I pay homage to each of you in our respective places. A pleasant morning to the family of the Late JAGS McCartney especially today’s honoree, Mrs Dorothy McCartney.
We are here at this familiar place celebrating National Heroes Day and focusing our attention on the sole named National Hero, the Late Hon JAGS McCartney.
In 2009, I was asked to address the Nation as the Guest Speaker at that year’s National Heroes Day Celebration. In that Address I called this nation to not only a time to celebrate but also to reflect and review: To celebrate the life of Late Hon JAGS McCartney, to reflect on the times of our country and life and then to review our role as citizens, individually and collectively. That call is just as relevant today as it was then.
Today I celebrate the life of my Party, PDM’s first Leader and one of its founding members but also the country’s first Chief Minister and only named National Hero, JAGS. His name is well known but his life is not as well – known as it ought to be. We cannot truly appreciate him if we do not take the time to learn about him. This year I am trying to encourage us all to find out more about him and to learn from his life all the attributes that makes him a great leader, a uniting national figure but above all a model citizen.
Yes we forget that he was just a citizen as we are just citizens. He was not a superhero with super powers. He was chosen in a time when people were prepared to fight, to rally around a cause and to stand up for the rights of others even when it didn’t really affect them. That was period when ordinary citizens became extraordinary, not from spinach like Popeye nor from the yellow rays of the earth’s sun like Super Man. He had no tricks, no super powers just armed with a vision and a passion. Like Gatorade’s slogan, he operated from “the wind from within”. He could have sat down and ignored the issues until it affected him directly but he knew he could do more and there are others among us who knows that we can and should be doing more. He did not wait for external sources to move him. We too often look to leadership to move you when all leadership does is ignite the passion within that ought to already be there but too many appear passionless, spineless and careless with the blessing of citizenship in this Beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands. This, my brothers and sisters if it doesn’t kill us, it will surely cause our death.
This year, I celebrate our National Hero through six quick lessons for us taught by the life he lived:
JAGS had a heart problem and he was given a crutch by nature. He could have sat back and people would have given him a pass to be a mediocre citizen but he pushed himself No doubt his family would remind him but he listened to the inner voice. Whatever personal crutch life or people have given us, we must challenge ourselves and listen to the inner voice.
No matter what role you are called to played, the youth must always be central. Everything we do must be for their betterment and for their upliftment. We must be mindful that we do not handicap them or rob them of the future they deserve. Ignore the youth and watch your country go down a slippery slope and I say no more. He embraced the youth. He involved himself in Programs to help in the positive development of them and he used sports as a powerful tool in his hand as well.
To those citizens who answer the call to leadership, remember God has allowed you to be there so we ought to serve as unto to Him. Like JAGS, we must not govern in ignorance. He educated his followers and made sure they understood the issues. He demonstrated unity and despite the fact that many did not like or appreciate his efforts, he represented all regardless of their political persuasion or which Island they came from. He impressed on his people the need to stand together as one Turks and Caicos Islands if only for survival of our nation. Can this call be more relevant at this time? Prophetic I would say.
He did not discriminate. He was all inclusive and he made everyone feel important. Those whom society rejected, he involved recognizing that everyone has a purpose and a part to play. He represented peoples from all walks of life and on all issues– from behind the wheels of an Old Truck called Mother Africa to defend young men abused by Police to Nurses/Civil Servants bid for fairer employment terms, to persons requiring medical care, to those who lost their properties, to fighting for greater powers for local representatives…sounds familiar.. He never gave up and neither should we. The issues are many but they will only be managed when we honestly identify them, address them and work together to resolve them selflessly.
Life was not perfect for JAGS, he had many distractors, some traitors and those who hated him for his passion and for his vision. Who does he think he is? A little black boy from the Garden. But he kept the bigger picture before him. There will be people who will fight your vision, your dream, your plan, but look past them and keep a stepping. There are people who will fight against the vision for a country where there is equality, freedom and justice for all. But we must step on them if we must and plod on to a brighter day.
He was no supernatural being. He was a simple ordinary guy who refused to take up space or become another statistic. It must be painful for those who worked with him to watch a lot of what was gained in his period falling away. We still can repair, we can still rebuild and we can still make these Islands the best little nation. We just have to each find his/her place. No leader can do it alone, there must be enough people committed to the cause who themselves understand the life of service. There must be a cause bigger than you and your selfish desires. These times call for selfless servants with a vision and a plan and a heart for the people. Refrain from the tearing down in order to build yourselves up but respect the opinions of others and the differences in opinion.
I say God bless this great lady who today is being honored and who stood with him when many of us would not have. She obviously shared in the vision and today we are honored that she is honored. We are happy that a recent bit of legislation once defunct has been revived so that she becomes the first honoree under the National Honors and Awards Program.Mrs McCartney, a strong woman who had to hear the dream perhaps even in his sleep, who had to listen and share on matter that he could not share with others, who became a widow and a single mother and remained our honorable first lady to this day. I salute you.
JAGS believed that the power of the people was greater than the people in power, what say ye Turks and Caicos? People in power – Government and opposition are your servants and you ought to demand a higher level of representation, transparency, honesty, integrity in public office, and ACTION.
You ought to demand of yourself as well…educate yourselves, serve with everything in you knowing that wherever you find yourself you can either positively or negatively impact another’s life and you can either negatively or positively impact the development of these Islands.
Stop, and ask yourself what are you doing for your country? Are you giving your best or are you taking up space? Are you the problem of which you speak? Your contribution may not be national but it can impact our nation’s development significantly. You may not be recognized but serving without a desire to be recognized makes you a better citizen as helping others, helps you.
A small boy was walking along a beach at low tide, where countless thousands of small sea creatures, having been washed up, were stranded and doomed to perish. A man watched as the boy picked up individual creatures and took them back into the water.
“I can see you’re being very kind,” said the watching man, “But there must be a million of them; it can’t possibly make any difference.” Returning from the water’s edge, the boy said, “It will for that one.”
I charge us all, make a difference, one life at a time and be a hero to someone. Wherever we find ourselves and whatever good we find to do, do it with humility, passion, mercy, commitment, integrity, honesty, compassion and with a conviction. It is then and only then will you remain hopelessly devoted to the cause. This is the only way to keep the dream alive.
Be a good citizen, that is all I ask of you.
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