November 6, 2012Dear SirIt’s amazing the lessons we can learn from our children. My son has recently taught me about loyalty — the value of disloyalty, in fact. This year, he stunningly switched allegiances from Liverpool to Man City. Liverpool jerseys got ruthlessly shoved aside; replaced by a new-found devotion to Man City — “coincidentally” Premier League winners. All attempts to explain loyalty went unheeded by my child. Now that he was old enough to understand winning and losing, he was determined to back a team that produced results. As I bemoaned my failure to teach him the value of loyalty; it struck me that disloyalty has a place in the world of politics. His simplistic view of the world, results = support, is the way to approach the exercising of a fundamental right: our vote. I want to vote for the party that will be the most likely to produce results that I deem important. I will vote for the party that I think will produce results in areas that are likely of primary importance to most Bermudians: economy; transparency in governance; education; crime etc …However, getting my vote is not an indication of my loyalty ad infinitum. It is my duty to be the most disloyal voter that I can be. I am investing something most valuable, my vote, and if that party doesn’t follow produce positive results then I will withdraw my support in a heartbeat. My loyalty is to my country, not to anyone holding public office. After all, we vote parties into office to serve the public interest (not the other way around). Loyalty can be tricky, especially if it doesn’t allow you to see the picture clearly. Blind loyalty is an outright danger to us all. The public should be ‘eyes wide open’ — evaluating, gauging and questioning. We need to be able to notice that results aren’t being produced in order to first question why and then demand solutions. Just remember PLP/OBA/UBP candidates: just because you may get my vote, doesn’t mean you will get my loyalty. Approach your public role with the knowledge that we are watching and judging. We are not your loyal followers. Loyalty between the public and government officials is a one-way street. As members of our government/opposition your primary concern should be loyalty to Bermuda — not the other way around.YOUR MOST DISLOYAL SUPPORTERSt George’s