PM: Time for racist social media posts to end

THE PRIME Minister says the time has come for racist social media posts to end and for society to return to respect.

He was delivering his televised Independence Day address on Sunday night.

Dr Rowley said citizens need to be proactive in all areas and with founding father Dr Eric Williams’ watchwords of discipline, production and tolerance ever present in their minds.

"Unfortunately, during the last election campaign, there were some unfortunate advertising missteps followed by crass and acrimonious racial social media postings. Some persons flippantly dismissed those comments as 'just blips' on the national landscape but, in reality, those persons who perpetrated any or all of it were aiming at the racial fault lines in our society.

"Their intention was to promote panic, fear and stimulate the hatred, which have created racial animosity and grievous harm as has happened in other societies."

He said there are appeals in some quarters for these comments to be checked.

"And they must end. I appeal for a return to the sanctity of respect for each other, and the aspirational tolerance which Dr Williams identified."

He said Williams and his colleagues hoped that the people of this nation would work together to create a society in which we – people of all races – could emotionally call our own, free from external influence and control and worthy of our care and devotion.

"Almost six decades later, I believe we have achieved, in many aspects and some measure, Dr Williams’ vision. We have done reasonably well as a nation. We have maintained our sovereignty, and, in turn, respected the unfettered rights of other states to determine their own destiny. However, there is much, much more to do, many journeys to make and many pitfalls to avoid.

"This time, 2020, is one such challenging period. This is not a time to lose faith, kindle racial hatred, spread fake news, undermine institutions and selfishly stoke ethnic, religious, social or geographical division, regardless of who is doing it. Just stop!"

He said, however, it is a for coming together, defending ourselves from visible and invisible threats, a time for being responsible, a time for being a contributor rather than an extractor, a time for being brothers and sisters and being our brother’s keeper.

"In short, this is a time for love."