Lorna M. George. Photo: Provided

I stood amazed at his kindness and goodness. Many times I wonder why white people are so kind. Do you know that slavery also destroyed the mentality of the white man? Slavery was the worst atrocity of humankind. The white man seeks God to deliver him from his suppressive mentality unlike the black man who still thinks that he is in slavery so he constantly fights thinking someone is about to destroy him. Black people let us ask God to help us get rid of the cut-throat mentality.

Someone said to me, “You better stop writing those things before you don’t have a job.” Why would the Premier want to bother with a rejected and old know-a-bout dog like me? We are on the same side.   The premier and I worked at Peebles Hospital together. Our struggle goes a long way back. He is playing his role and I am playing my role.  This is our Country. We don’t have to fight each other; Dr Smith is a decent VIslander and so am I.

After graduation from Tuskegee University in 1984 I commenced my short tenure at Peebles Hospital. It only took four months for my co-workers to say that I was crazy and that I wanted man. The word spread like wildfire around the country. My sister took me to New York to a psychologist. During the first visit I was well dressed and looked smart as always. My aunt Lucia Jack, my sister Ivy George and I were present. The only evidence given to show that I was crazy was an intelligently written letter that I had written to the Ministry of Health about an unfortunate incident that had taken place in the hospital lab.

I was only doing my job as a trained Medical Technologist. It is imperative that we improve the delivery of health care in our country.

The Ministry of Health gave my sister a copy of the letter and my sister gave the letter to the Psychologist and said to the Psychologist, “They say she crazy.” The Psychologist snubbed at her and said, “What do you mean she is crazy?” Can you imagine saying to a psychologist that someone is crazy? There is no such thing as a crazy person. A person could be mentally ill or mentally challenged. At the end of the session the psychologist walked me to the door and said in my ear, “You are one intelligent Black woman and I am going to see to it that you get better.”

It was Shakespeare who said that all the world a stage and we are actors upon it. The action of my country towards me did not faze me. I do not hate or resent my country. I love my country; it is this country’s intelligent sons and daughters that will lift us out of the abyss of degradation and shame. Many graduates do not return home to the hospital to work because they are afraid of this type of brutal treatment. Hon Skelton, the expatriates who are employed at the hospital can’t improve it. Do you expect your friend to clean your mother’s stinking dirty house for two cents while you sit down and watch TV? Where ignorance is bliss it is folly to be wise.

When I fussed about condition at the lab, those in the administration at the Government told me that I was at the top of my scale. It’s not about money. Many people in this country run to Puerto Rico for a routine diabetic checkup. How sad. We need to sell our services at the hospital. How else are we going to make money? To go to Puerto Rico one has to take time off from his job, pay the plane fare and pay the doctor a big fee. We cannot accomplish anything by fighting. 

The cut throat mentality that VIslanders have toward each is heart –wrenching. Our minds are controlled. We behave like animals in the pasture. I pray that God may extend to us mercy and compassion. Our country is suffering.

Many people think it is Dr Smith is the problem; however, I beg to differ. The premier of this country is a man of God. He has a good heart that’s full of love. It is the wickedness and vindictiveness that is eating away at us. We hate too much. We need love in our hearts. No force of evil can conquer the love of God. Jesus stooped to conquer and we must too. Do you think the hate in your heart conquer the power of love in my heart. So many of us grew up in homes where we saw our parents fighting so that is all we know. The love of God can change you. If God can change the White man, surely He can change the Black man from that animalistic mentality that he has.