Commentary
guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com

Where were you when they crucified Tim?

Posted January 26th. 2003 by George Odlum

“Were you there when they crucified Tim Hector?”

This was the question posed by St. Lucia’s former minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum and which has forced many people to adjust their thoughts on Antigua’s fallen intellectual.

Odlum caused many people to cringe with discomfort when he posed a number of telling questions at a thanks giving, held at the Antigua Recreation Grounds, for the life of his close friend, Leonard Tim Hector, politician, social activist and journalist.

Odlum in an emotional tribute to his fallen friend and comrade questioned Antigua & Barbuda and the rest of the Caribbean as to why they were now paying tribute to Hector in death when such should have been done whilst he was alive.

“This is a serious accusation to make against a society that has turned out in large numbers to pay homage to this dead Viking. Many of you stood by over the years and witnessed the victimisation and demoralisation of Tim Hector and never lifted a finger to prevent it.

“Were you there? Were you there when they crucified Tim Hector? Were you there? Were you there when they nailed him to the cross? Were you there? Were you there when they dragged him through the courts? Were you there? Were you there when they dumped him in the prison for his views? Were you there? Were you there when they burnt his printing press? Were you there? Were you there when they murdered his dear wife Arah? Were you there? Were you there when the ballot process was contaminated to declare him a loser? Were you there? Were you there when they denied this prophet any honour in his own country? Were you there?” Odlum asked those gathered.

“I will miss the sheer brilliance of intellect, which I always felt to be about the best in the entire Eastern Caribbean, even surpassing the brilliance of the closest intellectuals, who were always too timid and pusillanimous to ply their wares in the market place. Tim’s battles were open, fearless and committed,” he said.

According to Odlum, Hector’s contribution to Antigua and the entire Caribbean has been phenomenal.

“Your championship of Caribbean Integration has been sustained and unchanging, and never turned on the vagaries of politics or political opportunism,” he remarked.

“You have left behind a desperately divided society, bereft of values, overcome by consumerism, a crippling materialism, rudderless and floundering youth and a hopelessness that saps the creative energy that we fought to excite.

“But my dear brother, do not be too complacent in your casket. Do not go gentle into the dark night rage. Rage against the passing of the light. Rage into the consciousness of the young that they will moved to keep the fire burning and fan the flames for humanity,” Odlum said.