Only the paranoid survive

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Being civic minded is something that comes from respect, a innate education, and character. Few are willing to pay the price for contrary behaviour.

Rachel Borg is an independent columnist based in the tourism industry “Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves” – D.H. Lawrence

I am asked quite often these days, how it is possible that people have not taken to the streets or refused to allow atrocities to continue undisturbed or unprotested. The atrocities are many. They may have to do with the poor environment, shooting of protected birds, the demolition of architectural heritage or even of normal streetscapes and valleys. Others have to do with blatant corruption and sheer arrogance. And others still, to do with everyday inconveniences, health risks, traffic congestion. So many aspects of ordinary life have been impacted by what is taking place on a regular basis all around us.

If we should start by that which is most close to us, we would probably begin with how the Local Councils carry out their functions We, voters and citizens, have seen our Councils stripped of essential funds and treated with discrimination. We suffer the consequences. But are we allowing complacency to get the better of us?

“When a great team loses through complacency, it will constantly search for new and more intricate explanations to explain away defeat” – Pat Riley.

Maybe some people are more sensitive to their surroundings and to the civil administration around them. Maybe they have a more acute civic sense. Or possibly they are simply more paranoid than the regular Joe. It could also be that they do not have vested interests in say, career, hunting or constrution or other functions that today fall into the scope of success and so they are more free to express their opinions.

Whatever the case, the fact is that a good proportion of the community are plagued by the failure or lack of service around them, be it by the Council or by their MPs. Standards are so mediocre that they no longer resemble anything that could actually result in a significant difference. It is a matter of representation which is simply failing.

The roads and pavements are still wrecked. Elderly persons are more and more confined to their place of abode, which today may be sandwiched between blocks of flats as their community is taken up by chairs and tables on the street and hotels, bars and restaurants. Windows stay closed now, due to dust and noise.

What was once a colourful and flowery bougainvillae by your window is now a bunch of dry branches and the few poor birds that are remaining seek desperately for food and a place to rest or nest.

A walk down to the seafront is but a shadow (and in the shadow) of what it used to be. The promenade is an obstacle course and there is nothing familiar about it anymore, nor do you find the peace and tranquillity which was so normal before. Let us not even begin on cleanliness.

Are we to be blamed for thinking that some councils do not even know what is happening in the streets? A look at the Committees that exist in a council can give you an idea of their concerns or lack of. Some are really pitiful. Nothing on the environment, nothing on pollution or cleaning, nothing on internal traffic, parking or health and safety. The list goes on. No citizens’ concerns committee.

I am certain that most councillors face daily battles but should it have to be this way? They may tire and think it is no longer worth their time and effort, which indeed may the intention behind the squeeze of funds and authority.

Sure, nobody enjoys going the extra mile and sticking their neck out when this could mean they get shunned or pushed aside. People from the bourgeouis suffer from selfconsciousness and will avoid confrontation or display of emotions as much as possible. One reason why bicycles are not used much here. It would not be proper to be seen on a bike. They too are more likely to be afflicted by the mess around them. Moreover, today you cannot even express an opinion online without getting attacked with hate posts. Let alone wear the T-shirt or carry the placard and march. People are conservative as much as they can possibly bear or leave to someone else to speak up.

When complaining at a bank recently, about the poor service to customers, the manager told us to complain ourselves. I would ask, would she give me her salary for the day and I do her job? Otherwise, even though it may have made her unpopular with the head office or HR, she had a duty to ensure that our complaints were addressed properly, instead of shifting the responsibility onto us.

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Call out scandals of power, call on the Police to act, kick out the crooks, choose your representatives on the basis of what they have done and said and not just on party loyality. Most of all, unite and stand up for issues that count and do not let complacency take root.

This attitude, unfortunately, is prevalent throughout many service sectors. It is just not good enough. But, to our detriment, we grow complacent and accept all the mediocre, rude or problematic situations around us as permament. “Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive” – Andy Grove.

The result is there to be seen all around us. Who will speak out and who will fight for justice and citizen’s rights? A quick round of house visits are meant to assure candidates of our votes. An even quicker look around us will certainly indicate the reality that complacency is everywhere. Indeed, it should begin with us but it is important that we are listened to and proper action ensues. Replying with a joke, flat tyres or no flat tyres, dosen’t cut it.

Those who remain paranoid enough to complain are few and are looked upon like freaks.

Even the Nationalist Party fell victim of this mindset – being considered negative and therefore unpopular and so, keep your mouth shut and slap backs and shake hands and kiss kiss.

Contrast that to people who do not carry that self-consciousness around and you will see that there is no hesitation in expressing their anger or calling the right persons. Government knows this and has set up all the customer care service in Ministries. Teachers too face constant threat to their safety because of people who are impatient and aggressive.

Being civic minded is something that comes from respect, a innate education, and character. Few are willing to pay the price for contrary behaviour. We like to go with the flow, to keep our heads down and not make enemies. Women too, are often conditioned by their husbands, as witnessed recently in a restaurant where a man called me a stupid woman because I asked him if he could move his chair in so that my elbow was not on his stomach (of course I did not mention that bit so he simply glared at me over his spectacles and raised his eyebrows before calling me a stupid woman). And the two women around him sat stiffly in their chair with embarrassment. The son tried to difuse the insult by dismissing it. Delete it. That is the kind of mentality that is prevalent these days. Speak at your peril.

So, at the cost of being a “stupid woman” I would really like to see Local Councils, Members of Parliament, Authorities and even the President step up and do the job they were elected (or appointed) to do instead of being cossetted among loyal supporters and looking for perks, promotions or other benefits. Call out scandals of power, call on the Police to act, kick out the crooks, choose your representatives on the basis of what they have done and said and not just on party loyality. Most of all, unite and stand up for issues that count and do not let complacency take root.

Be there when it matters and that time is the present.