By the time you are reading the above headline – the dream would have become a reality, and the 44th President of the U.S.A. in the person of Barrack Obama – an African American – would have been sworn in and taken up residence in the White House in Washington D.C. with his black Wife First Lady Michelle and two daughters. Not wishing to take away anything from the very able and intellectually superbly qualified new President Obama undoubtedly is – I cannot resist making the comment that this accomplishment is the equivalent of a modern day miracle. And as if to demonstrate that the U.S.A. is in fact changing from its very roots upwards – that great Country had another miracle on its shores just four/ five days before the Inauguration - when that Airplane landed on the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York, and all the (165) One Hundred and Sixty-five passengers and crew walked out of that plane alive – as though walking on water. I know and expect that Pilot would receive all the praises that would follow such an achievement and all very well deserved – but he should never forget, that the hands of an Almighty Omnipotent and Superior Power were in that cockpit with him and his crew at all times. The said blot on this period, unfortunately, is that at the same time the presence of that Almighty being is so wonderfully felt in the U.S.A. – in the province where His Divine Son was born, and performed numerous miracles to show His own people that He was supreme before they killed him – those same people have for the past four weeks been killing defenceless women and children and saying to the outside World that they are defending their homeland against terrorist attackers. True enough, they have all the Big guns, and Tanks and Airplanes fully loaded with heavy Bombs to destroy the Palestinians - but the longest day always must come to an end. So as we celebrate and offer prayers and heart felt thanks for the wonderful happenings in that Country – where once upon a time the likes of another black boy born in Honolulu somewhere, could not have ventured anywhere near the outer walls of the White House to seek employment as a yard boy, but to-day he is the Boss in the very White House as The President of the United States of America – we must have faith, and the Audacity of Hope, that with the Almighty Supreme Being still very much alive, anything and everything is possible. To those who will question the ways and actions of the Almighty, I can only say He works in His own mysterious ways. The U.S.A. is the World’s leader in the application of the democratic principles that are followed in the Western Hemisphere, and therefore the new President will be looked upon to perform more miracles – especially as he is inheriting the Economic and Financial chaos left behind as relics from the useless war in Iraq that wasted Trillions of dollars. But over and above their own domestic problems with heavy un-employment, the liquidation of Companies, the rising costs of living with no corresponding increase in wages and salaries, and thousands losing their homes because they cannot pay their Mortgages and other debts – the outsider World in the East and Africa are also looking to the miracle leader to bring his “yes we can” to their neck of the woods. And we, in our little in-significant corner in Caricom and the wider OAS region, are also looking towards the new President and his Democratic Government to help our cause. And the up-coming OAS heads of Government meeting due in Trinidad and Tobago in April – that is being looked upon as the ground breaking opportunity for our Leaders in these parts to effectively put their case, and lay the foundation for the road map ahead. We are all hoping that those Leaders will do their homework, and go to the meeting well prepared with sound ideas and clear policy positions that will make a difference in time. They should not go there expecting more miracles – although a smaller version than the one to the White House would be very welcome in these hard economy times. But they must also be prepared to be frank and understandable, and not to expect situations that have been in existence for decades – and have been upheld by past Presidents of both sides of the political divide – to be changed by the new “Kid” in the White House overnight. Diplomacy and diplomatic relations between nations, whether friends or foes, take time to blossom and mature before bearing fruits of success. Having said all the foregoing as stemming from the situations in the U.S.A., I also feel that we should be looking at those happenings as very relevant to our situation in the region, and more significantly to what is taking place in our own Spice Isles. Our change last year July was not as dramatic and historical as that of the November fourth miracle. But in its own way that change on July eighth had its own kinds of peculiarities and significance. Never before had any of our past leaders and members of their team accused of so many wrong doings – with ample evidence to back them up; nor had our tiny-tot state suffered so many losses, at the hands of crooks and con-men brought into our land by the last Leader and his team, and more or less given a Blank Cheque to exploit our people and make Millions by using our Nation’s address for their crooked deals and Criminal activities Worldwide. A prominent citizen called me earlier this month, to make the following comment about the above state of affairs. He related a few incidence of financial scams and wrong-doing, and pointed out that the evidence declared at the time seemed very clear and compelling, so he was concerned that with such knowledge and in the time already expired – how it is that the powers-that-be have done nothing, or if they have done anything, why is it that there is so much silence about what is happening? Another caller – who is also a big Depositor with Capital Bank International – made the point that quick action was taken to close the Bank and leave Depositors in thin air, with no one saying anything to them; yet the Minister of Finance and then Prime Minister, who wrongly issued the Banking Licence in the first place is strutting about the place and no sanction has been taken against him for that nor any of the other serious offences he has been accused of. All very valid concerns and searching question, that those in authority should be providing answers for. I have also been approached by Constituents from various areas, who are complaining that whereas during the campaign and before Elections – those now in the seats of power were always available and about town as it were – but now no number of phone calls can even get a response from them. I must point out that the same complaints did not apply to the Prime Minister – who many said was accessible despite his heavy work load. I would suggest to his colleagues to follow his example. Another Institution that has been attracting very in-depth complaints from John public – at least against some of its members – is that of the Police Force. I have had two or three approaches to defend persons who have been charged by police – over incidents that if handled differently by the officers involved, would not have escalated to the stages they have in fact reached; and worse yet, the very bad image that has been carried over to the Force as a whole- which is really not justified. I do not need to be told that every story has two sides, and until one hears both sides it is not wise to come to any decision; but often times when you hear one side, and the supporting story, and assess the manner and demeanor of the complainants who have been charged – especially women of some age – it is not difficult to see the pattern of behaviour. And this is particularly disturbing when we recall that the new Commissioner of Police, James Clarkson – has been making very strenuous efforts to build back the image of the Police Force/service. In fact, his many efforts have been mis-construed, and in some case turned around and used as a rod of reproach by some officers. As one report to me stated, that the officer involved made the comment when dealing with the civilian – “that because all you party man is Commissioner, you cannot do as you like”. In other words, those in the Force who owe their loyalty to the old regime and who view the persons they are dealing with as NDC supporters – they are reacting on the basis of party political bias. I trust the Commissioner will have some Senior officer do some spot checks on cases that are reported which result in Court matters – before they reach the Courts, so as to assess the value of the reports. Because the Police officers on duty on the streets and in the community generally, are the ones whom the public interact with on a daily basis – the behaviour of one or two around the Country, can really dirty the image and reputation of the force as a whole. And when the un-necessary confrontation is taking place in the city of St. George’s, with hundreds of Tourists all about the place shopping or site seeing – then the Government itself, and the Minister of national security in particular, will get the very unfair criticism of running a Police State. That is another very critical reason, why I cannot understand how it is that the Prime Minister, as Minister of National Security, does not have a Junior Minister of State directly responsible for the operations of the Police Force. Those officers in that department, who still harbour their preference for the ex-Minister and his party, for whatever reason – they are in a most sensitive and crucial position, to do untold damage to the cause of democracy and the human rights of our people. Filling that position, in my humble opinion, is far more important to the people and Country as a whole – than engaging in some party dog-fight over who should be deputy political Leader, come the party convention just around the corner. If we are truly serious about effecting change in the areas of accountability, transparency, and good governance, these must be seen to be taking place in the business affairs of the Country and people in general. True enough, the business of the party machinery must be maintained, because it is from that source the political strength will be obtained to gain a second term. But there are enough competent members and followers, outside the immediate Government power base to take on that role, and thereby free-up the national Leaders/Ministers to concentrate on the bigger picture and keep in touch with people generally. The minister for Health and an impressive team had a consultation meeting with residents of St. John last week, to advise about the new Health facility to serve St. John and St. Mark, and schedule to be built in the next twelve months. The exercise went down well and the people seemed to have participated and appreciated the performance. That cannot be forthcoming every week, in terms of a project coming on stream – but consultation and first hand information from the top are always appreciated. Each constituency has its own M.P. and his people will see him around – but there is one Minister of Health, or Finance, or Agriculture etc. etc. He or she must be seen and shared Island wide occasionally. Yes, we can succeed if only we keep on trying. By Lloyd Noel INSIDE GRENADA NEWS