Letter: Father of the Nation, VC Bird Sr - villian or hero?
Posted by editor on January 19 2010 00:00:00
I get a sense from the many cultural discussions around VC Bird Sr, that there is a tangle of verbal tensions, heroic moral explanations, claims of neutrality, ideals of objectivity, and diverse images and stories used to define Papa—all this is taking place as we celebrate his centennial birthday.
Extended News
Dear Sir:
I get a sense from the many cultural discussions around VC Bird Sr, that there is a tangle of verbal tensions, heroic moral explanations, claims of neutrality, ideals of objectivity, and diverse images and stories used to define Papa—all this is taking place as we celebrate his centennial birthday.
In another attempt to make Papa make sense, there is a developing fuel between MP Asot Michael and Papa’s grandson, V C Bird III. This public display is riddled with passion, paradox and irony because it is played out in the form of an internal Spanish Inquisition, that makes the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) appear both transparent and intriguing, at a time when the country awaits a High Court verdict, that may determine whether the ALP stays in opposition or becomes the ruling government.
Bird feels that his grandfather’s legacy, which represents a figure of national symbolic value and even moral worth, should be promoted by those whose intimate knowledge of, and shared values, resonate with the larger framework of governance and democracy that Papa worked to establish in Antigua and Barbuda (A&B) and which are embodied in the slogan,” each endeavoring, all achieving.”
As a national hero, Michael seems to suggest that on the sunrise of being invited to narrate Papa’s significance to regional leadership, he has the right to adjudicate competing claims about Papa’s contribution to the advancement of A&B, the Caribbean, and the world. He seems to believe that he should exercise this right, without tearing away at the need of the Bird’s family, to remain a dominant voice in the preservation of Papa’s legacy. Both Bird and Michael are ardent supporters of the ALP.
Interestingly enough, the subtext of Papa’s legacy should not be construed in the messy business of intraparty rivalries. The study of his work and life, should instead prods us to think of him, beyond considerations to political forces. In fact, the complexities of the Father of the Nation, should engender cultural conversations about national identities, leadership orientations and the future of A&B and the entire Caribbean.
But these conversations should include those who knew Papa well and shared his hopes, fears and values. They should not exclude those who through research and folkloric tradition, are learning what to do better and differently, and what not to do, as they extract gems and germs from the choices he made, and the decisions he failed to have made.
Ultimately, Papa’s legacy will be held in high esteem or dragged down to the ground, as the direct result of how we collectively create and re-create him, in our efforts to expand the public’s discourse about the scope of his influence. Therefore, even those who are perceived to have fallen off our moral compass, should be free to contribute to what Papa stood for, and must be included in these important cultural dialogues.
But we should neither make Papa a necessary saint nor an unblemished historical figure. Inescapably, however, Papa is an integral part of our nation’s historical DNA and the Caribbean’s bloodline, thus, he must be valued in this broader context.
In some quarters, VCBird Sr. will be celebrated for his remarkable contributions to the advancement of Antigua and Barbuda (A&B) and the Caribbean. In other circles, he will be criticized for his foibles and leadership shortcomings. But, Papa’s legacy must always be subjected to affirmation and disaffirmation by all and sundry.
Beyond A&B, Papa is a regional leader with world penetrating impact. Regardless of our dispositions and geography, as engaged intellectuals or as street-wise folks, whether locally or internationally located, we must preserve and defend his great legacy. But we must just as forcibly, question and critique Papa’s life and work, in order to learn as much as we should, from the man and his vision.
Ironically, this bruising fuel between Bird III and Michael represents an infinitely better option, of resolving personal and national disputes with words than with bullets and guns.
I view it as a healthy manifestation of the variety of perspectives and multitude of grammars that is being employed to underscore the cultural deference paid to a son of the soil. Understandably, in this process of interchange and exchange, we should realistically expect that some would sanctify, others would emulate, and still others, would demonize Papa.
Yet in our struggle to define and demystify what the Father of the Nation means to Antiguans and Barbudans, let us not distort the rightful place of privilege that he has come to symbolize on our intellectual, cultural and national landscape.
I do not see Papa through the pathology of villain or the ideology of hero. He is a simple man, who successfully applied folkloric wisdom to meet the challenges of his day. In this sense, Papa’s ideals continue to hibernate in his capacity to add value to A&B. In a mythical sense, his influence reaches over the balcony of the grave, to push conscientious Caribbeaners, to become our best selves.
I charge each one of us, to feel his heart beat within the structures of legitimate government, which he inherited and fiddled with. I charge us to listen discerningly to the cadences of his voice, as we try to implement policies and programs that bring prosperity to the poor, and that expand opportunities for the middle class and working class.
As for me and my house, the very memory of Papa’s face, chiseled by experience, exalts our commitments to elect a proud people and a brave region.
Surely, we each have a right to be mad and provocative, and to create a firestorm of controversy about issues that are near and dear to us. But taking care of the business of A&B’s progressive future, and the Caribbean’s stability and prosperity, are no less important and no less meaningful than airing our views prudently.
With some sense of responsibility for the wider community that I am a vital part of, I’d rather be overworked for the sake of the common good, than to be overheated for personal interests that serves a smaller community, and that does not forge solidarity with the wretched of the earth or with bigger concerns, than with the man in the mirror.
Papa is our mirror on the wall. How shall we answer the call of this living dead, to safeguard of liberties?
Dr Isaac Newton
Dr Isaac Newton is an International Leadership and Change Management Consultant and Political Adviser. He specializes in Government and Business Relations, and Sustainable Development Projects. Dr Newton works extensively, in West Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America and is a graduate of Oakwood College, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia. He has published several books on personal development and written many articles on economics, education, leadership, political, social, and faith based issues.