The Tribune

By ALLISON MILLER

IT IS elections time again and as we embark on choosing a government for the next five years I want to share with you what I heard a politician say on a talk show. I thought to share it with you in an effort for us as Bahamians to consider how we treat each other at this time.

Dr Hubert Minnis was a guest on Darol Miller's Talk Show. He and Mr Miller were engaged in a political conversation (the reason why he was there). I can't recall the conversation word for word, however, what I can recall is when Dr Minnis said, "politicians are friends and family".

Mr Miller explained that many PLP Politicians and FNM Politicians are friends and family.

"Yes Branville and I are cousins," said Dr Minnis. I am sure many people were shocked to learn.

I said all of that to say this, if politicians from each party can coexist and get along, regardless if they like each or not, then as a society we are to get along with each other.

When the elections are over and the people have chosen, we will all go back to our lives. Meaning we are still neighbors and friends. We still share the same space and breathe the same air. We are still family. Our children still go to the same schools. We still share the same congregations in our various churches. Most importantly we all serve the same God, who instructs us to be each other's keeper.

Being each other's keeper is not allowing a different political persuasion to drive us apart. Politicians are friends, business partners, and colleagues. They are each other's children's godparents.

Of course they are of a different political opinion but it does not change their relationship with each other. They understand that business is business.

We as a people cannot allow the business of politics to cause strife in our daily living with each other. The men and women in the house of parliament and the senate know how to manage themselves outside of those walls.

It would be foolish of us to rely on politicians or the government elected to direct us in our attitudes towards one another. I was told of a physical fight in a bank over politics. Really? We are better than that and should not allow ourselves to come to that kind behavior.

Finally, whatever the political position FNM, PLP or DNA it is a person's right to be whatever he or she chooses to be. We have to allow our maturity to get the better part of us.