Opinion: ‘Where Is Our Village?’
[Written by Raisa Tuzo]
“…Sleepin’ awake because of fear, children are drowning in their tears. We need a place where we can go, a land where everyone will have a hero.” – R. Kelly “Gotham City”
I write today in an attempt not to ridicule anybody, or place blame on any particular group, social stratum, or political party, but to give voice to an otherwise silent population in this country; Bermudian youth. One of the most common questions asked amongst individuals in this society today is, ‘What is wrong with Bermuda?’ The answer quite frankly, is that Bermudians are what is wrong with Bermuda. Not Black Bermudians or White Bermudians, nor poor or rich Bermudians, but ALL Bermudians. Every single last one of us is responsible for the Bermuda that we now have.
As a people, I feel it is time to stop placing so much blame for the shortcomings in our society on the government and the police alone. Truth be told, this society is just as responsible for the blood running through Bermuda’s streets as the persons pulling the various triggers. However, very few in this society see things as such. More often than not I see people pointing fingers in an attempt to identify ‘who’ or ‘what’ is responsible for the onslaught of violence in Bermuda. The reality is, neither the police, nor politicians are perfect; yes, our laws seem lax and outdated, and the effects of the drug trade are awful. But, the police and politicians have been imperfect since 1609, as have our laws, and the drug trade will always be awful. But they’ve been imperfect and awful for decades, so what changed?
With a modest 22 years of life on this planet, I firmly believe that it is our society that changed. We, as a people and country, changed. We became selfish and self-absorbed. We taught our children to subconsciously glorify inanimate objects by placing so much emphasis on what we gave them, that material things eventually replaced love, affection, discipline and values, and now we wonder why our youth are so angry, lost, lazy and have no apparent regard for human life.
I can firmly declare that I am the result of a village: a network of people that helped my single mother raise me, and loved us without seeking any compensation in return; teachers that invested countless hours in making sure I would be a success, and pushed me when I wouldn’t have pushed myself; elders that kept me in check in the presence and absence of my mother; people that took interest in me and told me that I could do or be anything I wanted to be; people that loved and supported me; people that also disciplined me if necessary and helped shape my character. I am, because they were… So to my village, I would simply like to express a sincere and heartfelt, ‘Thank You’.
It seems however that ‘villages’ raising children are an endangered species and have been replaced by single mothers, estranged fathers, and families fighting over land, houses and money instead of fighting for their children and Bermuda’s future, meanwhile their children are raised by the ‘streets’. The principles of ‘my brother’s keeper’ and ‘my sister’s helper’ were replaced by concerns of only ‘me and mines’. “As long as mines are alright, I’m not worried.” We are crabs in a bucket, pulling each other down, and now our children are killing each other; now cousins murder each other; now Black males in this society are more likely to be ‘caught up’ than college-educated and everyone wants to blame the government.
Present day Bermuda results from a society were ignorance is allowed to run rampant. People know who are doing the shootings, Bermuda is simply too small for everyone to be so clueless, but no one is talking. Mother’s see the guns; they hear the rumors, they even benefit from the drug money, yet none of them are willing to turn in their sons for the greater good of society. It’s a vicious cycle, especially when drug money often keeps a roof over a struggling mother’s head and food on her table; and turning your flesh and blood in is not the easiest of requests, but enough is enough. The line needs to be drawn somewhere. Victory in this country should not be based on what political party gets voted into power, but by the number of children we send off to college; by the number of successful young men our society can celebrate instead of imprison or put in the ground; and by the investments we make to progress as an island, not just as individuals…
Blood will continue to run through our streets, and it’s not because of the police, or the politicians. It’s because my generation was a generation miss-educated, preceded by generations either miss-educated like ourselves, or uneducated altogether, and yet we have somehow earned labels like ‘lost causes’ or ‘brats’ when truthfully, it’s not completely our fault. It’s one thing to be allowed no access at all to an equal education, than allowed access to a system that teaches you more about American history than your own. In a country where I struggle to find any semblance of some sort of culture outside of Gombeys, fishcakes, Bermuda shorts, Codfish & Potatoes and Moongates, I can’t help but wonder what it means to be truly Bermudian. Marcus Garvey once stated, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
I’ll be the first to admit, a major issue with my generation is that we aren’t taught who we are or where we come from, and therefore national pride, or any kind of pride is practically non-existent. I not only know the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ better than whatever Bermuda’s national anthem is this month, but also, ask me anything about American history, American historical figures, or even their Constitutional rights, and I can probably tell you. Ask me any of the above in regard to Bermuda, and while unlike most 20-somethings on this island, I have actually read Bermuda’s constitution, I definitely know America’s better. An accurate description of the youth on this island would be sheep, with limited shepherds investing in us, yet people wonder why this island is drowning in chaos and confusion.
We weren’t born angry, volatile, foolish or antisocial; we learned to be this way. When society paints the picture that it is more important to be rich, than equal, this is what happens. When all around us selfish behaviors seem to prevail, we no longer see the need for selflessness. When the pursuit of equality has been replaced by the pursuit of personal riches, what should anyone expect? When it appears that politicians care more about political ideologies and pointing fingers at each other, instead of the electorate they are supposed to be serving, this is what happens.
Bermuda, we have done this to ourselves; we who abuse the systems to our benefits one day, and condemn them the next, when these same systems negatively affect us; we who support the drug trade for our own personal highs, yet condemn it when it kills our children; we who turn a blind eye when the violence and madness does not affect us, yet protest and cry “justice” when our loved one is gunned down. How hypocritical and selfish we are as a society. This entire country is guilty of murder in the 1st degree.
16 of the 20 gun murders in the past 9 years have been males aged 30 or younger. A quick glance throughout the Facebook posts and news blogs of this country, and the increasing vitriol and absolute disregard for such genocide seen on this island is shocking. Comments like ‘Why don’t they just round all these guys up, put them on an island, and let them kill each other,’ or ‘Who cares anymore, it’s kill or be killed,’ or, ‘What’s new? I’m not even surprised anymore. This is boring now,’ are common occurrences. When did the loss of human life become a matter of entertainment? This isn’t a movie or video game. Our children are dying.
An even more shocking fact is that a news article about murder or crime can generate up to 200+ comments, but an article about young athletes, scholarship awards or the many successes of Bermudian youth may get up to 20 comments at best. More often than not, we hear that we are hooligans, doomed, misguided, ungrateful and dysfunctional so what does anybody really expect? Our accomplishments are largely ignored, while our shortcomings make front-page spreads, is this not a problem?
If there is any advice that I hope to impart by writing this, it’s that the people on this island need to start loving each other, and more importantly your children before it’s too late. iPads and fancy clothes will not raise successful adults, because morals are taught, not innate. Hurt people, hurt people. And a major issue with a lot of Bermudian youth is that many of us are hurting inside. As a society, we didn’t stop them when they dropped out of schools, nor did we stop them when they first sat on street walls… We took limited action when it was machetes and helmets, and thereby let it escalate to guns. Our silence and inaction is what has given strength to the downward spiral we currently find ourselves in as a society. We let it get this bad, so let’s stop crying wolf, and start righting all of our wrongs as a united and loving people.
“A city of justice, a city of love; a city of peace, for every one of us. ‘Cause we all need it, can’t live without it…” – R. Kelly “Gotham City”
Raisa Tuzo is 22-years-old and attended Spelman College. She recently launched her own blog which can be found here.
Very well written Ms. Tuzo. Every Bermudian needs to read this and take this message to heart. This should be a full page ad that is run everyday in the newspapers. It would be great if your message could be incorporated into our schools as a study item.
I am 28 and agree with you 100%.
Raisa, you highlight so many issues that we have brought upon ourselves in Bermuda. Our social ills are OUR fault as a people. Families need to consider the value of education and morals and that we, as young people, are sponges that can take on all things good and bad. In order to begin dealing with this monstrosity of a mess I think it’s important for each of us that call Bermuda home to consider how we can independently make a difference in our “villages”. Rather than help yourself, how can you help someone in need or a group that requires assistance. Understanding your past in order to chart your future is crucial and this can only come about if people are willing to speak up. Education does not just happen in a classroom, it is for life!
So so right, Raisa. I would go one step further and build on the good words you wrote- we also have to learn to accept that help from our sisters and brothers. SO often, there’s a ‘don’t discipline MY child’ mentality to many mothers- and fathers- but when your child steps out of line, the discipline should be expected AND accepted. I’m not talking about letting a stranger smack a child, I disagree with that level of ‘discipline’ with all my soul- but when I hear school kids dropping the f-bomb as I walk past the bus stop, I should be able to do something about that. But…no. I don’t dare after my last encounter, I actually feared for my own safety. Yes, the village needs to rise again, but the problem isn’t just in people not willing to help, it’s also in people not willing to be helped. You can’t foist assistance on someone who resists or rejects it. I don’t know the answer to that one either, so I’m just putting it out there.
More importance needs to be put on Bermudian history in school, the good and the bad history, the black and the white history and how it all relates to whom we are today. Bermuda is an enigma in itself there is no reason why our tiny Island, marooned in the vastness of the ocean should survive and be a successful nation for 400+ years. We are not a third world country, but an affluent, educated, self governing and functioning society. But why? how have we sustained ourselves through history? We need to be proud of these achievements and that pride needs to be highlighted in schools. Everyone’s ancestors from every race and creed whether they were slaves or land owners, wealthy or poor, helped build this Island and contributed to it’s success as a nation. We should all be proud of that, but we also need to understand our legacy otherwise we will always struggle to find our cultural identity.
Word young lady, word. Talk about hitting the nail on the head, this piece does that 100%. The quote by the Rt. Hon Marcus Mosiah Garvey aptly sums it all up.
Well I do find a bit of comfort knowing that you are part of our future. I was raised like you in a village made up of people from all walks of life and all races. I was taught respect for self and others and have fought a hard fight as a single mother to pass on those same values to my sons. It is even more difficult today as the oustide influences are so strong. Heck we try to even put the blame on those that have been invited to our shores to work because there were available positions that we felt were beneath us when we could actually learn a lesson or two from many of them that come from Countries that are far less fortunate than ours…they still have that sense of community that we have lost grasp of.
I also believe that spending time away from this island should be mandatory for all young people. One does not truly grasp a sense of how good we have it here until you have seen countries with extreme poverty….yet even in those areas children still seem happier than ours.
My dear friend always says that the day we started closing in porches for tv rooms was the day that we began to close ourselves off as a community.
I wish you well with your studies and thank your article…I will definitley look at your blog.
This is all so true. I remember back when all the media had to report about was the accomplishments of Bermudian & the comments were, “Why does Bermudian news have to be so boring?” & “Doesn’t the Bermudian news have anything more interesting to report?” Sad to say many of us are like ancient romans going to the colosseum.
I wish there was a Bermudian history month here not just a black history month. Our tiny island & its people have had a huge positive impact on the world & the youth need to recognize it & be proud. We need to push the naysayers off our shoulders because they keep our heads down when they used to be held high. We used to look internally for advancement now we look across the seas for better days. We had our first African descended leader Sir Edward Richards in 1908 when America has only accomplished this in the new millennium. Some say Bermudians are too proud well we deserve to be. All who say Bermudians are lazy good for nothing & not worth the pay are sticking the blinders on us to lead us down the wrong path. Parents please turn off the TV & video games & pick up a Bermuda history book & teach your young that real heroes existed in Bermuda & were not frauds like the idols they see in a box which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk. As the late great Robert Nesta Marley sang, “If you know your history, Then you would know where your coming from, Then you wouldn’t have to ask me, Who the hell do I think I am.”
Great piece. However to compare Obama and his election to ET Richards is misguided and not exactly accurate.
Who mentioned Obama at all?
Tommy Chong: “We had our first African descended leader Sir Edward Richards in 1908 when America has only accomplished this in the new millennium.”
Facts are facts and I believe the point Mr Chong was trying to make, withoutt taking anything from President Obama, was that we achieved something great at a time when such occurences were unheard of. This should encourage national pride but it is not talked about or celebrated, which was the points made in the Raisa’s blog.
Thanks Dee, that was exactly my point & as you typed I also don’t want to take anything away from President Obama as its not his fault there were so many in America that could not transcend till recently. Obama is very brave to have gone against the odds. I also did not mean to take anything away from Raisa’s words but just wanted to mention a fact that seems to have been buried in our recent history for political gain over cultural loss.
Please explain how this is misguided and not exactly accurate? I may have missed something & I’m open to constructive criticism.
I’ve just checked to see if you came back with an explanation & realized my error. I’ve typed Sir Edward Richards birth date not election date. His election date was in 1971. I didn’t mean to misguide anyone I just got the dates mixed up in my memory of Bermuda social studies & typed the first that came to my head. I still do think his election was an early step forward even for that time period.
I’m excited for you Ray.! I hope the positive feedback continues…hopefully the right person sees it and this is the first step towards a change of some sort.
I first got this in an email and felt compelled to pass it along and I’m glad that it’s here for everyone to read and hopefully reflect and act on. There are so many debates over this topic and exactly what you pointed out. props to u Ms. Tuzo!
In a certain village the people were meeting in a field to discuss the best way to plant crops as they wanted to increase the yield. One villager stood up with a lenghty written discourse about how past practices were inadequate and highlighted where errors had been made and what shoould be done going forward. Another produced a report showing how grass root farmers could effectively manage the sowing and harvesting much better than the organized farmers union. Another introduced a consultant brought in from a far away villaage with credentials showing how his methods had worked in other villages and promised similiar results here. This went on for days, weeks, months with no farming being started. One day a little old man unobserved from the others began to furrough the fields with his ox drawn plough, once the field was prepared he seeded it and watered it. He tended the field, all this while the others were too busy with bebates and reports. One day while the crops were ready to be harvested the little old man looked on as the villagers stood among the crops too busy to notice what had been all the while. As he walked away from the scene back to his little hut the man turned back to the scene with a shake of his grey head. The irony of this was that this exercise had been repeated for many years. The simple action of doing had never been exercised, had never been considered. The moral, actions speak louder than words.
So the question then is, What have you done? What have we all done? Raisa Tuzo, I applaud you for awaking my conscience. I like many Bermudians have not only shut my blinds, but my eyes and ears as well. Today, I will come forward, like i should have a long time ago. God bless you young lady.
And sometimes words bring about actions. Moral of Raisa’s story is, speaking IS an action so maybe you are slow after all…