The future of any country is in jeopardy when, in the name of progress, the family unit as we once knew it begins to disintegrate under the stress and strain of modern day decisions, usually based on popular concepts of what is best for financial gain and economic power.

There are strong mixed emotions running deep throughout our communities, that our current direction, especially in the world of business, could be inadvertently leading to the demise of the Bermudian family, which has been the core centre for decades in moulding and building character qualities that had nothing to do with whether you were rich or poor.

Even during the dark period of post-slavery social injustice that affected many nations, including the United States and Britain, the family remained the key source in learning about life and how to face various challenges in a world where fairness was not the order of the day. It took great courage by parents of that period, black and white, to ride the waves of social injustice that projected one group as inferior based on skin colour.

The walls of social injustice have crumbled over the years to a point where one of those who would have been considered inferior on that basis became president of a nation that once declared war on itself over the issue of freedom for all. That man is President Barack Obama, who was quick to point out that much of his success stemmed from what he learned at home, even with a single parent.

America turned a page in its history of racial injustice in electing its first black President, but the wounds from that terrible period are yet to heal completely.

Here in Bermuda, we as a people have made significant progress that is undeniable in trying to move away from prejudicial attitudes based on the past. What we seem to have at the moment is a misreading of what is really happening to our Island home. Premier Craig Cannonier was correct in recent remarks about what he perceived as two Bermudas. Those in the lane of financial progress, and those who are not able to even aboard the train yet are expected to cope at a time when job losses and the economy threaten many families. For anyone to suggest that we are economically better off than we were 10 years ago is stunning to say the

least.

The decision to widen our business operations seven days a week could be seen as helping to provide more jobs to boost the troubled economy, but while that may be true, the family already badly weakened by a number of negative elements, including illegal drugs, crime, and a decline in basic respect, is slowly vanishing before our very eyes. The family to any community is as vital as an engine on an airliner ... it needs to be in working order take flight.

Our family structure, which is even more complex than a jet engine, requires around the clock attention, but in recent times our focus has shifted to economic gain as the ultimate goal. With so many single parents

scrambling to make ends meet, many important qualities are lost in the shuffle. Some have literally thrown in the towel, saying “why bother, nobody really cares”. Even one person taking that attitude is one too many. This is a sad reality that needs to be fully addressed.

Meanwhile, we have ongoing confrontation in the political arena, which under the present circumstance is similar to arguing over paint colours for deckchairs on the ill-fated Titanic.

Whether the Bermudian family as we once knew it can be saved remains to be seen. A truly unpleasant thought is what type of Bermudian will emerge with the demise of the family unit. Many of our seniors who survived difficult times are troubled over the changing face of Bermuda. They persevered in tough times during the war years, and know first-hand what it takes to rise above dark moments in life that challenge the very soul of any society. Bermuda is facing tough decisions and a wrong move will not be easy to correct.

Sometimes there is a dark side to what appears as progress. Our Government and community leaders, and indeed the people, need to think long and hard about doing what is right, not just for today but for future generations. If in the steam roller march to economic power the family is crushed, no amount of money will restore values that may be gone forever. That should never be allowed to happen.