The audacity of hope

12.JAN.07

EDITOR: I am currently reading a book by Barack Obama, the young African American who is being billed as a possible candidate for the next US presidential race. I have a love for words so just the title of the book sparked my interest right away.

The “Audacity of Hope” – it’s an interesting construction. Webster defines audacity as the willingness to take risk, in other words to dare to believe, say or do something. Right away I connected the title of the book with the current political situation in this country.{{more}} On the one hand you have the governing Unity Labour Party (ULP) which has the audacity of hope, that is, they are willing to take the risk of hoping for a better brighter future where things are possible. On the other hand you have the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), that preaches gloom and doom and says to you how dare you have hope? How dare you think that brighter and better days are ahead and that we can achieve anything that is good?

The two sides give a completely different meaning to the same phrase. One is positive and says we dare to have hope; the other is negative and says how dare you have hope.

The NDP hangers-on also share the same negative philosophy and preach it wherever they go whether it is on radio or speeches overseas.

So where the ULP has the audacity of hope that a bridge over the Dry River is possible, the NPD and its hangers-on says how dare you? It’s not possible; nobody will give the money to do it.

Where the ULP has the audacity of hope that this country can build an international airport at Argyle, the NDP says how dare you, you don’t have any money and Argyle is a bad location.

While the ULP has the audacity of hope that a cross country road will bring benefits to this country and bring the people closer together, the NDP says how dare you, it will only reap havoc and there is no money to do it.

While the ULP has the audacity of hope that we can meet our debt payments and we need to borrow so that we can develop our country, the NDP says how dare you, we will never be able to repay so don’t borrow to develop at a faster pace.

The ULP says let’s have the audacity of hope that Buccama can be developed into a first class tourist attraction, employing hundreds and generating millions of dollars and supporting the said farmers who were asked to relocate by buying produce from them, the NDP says no, let them continue to do subsistence farming, don’t take the risk, don’t dare to move them for a better development.

The ULP has the audacity of hope that universal secondary education is achievable now and not 15 years down the road, the NDP says no, let’s continue to let seven out of 10 12-year olds drop out of school after failing Common Entrance for another 15 years.

The list goes on, but the point is this, let’s have the audacity of hope in this country, lets continue to take the risk of expecting better and the best, let’s dare to have hope in a positive light. The fact is, the ULP has shown and continues to show us that when we have the audacity of hope almost anything is possible and it has delivered.

Hans King