Igniting the fires of patriotism, nationalism

THE EDITOR: Reading and observation have informed me of some core traditions in the US – especially the propensity for honouring the founding fathers and celebrating such holidays as Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day.

Unfortunately, in TT we have not displayed as fervent an attitude to nationalism and patriotism as Americans and others have promoted. Perhaps this is why Dr Eric Williams’s famous words, “a country will be free, a miniature state will be established, but a society and a nation will not have been formed” are still so relevant.

With the above in view, I hope that the history book commissioned by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will in some way find its way, guided by communication and educational strategy, into the curriculum of all schools to internalise in our young people the fires of social cohesion, nationalism, and patriotism.

Almost every literate US citizen knows about John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

I wonder how many of us in TT know who Eric Williams, George Chambers, Arthur Napoleon Robinson, Tubal Uriah Butler, Rudranath Capildeo, Ellis Clarke, Solomon Hochoy, Adrian Cola Rienzi, Hugh Wooding, Anthony N Sabga, George Weekes, Lionel Seukeran, Tajmool Hosein, Bhadase Sagan Maraj, Stephen Maharaj, Vernon Jamadar, Ashford Sinanan, Simbhoonath Capildeo, Alloy Lequay, Albert Gomes, Makandal Daaga, and Winston Murray and APT James of Tobago are.

We continue to agonize why our people still demonstrate that a nation and society have not yet been formed. However, unless we formulate and implement deliberate and socialising nation-building strategies and rituals to promote and inject into the consciousness of our youth the need to have a unified nation and a cohesive society, TT will remain a fragmented nation, characterised by subdued social conflict.

Our laissez-faire and superficial approach to nation building is fast becoming cancerous. We, therefore, must embrace as quickly as possible route consensus.

RAYMOND S HACKETT via e-mail