and note whether or not we can continue on this path. Ultimately, who is responsible? The PLP, or does it indeed go further back, back to a legacy of racism that has left most of us concerned as to the future. Are we willing to concede that what has seemingly worked in the past, isn't working now and that we need something better? This isn't a condition of the PLP government, this is the effect of a legacy of failure, of selling out our people, selling out our country to those who truly only care about their bottom line. What happened to our bottom line?

Before we wallow in our sorrows, and drown them in Heineken, we must recognize that while the PLP government is not solely to blame for the problems that plague us, they must, as a government accept the responsibility of fixing it. If they don't, things will only continue to spiral downward. You can not expect the UBP.... oops... the OBA to do anything. They can bluff their way into making some believe they have a good hand, but at the end of the day, they offer nothing new. The same old retread, the same old rhetoric... the same old UBP. Thus it is CLEARLY the current government's responsibility to implement the changes we need to make to get out of this mess.

Let's not hold our breath shall we?

It's always been in our ability to determine our future, and it will always be. The Independence debate is rearing it's head once again. Brought up in the House of Assembly, and further discussions in the daily gazette, by Walton Brown, various letters to the editor, debates on whether or not we need to remain tied to the UK, and what those ties do for us. It really isn't that much of a debate though is it? Our self determination, our ability to make the most important decisions will always be made by her majesty, the Queen. It's a comfortable shoe and the "perks" that go with membership to the Queen's club are somewhat satisfying to those who would deem independence as nonsensical. It is strange that those who are against independence are also anti-government (PLP) and yet would not seek a more significant manner of change. The belief that the opposition is capable is far worse than the idea that the government is incapable. I fear the belief that the UBP....oops.... the OBA has a chance in any forthcoming election fuels a fire of delirium in support of that faction.

This leads us ultimately back to my first post about change. How badly do we desire it? How badly are we willing to work to get it? Should we not be discussing alternative methods of government now? Should we not be discussing the very real possibility of the next election and the options that are available to us?

The status quo only gets worse. Viva La Revolucion!