A GUY'S VIEW

Friday, June 30, 2017, was the final day in office of now former Governor General, His Excellency Sir Elliot Belgrave. Even in this time of tall tales, dishonest rhetoric and indecency, I have had no encounter with anyone who thinks that his service was not exemplary.
The office of Governor General has always been highly respected, but it has never been one of endearment for conscious Barbadians. Progressive thinkers among us have difficulty with what that office represents, being a satellite for the British monarchy. For many Barbadians, that office was passively accepted.

For the most part, Barbadians have had little interest in the office of Governor General because it never touched their lives. At times, those who served in the post contributed greatly to the image of aloofness which came to be associated with the office.

One suspects that Sir Elliot came to the office fully conscious of this image of distance and aloofness from the people, and he hated it. He would have been aware that but for the grace of God, he would have been one of the people looking up at that office and its holder, both he and the office being irrelevant to each other.

One harbours this opinion because of what we may look back at now and label as his modus operandi. Along with the fact that he never shied away from his origins and never let us forget that he was a boy from Boscobelle. This was an important observation, for, during his early days, a boy with his origins did not aspire to the office of Governor General.

Sir Elliot brought the office of Governor General to the people. During his tenure, the Governor General was no longer a mysterious figure to watch as he drove by. He made the Governor General a human being that our children could touch and engage in conversation. Government House was no longer a forbidden and forbidding white house to watch from a distance, but a residence to which the public had access, when appropriate, of course.

At the end of his tenure, the debate has already begun on who should succeed him. There is no shortage of suitable candidates for that job. What may be of interest is whether that person could fill the large shoes of Sir Elliott.

Sir Elliott has certainly changed the image of the office. However, could his successor match his achievement by merely attempting to walk in his footsteps? There can only be one Sir Elliott. Whoever succeeds him should be prepared to serve in that role as they see fit. Yes, learning from Sir Elliott, but placing their own stamp on the office.

Barbados has been well served by Sir Elliott in the office of Governor General. My only regret is that he was not our first President, for I believe that the time has come for the Head of State of Barbados to be a Barbadian. I pray that God will continue to bless him, Lady Belgrave and his wider family and give him the opportunity to enjoy the cruises to which he looks forward.

We always thought we knew what we would get from the office of the Governor General, until Sir Elliott. Fortunately, what we got was positive. It seems safe to say that whoever follows him will uphold the dignity usually associated with that high office, even if they are not his replica.

Regardless of who appointed them, as far as I am aware, our Governors General have always operated above the political fray. This is a tribute to our adherence to the Westminster system as well as the persons who have filled the office. Thus far, the incivility which has crept into our politics has not touched that office. Long may it be so.

If our Governor General becomes a President, it is anticipated that the Presidency would be ceremonial and not executive. We will never vote for the office holder so it is unlikely that we would be carried away with fractious propaganda and end up with a Head of State who may be an embarrassment to the country.

Americans vote for their President and they have “freely” chosen a person who has not ceased to amaze the world with his ignorance of most important issues and classless behaviour. But they got what they wanted.

There is still no doubt in my mind that the American election was successfully hacked, but their brilliant intelligence authorities are too embarrassed to admit that they could not protect their democracy. That notwithstanding, many Americans deliberately tried to elect Donald Trump knowing what he stood for and would bring to the office. They understood that they were voting for the sole of their country, and, for them, this figure represented the America they knew and wanted. They feared that they had lost their country when Barack Obama was elected, twice.

As is usual for him, last week President Trump launched an assault on two media persons via his twitter account. This was so distasteful that even some of his party faithfuls had difficulty standing with him. But, except for a few ice-cream comments, his accomplices in the Republican Party held their noses and continued their dance of tacit support.

Unlike the Governor General of Barbados, Donald Trump was not appointed by a responsible ruling administration. The American people elected him, even if under the influence of a professional American-Russian election campaign. And they knew what they were buying.

Before entering elective politics, Trump demonstrated his lack of respect for truthful details and a great willingness to stage whatever he wanted to become his reality. They knew that his lack of respect did not confine itself to facts, but extended to people and laws. When they voted for him, they knew what was coming.

As President, he is living up to what he had long promised. This probably explains why, whatever he does, there is a solid block of support that will not move from him. This is evidence that political support often has nothing to do with quality representation or what is best for the country. Party loyalty trumps all: pun intended.

Elections are not far off in Barbados. In terms of country leadership, there are no secret weapons. We all know what we will get. Democracy, fortunately, allows us to make that decision for ourselves and acquire the future we want for our country. We could engage in verbal dances all we want, but when all is said and done, we will choose the kind of country we want to live in. And we will have to live with our decision. Ask the Americans.