Friday, December 13, 2024 at 5:03 AM
It is that time of the year when we say goodbye to the old, and welcome to the new year! 2024 is a year that has been full of surprises, disappointments, and again, many surprises, in my opinion. I am sure the same can be said of any year, but this year was definitely different, at home in Belize, and abroad!
In Belize we have had devastating forest fires; we had fights to protect our environment, and prevailed. We had our neighbor continuing to harass our citizens within our borders! We experienced a political party losing its way, leaderless and rudderless. We have seen an unconscionable rate of traffic deaths! We have experienced blackouts like never before. We have seen unions being defanged, and merchants gouging our citizens out of every penny they earn. And crime and the healthcare system remain the same!
On the brighter side, our economy is thriving with a 2.1% unemployment rate, the envy of our neighbors and peoples all around the world. The current government is doing its best to improve the lives of its citizens, a good thing. They listen to the voice of the people and act accordingly, in most instances! The murder rate has gone down, but never enough. Tourism is thriving, the building industry is booming, and small businesses are growing! We still need more hotels and restaurants, and our infrastructure has to be able to keep up with our economic progress! And we need to always protect the interests of the less fortunate among us.
Elections are right around the corner, and there’s not the least bit of doubt about the outcome: PUP all the way! Personally, I would have preferred a close election; but the opposition is in disarray, and seems more interested in personal vendettas than in the welfare of the country! Hopefully, the government will stamp out corruption and continue to lead us into a still more prosperous future. Wat a ting!
The Amandala newspaper continues to produce some of the finest editorials anywhere, anytime! This is one of the reasons why we need newspapers to survive, to be able to speak truth to power and to those with their heads up their a**es! The editor brothers are unrelentingly honest and deliberate in their opinions on domestic and foreign affairs! Everyone should be privileged to read their well thought-out and researched opinions, in my not so humble opinion.
We have to deal with an unpredictable United States, led by an unstable political figure who won a fair election! We are all hoping for the best, while expecting the worst, but no one knows what 2025 will bring with Trump as president. Maybe he will surprise us and make the world a more peaceful, safer place! Maybe he will renege on his promises of vengeance and mass deportation and tariffs. Maybe he will be a normal president. Vamos a ver.
We do have to be optimistic about the future; we don’t have a choice! If all goes awry and haywire, we can always fix it. We have done so in the past, and will do so after the fire, if one breaks out, this time also. Without hope we are doomed to live a paranoid existence, so the optimism in us should never fade!
Many of our friends and families have left us, left a vacuum in our hearts. Let us not forget those who are not here anymore, their legacies, their contributions to their communities, and to their country. Let us not forget the genocide in Gaza and Sudan, the displacement of so many people all over the world. Let us in Belize realize how lucky we have always been, living in the Jewel! Let us try to be our brother’s keeper, our brother’s and sister’s keeper. Let us respect each other, honour our parents and children and friends. Do some good for the sake of the communities in which we live; it is always rewarding. Let us make 2025 a good year!
Glen