What you think may not be your thoughts. They may have been put in your mind by others. Thought control has become a science used by persons who need to have large numbers of people behave in a certain way. How do you know whether your thoughts are your own or whether you are being controlled? The answer is, who benefits from the action your thoughts impel you to take. If you benefit, whether or not others gain as well, then your thoughts may be your own. If you do not, or even lose thereby, your thoughts have been put there by those who wish to enjoy the fruits of your labours.
When I wrote the first paragraph of this essay, I was not sure where it was leading me. The words came to my mind as I woke up on Thursday morning last week. Today, Sunday, as I read them, it all seems very clear. I am thinking about the elections in three weeks time, and I want my Belizean brothers and sisters to put all their attention on what is important to the nation in making up their minds in choosing the candidates we will elect to the House of Representatives.
Traditionally, we have elected the members of one of the two major political parties because, we believe that only they can form a government and for other reasons which the individual elector alone knows. In the end it will not matter, because our collective wisdom will prevail. You may think, though, that your vote will be wasted on a candidate of one of the new parties, however impressive or deserving he may seem to you. The way I look at it is that if such a candidate makes a good showing because of your vote and those of other electors of like preference, his defeat may not be as painful as it could be otherwise and, he might be encouraged to pursue a career for which he has a calling.
What I want to warn my fellow citizens about is allowing themselves to be unduly influenced by what they see and hear on radio and television which may persuade them against their better judgement in their decision on election day.
I think you can trust the exercise of your minds by accepting or repeating what is written in the newspapers, which also seek to persuade you one way or the other about the merits or faults of a political party and its candidates. You can trust your own judgement because you can go over what you read and think about it before you come to a decision. You are safer when mulling over the views and messages of the writers of newspaper articles and columns.
Radio and television are different animals, especially television. There you are dealing with the science of mind control. People have been known to go out and buy an advertised product of low quality and a higher price than another product, which is as good or better. In some instances people are programmed to buy things they don’t need or can well do without.
Consider that you only have one chance in five years to make a judgement about your own future and the future life of our nation on February 7. Talk to people. Consult with your family and friends. Listen to what the candidates have to say when they come around to see you. Ask them questions about the things that concern you and evaluate their answers. Above all, look into their eyes, for the eyes are the windows of the soul.
Personally, I am impressed by the confidence and intelligence of a candidate, but what appeals to me most is humility. My models are the two greatest politicians in our history. The Rt. Hon. George Price and the Hon. Philip Goldson. If a politician lacks that quality, he will not be a good servant of the people.
Regarding the referendum on the elected Senate, I am now persuaded that the elected principle is superior to the selective. In my opinion, the most outstanding senator is Mr. Godwin Hulse. I understand that he was elected by the business community. The other senators were selected by the executive of the organizations they represent. It is presumed that along with election goes a term of office. When someone is elected, he represents a body of persons but is not at their beck and call. It is better for an elected person to have some freedom to exercise his own judgement and not to be looking over his shoulder to see whether those who elect him approve of his every action. It is the same with an elected member of the House of Representatives. He has a term of office and those who elect him can decide his fate only at the end of his term of office.
The citizens of Belize are being given the right to make a choice in this referendum. To my mind, this is the highest form of democracy. If you vote yes, the ultimate composition, power, term of office, etc. of the Senate may not be to your liking. Our representatives of both major political parties will have to come to an agreement about these issues in the end but, there can be no question that they will have to resolve their differences and comply with the decision of the electorate if the “yes” votes exceed the “no’s.” What we are really asked to decide is whether we prefer the elective to the selective principle.
Finally, I would like to say a word to the party activists, Red and Blue. You have to learn to respect your adversaries, who may be decent and honorable citizens. They have different views and allegiances, but they are Belizeans too and, although they are not your friend, neither are they your enemy.