Justice Seepersad: TT dangerously divided after 58 years of independence

High Court Judge Justice Frank Seepersad says TT is dangerously divided along ethnic lines even after 58 years of independence.

In a sermon streamed live to the Presbyterian community from the St Andrews Theological College in San Fernando on Sunday, Seepersad – a lay preacher – said, “We have a race relations problem and we have to fix it.”

He attributed some blame to the August 10 general election and warned that a house divided cannot prosper.

“We in this Republic have experienced a regrettable deterioration in our race relations with the build-up and conclusion of our general election.

“Our blessed Republic is reeling from a destructive degree of distrust, disdain, disrespect and dislike among the two major ethnic groups. Too many of us have engaged in race-bashing and discrimination.”

He said this path of divisiveness and discord cannot be allowed to continue.

“Let us not delude ourselves into believing that it is just emotive electoral rhetoric.”

Seepersad said the “hurtful and ill-advised advertisements and social media commentary exposed the entrenched nature of our deep-rooted ethnic biases and the disturbing disconnect between our groups” during the election campaign.

The situation is alarming as it is intolerable, and the discourse has to be diverted away from a discussion about who is more racial than whom, he said.

“We have a problem. Our people are at war with each other and we must address this reality if we are to save ourselves and our children.”

He said households must also refashion and redefine the conversations within the confines of their homes as significant pockets of the population have taught their children to dislike, distrust and disrespect those who are of a different ancestral heritage instead of engendering attitudes of love, respect and inclusivity.

Seepersad said biases must be suppressed and efforts made to address the root societal causes for alienation, societal dysfunction and poverty. National focus must be on a culture of inclusivity and citizenship.

“After decades of independence we still do not have a sense of national identity.”

He said there simply is no room in this small island for "us" against "them.”

“As fellow citizens, we must embrace our diversity and accept that we are all human beings fashioned in the likeness and image of the one true God.”

Seepersad called for consideration to be given to the formation of a “road map for the improvement to race relations and reconciliation” similar to government's road map to economic recovery.

Quoting from Acts Chapter 10, he used the story of the Jew, Peter, entering the home and preaching the gospel to the Gentile, Cornelius, to illustrate how this one act erased hundreds of years of prejudice, hatred and cultural differences.

“We need to be guided by the story of Peter's transformation and revolutionise race relations in this Republic by focusing upon “grace relations.”

He referred to the inspiring “I have a dream” message of the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr and the coexistence he espoused for lasting impressions to be based, not on the colour of a man’s skin, but on the life lived.

“Sadly, that type of coexistence is still elusive, including here in TT.

“As we celebrate our independence, let us commit to the forging of a society where we are not identified as Indian, African, White, Syrian, Mixed or Chinese.”

Rather, he said, citizens must identify as Trinbagonians and not be defined by ethnicity but by the love for God and country.