MARCH 17th, HEROES DAY
Once again, the theme is repeated, and once again the reactionaries surface.
It has been clear that the intent of the Colonizers to turn Heroes Day into an
St.Patrick's Day holiday, Irish style continues.
This year, more money was poured into that concept than any previous year.
Taking monies away from the traditional cultural activities that are generally
reinforced in the december festivities, and putting it into irish/european
themed activities in march continues the pressure to destroy what little is left of
Montserrat's tradition and culture.
Attrition is waged on many levels. Unfortunately, conservative reactionaries only
seem to realize an assault after the fact.
One such assault took place on the night of the Heroes Day lecture.
Executed on the night of the lecture the organizers folded with little resistance,
and no lecture was given.
The lecture was to be given by a Civil Servant. The theme was to examine the economics
of Heroes Day being turned into a St.Patricks Day festival.
Neither the organisers of the lecture, UWI, or the lecturer, paid much attention to how
General Orders apply.
Suffice to say with an open frontal assault, the lecturer was stopped from speaking.
Suffice to say both the lecturer and the organiser collapsed without resistance.
As expected, the reactionaries surfaced.
Their reaction to the incident, was the usual expected commentary.
Who did this?
How can this be?
Civil servants can talk in england.
Why can they not talk in Montserrat?
Find out who is responsible and take them to task.
You know, the normal righteous indignation.
March 17th, 1768 an uprising was betrayed and the leading
organisers were caught and brutally tortured, maimed and murdered
in public.
Two hundred and forty nine years later that struggle continues on many fronts.
The difference between then and now.
In 1768 those resisting knew who their enemy was.
They knew they were involved in a struggle.
They knew at the conscious and subconscious level who
their antagonist was.
They had an agenda. They had a goal.
They knew that the shackles of physical slavery had to be removed.
They knew they were involved in a struggle.
They knew at the conscious and subconscious level who
their antagonist was.
They had an agenda. They had a goal.
They knew that the shackles of physical slavery had to be removed.
They knew that if they failed they would die.
They knew that they were controlled by a system that was designed to insure
its own survival, at the expense of their destruction by any means.
Attrition, though fear was its main tool. Control through separation and
division its chosen ploy.
Despite all this resistance continued.
Consciously, actively, they fought to destroy a system that enslaved them.
Eventually, they overcame it.
Consciously, actively, they fought to destroy a system that enslaved them.
Eventually, they overcame it.
Two hundred and forty nine years later, while the vast majority of the colonised
have overthrown the system. Montserrat still languishes in that system.
In every instance, where the system of colonialism was overthrown the People
took their destiny in their own hands.
Today, in Montserrat Government bureaucracy is the plantation.
The Civil Servants are the workers on that plantation.
The General Orders is the whip that controls the plantation.
Sadly, they seem not to know this.
They know not who their enemy is.
They have no agenda. They have no goal.
They know not what tools are used and what agenda the system has
They have no agenda. They have no goal.
They know not what tools are used and what agenda the system has
for its own survival and continuity.
Some slight degree of resistance exists at the conscious level.
Subconsciously, they all know something is wrong.
When blatant incidents, like this, or for instance the replacing of the
Montserrat Financial Secretary with an englishman.
The reactionaries surface for brief moments.
For brief moments the subconscious awakens and they react.
But, because they have no agenda, they soon go back to sleep.
Some slight degree of resistance exists at the conscious level.
Subconsciously, they all know something is wrong.
When blatant incidents, like this, or for instance the replacing of the
Montserrat Financial Secretary with an englishman.
The reactionaries surface for brief moments.
For brief moments the subconscious awakens and they react.
But, because they have no agenda, they soon go back to sleep.
The colonizer no longer has any use for chains or whips.
They have so many other tools at their finger tips to control their colony.
Economics, DFID, Budgetary Aid, FCO (once known as granting aid),General Orders, Constitutional Order, Powers of the Governor, Financial Secretary, Attorney General, Deputy Governor, Permanent Secretaries, sham Parliament, powerless Ministers, powerless Premier.
The plantation is top heavy with tools for control.
All of these tools are available to ensure that the agenda of the coloniser is implemented.
One was used. Reactionaries stepped in to fill the void.
The coloniser accomplished their mission. Because they have an agenda.
The colonised seem oblivious to that agenda.
Eventually, they will awaken. Eventually, they will realize that they have to take their Destiny into their own hands.
Until that day, resistance continues wherever it finds room to express itself.
The SPIRIT of the NINE and all those who suffered to bring about the end of individual physical SLAVERY is still very much alive.
They have not been able to eradicate it.
So once again on this day we HONOUR the SPIRIT of those Ancestors and the SPIRIT of all who have sacrificed over the years, to keep the SPIRIT of resistance alive.
mwongozi cudjoe cbrowne
kudjoe@hotmail.com
cudjoeb.com
cudjoeb.info
