27.2 C
Belize City
Thursday, March 28, 2024

World Down Syndrome Day

Photo: Students and staff of Stella Maris...

BPD awards 3 officers with Women Police of the Year

Photo: (l-r) Myrna Pena, Carmella Cacho, and...

Suicide on the rise!

Photo: Iveth Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator by Charles...

BELIZEAN STANISLAUS – DECEMBER 17, 2017

FeaturesBELIZEAN STANISLAUS - DECEMBER 17, 2017

The judgement of the highest court of our nation that we must now discharge a debt with accumulated interest has moved our people to the conviction that something dramatic and meaningful must be done to improve our love of country. What we decide to do must be an expression of caring and loving the whole society of Belize and not just a section or special group within it. It must be an act or deed that shows that our affection cuts across all barriers of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, and politics. It should focus on an ideal, a goal, a public virtue that would practically, morally and spiritually enhance the behavior of our nation and all its people and convert Belize to a state of being more evidently civilized.

Our national goal, or ideal, must be one that visibly, obviously affects the daily living of everyone, telling him or her that we care for his wellbeing and that of his family.

Perhaps this national exercise should start with a declaration by the Governor General summoning all Belizeans to celebrate a year of Jubilee. Not an original idea, it has been used through the ages by Judaism and Christianity. Even the great Gandhi used a version of it in India before its independence when Muslims and Hindus were killing one another to achieve dominance in the new nation to be created. He declared a fast and he himself fasted almost unto death until the killing and fighting stopped. Would it not be a great inspiration to all Belizeans to see Mr. Briceno, Mr. Barrow and all our elected Representatives join hands together and publicly make declaration of a new commitment to serve the COMMON GOOD first, above all personal and partisan interests?

At a public ceremony the Governor General would declare that all acts against the nation’s welfare, except treason, would be forgiven to those public officials who would request a pardon from God and the state. A line would be drawn under this historic date to mark it as a date of forgiveness with no pursuit of prosecution against confessed criminal behavior.

Is such a time of Jubilee possible in our little country? Why not? We almost all believe in God. This belief is evident through our varied religious signs. Let us do it!

An aspect of the Jubilee would be a commitment to work on a program of widespread political reform including amending the Constitution in its governance sections to improve the quality of effectiveness of all oversight agencies. In this regard, to amend the Representation of the People’s Act, and campaign financing to remove the overbearing power of money to influence voters. All who swear an oath of office would promise to do for all and sundry without fear or favour.

It is very difficult for people of power to accept the rubrics that should circumscribe the exercise of it in a democratic state. However, the alarming truth is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. The dust bins of history stink with the stench of those little men who believed that they could control themselves only to fall flat on their faces besotted with the effects of their weaknesses.

It would be cause for hope if those seeking political power would admit that the levers of control used up till now have not worked on behalf of the Common Good. The most outstanding quality of our present oversight agencies is their pretentiousness: they deceive, but do not really work:

There are sectors in our different processes of governance that have grown very atheistic and secularist. They seek to cut off public affairs completely from influences of the moral and spiritual. We must try to persuade these forces that they are creating a severely split national personality, because the main document that has created it, the Preamble of the Constitution, affirms the duality of the personality of man.

As a special feature of the Jubilee we have slightly amended the “National Prayer” to make it more acceptable to all. It should be recited daily by all the Media.

The National Prayer

Almighty and eternal God who has revealed your glory to all nations, please protect and preserve our beloved Belize.

God of might, wisdom and justice, please assist our government and people with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude.

Let the light of your divine wisdom direct their plans and endeavours so that with your help we may attain our just objectives. With your guidance, may all our endeavours tend to peace, social justice, liberty, national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge.

AMEN

Check out our other content

World Down Syndrome Day

Suicide on the rise!

Check out other tags:

International