Post by Djedi Maaur on Mar 10, 2008 6:52:09 GMT -5
OUR PERILOUS CRISIS
by
Lawton J. Pierre, DDS
In Grenada today we are faced with the serious threat to the tranquil and peaceful way of life that befits this beautiful island. There seems to be a widespread breakdown in the mores of the society that permeates all levels.
The recent outbreak of violence, including fatalities, has caught our attention. Add to this the stress of our limited economic fortunes and the annual fearful shadow of a natural disaster under which we live, it is small wonder that we have become a society on edge. We are too eager to fight, blame, cheat or curse our way to satisfaction rather than patiently search for amicable avenues to resolve our problems.
How, when and why did this ubiquitous crudeness creep into the sanctity of our tradition? Interesting solutions to this madness have surfaced from many quarters. But do we really understand the problem?
Although treating the symptoms of a disease usually brings temporary relief, the illness may well become even worse. A scientific approach demands analysis and diagnosis before any remedy is prescribed. Considering the gravity of the problem, our society is in desperate need of a top to bottom repair. There is too much corruption, too much dishonesty, too much greed, too much disrespect, too much laziness and too little regard for law and order.
All this cannot be laid at the feet of our youth. Their behavior mirrors that of the society itself. No doubt they are pushed over the top by the influence of alcohol, drugs, unsavory foreign films, TV shows and internet feeds. Certainly we must all share the blame.
Our present attitudes have been shaped by the long succession of negative experiences. These include the horror of slavery, the humiliation of a stolen legacy, the arrogance of colonialism, a failed federation and a painful revolution. We never took the time to de-program ourselves from the mental ravages of those milestone passages. Now we are engulfed in the euphoria of being a young nation trying to find our way without ever establishing a true cultural identity. That is a fatal mistake.
Some fifty years ago Franz Fanon warned against this and more recently Cheikh Anta Diop did the same. Indeed what we may be experiencing is a cultural identity crisis generated by the lessening of the distinct factors of history, language and psychology. Those essential disciplines contain the building blocks of a wholesome cultural identity.
If everyone's own cultural identity emanates from a clear and accepted understanding of who we are as a people, we would be well on the road to recovery. In essence, if we share a common cultural identity we could be all that we wish to be.
That appears rather easy and, indeed, it is. The challenge is deciding how to construct a cultural identity and how to make it universally acceptable. However it is very encouraging to note that this little Grenada, and its Diaspora, has an abundance of brilliant minds that could be summoned to this task. Ironically, a confidant, peaceful, gracious and caring cultural identity may well pay huge economic dividends as we engage an abrasive world that itself is in search of that very special human oasis.
by
Lawton J. Pierre, DDS
In Grenada today we are faced with the serious threat to the tranquil and peaceful way of life that befits this beautiful island. There seems to be a widespread breakdown in the mores of the society that permeates all levels.
The recent outbreak of violence, including fatalities, has caught our attention. Add to this the stress of our limited economic fortunes and the annual fearful shadow of a natural disaster under which we live, it is small wonder that we have become a society on edge. We are too eager to fight, blame, cheat or curse our way to satisfaction rather than patiently search for amicable avenues to resolve our problems.
How, when and why did this ubiquitous crudeness creep into the sanctity of our tradition? Interesting solutions to this madness have surfaced from many quarters. But do we really understand the problem?
Although treating the symptoms of a disease usually brings temporary relief, the illness may well become even worse. A scientific approach demands analysis and diagnosis before any remedy is prescribed. Considering the gravity of the problem, our society is in desperate need of a top to bottom repair. There is too much corruption, too much dishonesty, too much greed, too much disrespect, too much laziness and too little regard for law and order.
All this cannot be laid at the feet of our youth. Their behavior mirrors that of the society itself. No doubt they are pushed over the top by the influence of alcohol, drugs, unsavory foreign films, TV shows and internet feeds. Certainly we must all share the blame.
Our present attitudes have been shaped by the long succession of negative experiences. These include the horror of slavery, the humiliation of a stolen legacy, the arrogance of colonialism, a failed federation and a painful revolution. We never took the time to de-program ourselves from the mental ravages of those milestone passages. Now we are engulfed in the euphoria of being a young nation trying to find our way without ever establishing a true cultural identity. That is a fatal mistake.
Some fifty years ago Franz Fanon warned against this and more recently Cheikh Anta Diop did the same. Indeed what we may be experiencing is a cultural identity crisis generated by the lessening of the distinct factors of history, language and psychology. Those essential disciplines contain the building blocks of a wholesome cultural identity.
If everyone's own cultural identity emanates from a clear and accepted understanding of who we are as a people, we would be well on the road to recovery. In essence, if we share a common cultural identity we could be all that we wish to be.
That appears rather easy and, indeed, it is. The challenge is deciding how to construct a cultural identity and how to make it universally acceptable. However it is very encouraging to note that this little Grenada, and its Diaspora, has an abundance of brilliant minds that could be summoned to this task. Ironically, a confidant, peaceful, gracious and caring cultural identity may well pay huge economic dividends as we engage an abrasive world that itself is in search of that very special human oasis.