Editor's Blog Dec 07th 2011
The End of Days
We are at peak election fever, the megaphones are out, the lines in the sand are drawn and everybody online is TYPING IN CAPSLOCK! It’s not surprising that people are very active in this endeavour, what does surprise me however, aren’t the die hard supporters but the vast majority who seem to believe the end times are upon us.
I’m not talking about our colourful preacher, who takes to the streets condemning GSLP/PDP supporters to eternity in hell, but the people who truly believe that if any party other than the one they support were to come into power, it’d spell the end of days. Gibraltar will literally crumble before our very eyes through their sheer incompetence.
Some believe that Peter Caruana is the only steward of our town, only he understands its ways, its quirks, it’s subtle moves and anybody else would just be blinded by incomprehension, others say that we’re heading towards our own demise and someone must wrestle the reigns out of Caruana’s hands in order to avert disaster.
I’d say that if there was only one man who could capably lead this town, there would be no need for elections and we would be living in a perfect society, which we’re not, it’s not bad, but it is a far cry from perfection. On the other hand, while I would welcome a change of pace, I would however say that change for change’s sake doesn’t intrinsically mean it’ll be for the better.
I think having had someone “in charge” of us for so long, we’ve grown with the idea that the politicians set the rules, we merely live by them, like it or not. This is folly; it’s a step away from apathy as far as I’m concerned, because it conditions the belief that a power greater than ourselves, which we have no control over, dictates our lives and our morals.
We are not going to crumble if the ‘wrong’ person goes in, because we will not allow that to happen to our home. We will not abide by policies we disagree with because we will speak out against them, we will not be led by the nose to our own ruin because we would turn around at the first step and we will not be doing wrong by voting for a party you don’t personally support because the one with the most votes is the one that the majority believes is the right choice.
Whether the trust in the winning party is misplaced, is for history to decide, but whether or not we will destroy ourselves over it is up to us. We outnumber the politicians; they cannot act without our support, or our vote, and ultimately, everybody living here wants what is best for our home.
Here’s to choice, ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ it’s your choice to have.
Ed.
