By Canon S

Sebastian Campbell

THIS land is my land, this land is your land; from Grand Bahama down to Inagua…. Thank God for the land of the sun, sand and sea. Let us own this country as a gift from God himself.

In a national general election there are no losers. We are "One Bahamas". Therefore, we are all winners. We simply decide who will be the servants of the people for a five-year term.

Pray for those so immature among us, as they go on a five-year binge of gloating rather than exerting national pride to have had the privilege to participate in the deepening of democracy.

As we become truly one we must "weep with those who weep", even in our own blood families. Many Bahamians must be built up and helped on the road to restoration of spirit. It's no laughing matter. People are wounded in spirit that can have physical manifestation. Let us resolve to build up rather to tear down.

The prevailing culture shows intolerance; it's a new day in our national psyche. Governments come and go in rapid succession.

Fasten your seat belts. Whoever is at the controls at any given time, be mindful that your mandate is for five years only.

Promises are the language of every political party in every election. The name of the game is to out-promise your opponent. All promised is undeliverable; take heed. "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, you may fall."

Is it change we really want, or more of the same? The average Bahamian wants no change. We flaunt "change" as a slogan of sorts, but do we really, really want it?

We prefer to hold onto the known. A change of government can be a change of faces only; the deep fundamental social, moral and political changes might not come. Broken homes and families remain, drugs and alcoholism continue unabated. We are still overly dependent on tourism. Our youth involvement in crime, gangs and teenage pregnancy are all demons of our national destruction.

With so many young persons in Parliament, is it a fallacy to expect radical changes in the way we do things? We live in the Victorian era still. Who will deliver us from swearing allegiance to a foreign imperial majesty? Is this the ideal generation to break the final vestiges of colonialism and truly push us over the edge in what it truly means to be truly Bahamian?

To truly effect lasting change our constitution must be revisited and referendums held to make real fundamental changes possible.

Neither the Free National Movement nor the Progressive Liberal Party has a government. There is but one government; appropriately referred to as the government of the Bahamas.

Red, gold and green have served their purpose; these are symbols of political divisiveness. The Bahamas is united when we wear and salute our national colours of gold, black and aquamarine all blended together to symbolise "One Bahamas".