T&T is one year short of its half century. Indeed, we are a relatively young nation with so much still to learn. On reflection, I can now say that we have been extremely fortunate in our journey from infancy to middle age-fortunate because our societal turbulence over the past 50 years has been rather placid. Fortunate, too, because we have survived in spite of the moves by "vaps" we have made individually and collectively at all levels and in all institutions.
My wish for the journey ahead is for the following:
That our political directorate-with the assistance of a super think tank, made up of courageous men and women of integrity and with powers of critical thinking and visionary capacity and who are committed to national development and ethnic integration-introduces and promotes a national ideology which will see us through the journey ahead.
That our education system, community organisations, religious bodies, trade unions, and other relevant social organisations find a way to persuade our society that T&T will not survive or thrive if we continue in the manner we have been going.
That unless as a people we become more productive, innovative, law-abiding, responsible, disciplined, and concerned for one another, our society will self-destruct.
That all our institutions develop greater flexibility and effectiveness to help us establish ourselves at home and among other nations of the world.
Yes, although almost 50 years have gone, we do not have time in our favour. Already we have squandered 49 years. I say this because embarrassingly we are in the grip of a state of emergency to halt a crime syndrome. The reality is that we are only 1.5 million in number. What would we have done if our population were as large as that of New York, or even Tripoli?
May the Lord of the heavens guide us and inspire our leaders.
Raymond S Hackett
St Augustine
