Our former Prime Minister, Erskine Sandiford, has died.

When our leaders die, we are told of the good things they did. We are also told not to speak ill of the dead. This is understandable because the time for repentance has ended – the Lord will judge them. If we believe that they will rise in glory, we rejoice – otherwise, we weep for the eternal distress they chose for themselves.

We do not truly know the ways of our political leaders. They accuse each other of the most despicable behaviours imaginable, and once imagined, they either invent or recall worse behaviours. If the accusations of our politicians are true, then satan and his demons are like innocent children in comparison.

DESTROYERS OF REPUTATIONS.

Our political system encourages our politicians to make terrible accusations against each other. They are vile destroyers of others’ reputations. Whether they do it for our entertainment or our disgust is doubtful. What is certain is that they do it for us – we encourage them to behave in that manner.

Whenever a politician departs the land of the living, we witness a modern miracle. Politicians who previously convinced us that the late politician was among the worst human beings on this planet, now declare him to be cut from the same cloth as Jesus. At his funeral, the priest confidently declares that he will rise in glory.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOOD.

It would be nice for the victims of our politicians to hear these nice things about them while they live. Perhaps former Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford’s death may be the catalyst that causes this desired change.

Perhaps they can start by apologising to the families of those whom they callously denigrated, and to the public whom they deceitfully misled. They should follow this with a public confession of the lies they told as they tried to destroy the reputations of others.

REPARATIONS.

Finally, they should pay reparations where their lies caused their victims to be disqualified from employment opportunities. They can reject the way that leads to eternal distress and follow the way of righteousness.

Of course, they will do no such thing because we, their audience and employers will not allow it. We much prefer to be entertained by our political agents – at the expense of the destruction of the reputations of our victims.

• Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados.  He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com