ZNS TV-13 news ran a story on Friday July 27th about the physically impaired. The story focused specifically on blind people and world statistics regarding the high percentage of people who become blind for various reasons.
I have a tendency to critique the reports that air on the national station as much as I listen for the information. And while I thought the report was far too long winded, I accepted that there was a need to fill space. However, what I could not accept is the reporter ending her report by saying “the same kind of health as say normal people.”
At first I was outraged that she would infer that a blind person is not “normal.” To hear someone even use the word “normal” to describe a general population of people is almost absurd. Perhaps in light of where we are in this country, a blind person may not want to be “normal.”
While I am not one who leans towards being politically correct, I do think it is necessary to use words that accurately describe a person or situation. The dictionary defines “normal” as the usual standard, type or custom. And, if we were to follow that definition it seems as if our society is redefining itself in terms of social and emotional development.
The usual custom of the day seems to be for Bahamians young and old to be rude and disrespectful. The usual custom of the day seems to be for young men to solve their problems in violence.
The usual custom of the day seems to be for individuals in the service industry to ignore their customers. Therefore, knowing all of this, I think I would rather be blind than “normal” if this is what a normal society represents.
The death toll continues to rise and having prayer vigils just does not seem to be enough. While the positive vibrations from such an action are much needed, it only serves to wash over the gruesomely gapping wounds of our people.
Many of these social ills have come about because the “normal” people have been blinded by their greed, anger, loneliness, despair and hatred. This blindness has turned to numbness and almost an entire generation has thus become immune to its results.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has increased its presence and is making fast arrests, yet the death toll continues to climb. Perhaps the editor of The Tribune was on to something when she suggested that our laws favour property over human life.
The editorial in The Tribune last Thursday described how a person convicted of burglary received a longer prison sentence than a person convicted of attempted rape. It is no wonder then that persons would think nothing of taking a human life over property that may have been stolen from them.
It seems that the majority of the murders that have taken place in this country have come down to money, drugs and maybe a woman. And of course the woman is usually seen as “property.”
But as this column suggested last week, there is a cycle of violence that permeates this land, and this violence can only stop from the womb. Something must be done about men and women who continue to have child after child but are not providing a stable loving environment in which the child can grow.
The eyes have essentially been cut out of the child who is made to live in a place where he is neglected, malnourished, disrespected and physically abused. With no visualization of peaceful harmonious living, he will develop his other senses and survive the best way he can.
Our “normal” society has therefore become spiritually and emotionally blinded and is in desperate need of healing. The blind man in the Bible was made to see at Jesus’ touch, but so much more is needed to heal the “blind” of our society.
This “normal” society seems to have become so desensitized that they are physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually impaired. I guess we are fortunate that there are some blind people in our midst who can actually help us see the reality of what is going on around us.
About the author: Joye Ritchie-Greene is an Educational Consultant, Writer and Martial Arts Instructor. She is the owner/operator of The Bahamas Martial Arts Academy; president of Time-Out Productions; and is also a columnist for the Freeport News. She has a B.A. in English and an M.S. in Human Resources, resides in Freeport, Grand Bahama with her husband and enjoys playing tennis. Joye can be reached at
joye_hel_ena@hotmail.com
