I know each of us somewhere during our recent social interactions has heard it said or asked something about the need for the country to come together. With the doomsday broadcasters included, who have straightaway cast their lots, forecasting exodus of capital, plunder and mayhem. All of this coming even before the proverbial ink has dried on the swearing-in of the Premier and his Cabinet.

While we are discussing the negatives, it’s worth mentioning the question: can we really all get along? Given the broadened equation added to the old historical racial construct between black and white, which now includes Asians and others, is it rich, or simply an ideal that we can? Then, after we think all the components needing unity have been stated, here comes the black on black, with the loaded question: can we, as a black subset of the whole picture, get along?

On the positive side, at least this writer is of the opinion that the best possible vehicle is in place to achieve the goal of a better and more unified Bermuda. One of the latent fears not so publicly expressed is that the sit-ins, blocked parliaments and protest-leading are arguably the cause of this premature and sudden election and the thought of what would have been the reaction to a different electoral result is frightening.

It certainly would not have been a peaceful move towards unity. Hakim Gordon, the eldest son of E.F. Gordon, was an anthropologist and although he never published any works, I will take the liberty to say that one of his greatest questions, which motivated him to travel around the Earth and experience different cultures, in particular viewing northern and southern hemispheres, was his need to uncover what contributed to the differences in people’s behaviour and attitude.

Without a detailed discussion showing the basis of his determination, let me go directly to his hypothesis. He ascertained that the northern and southern environments influenced the DNA resulting in a predisposition of northerners towards collectivism and southerners towards individualism. The colder, harsh north fostered a collective strength and meant weaker individualism and the warmer, opulent environment fostered stronger individualism, which meant collective weakness.

So if on Hakim’s theory, one has ever observed that the whites seem to remain quiet while blatant injustices and travesties have taken place, although individually many will strongly assert they abhorred it. Or why it is that blacks seem to love strong leaders with a cause, yet divide so easily in spite of the cause, constantly forming splinter groups? The issue runs far deeper than what some refer to as the Willie Lynch syndrome and can be evidenced as far back as the prehistoric Bantu tribes of Africa, such answer instead may lie in Hakim Gordon’s theory of hemispheric environmental influence.

Neither positions are absolute determinants, but exist as underlying tendencies, which everyone needs to understand of themselves to gain mastery and benefit from both attributes. The truth is we are beyond DNA and its influences, because our humanity is that of consciousness. We come to this sense of our humanity when we recognise the pettiness of identity based on colour, the status gained by wealth, class, profession or nationality. Therefore true unity is possible, not by promoting our differences or forging them together, but through recognising we are innately one as human consciousness with one common heritage and ultimate destiny. It’s like looking at a table you can describe as divided up into parts where you get legs, top, screws, cross supports and then endless parts like paint etc, but is better understood described as a table and not by a multitude of parts. We can fight for equality and access to full human dignity of all persons because in the universal order we each are equidistant to the essence of the universe and inalienably entitled as part of the fabric of humanity.

If there is a monopoly that interferes with the free flow of opportunity, or a system that causes impoverishment of one people and dominance by another, we are authorised and even advised to destroy it, to bring fair trade and equal access to all. Not because it’s a black power or labour movement, but because our human conscience is stirred towards equity.

The PLP, through its leadership, will have to reach within to beckon towards the spirit of humanity that universalists call love, to move the country to a better place. It cannot be done in the name of nationalism, black power, redistribution or retribution. The programme of unification must be built on the universal idea of truth and justice for all.

It’s not the work of the PLP alone, all sectors need to join in on the human exercise, it must become the country’s mission to make Bermuda a better place. When we do this, it will be recognised globally and capital will flow into the country. Tourism will rise, IB will remain because innately everyone is attracted to truth and a true example of love for humanity. No, this is not utopianism, it’s just the nature of what has to be done to move forward and advance a new day.