Mental Slavery

Ariel Hamilton

August 25-The colonialists are long gone from Bluefields and the Atlantic Coast of what is called Nicaragua. They have packed all our resources and left. Then came the imperialists from the United States and took what was left of our coast. The English colonialists are the reason why the African is here in Bluefields and along the coast. The Africans were brought to labor and to be responsible for the slave duties. Then came the U.S. imperialists to make sure that the Africans remain slaves. What is a slave? According to the white’s man definition, a slave is a person who is the legal property of another or others and is bound to absolute obedience. A helpless victim of some dominating influence. This definition can be found in the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus. If we down here in Bluefields use this definition we will not qualify to be slaves. Most of our Coast people will never accept the fact that the reason why blacks are along the coast is because of slavery. Whether or not we want to accept our ancestors were slaves is irrelevant, because the world knows the reason for the African in the Western Hemisphere is because of slavery. We cannot continue to deny our true identity. There is nothing shameful about descending from slaves what is a disgrace is remaining there. We are enslaved here in Bluefields not because we are shackled or someone has us bound but it is because we don’t want to accept the truth. We still have black people here in Bluefields believing they are descendants from England.

It must be said that colonialism was so successful here on the coast it is still visible today in this time. A slave is a helpless soul who would nothing to pick them self up out of such a state. Here in Bluefields the African was not taught to lead but to follow. Instead of leading his people out of this slave state he makes sure to keep them bounded and dependent. One thing we must never forget, if the European had taught the African independence in their slavery system then slavery would not be slavery. Down here in Bluefields we are dependent upon a master, which is not the white man but the world he has designed with our labor, to live in. This is the reason why many of us find it so necessary to leave our families and go abroad to make a living. The wrong the white man has done to the African should never be forgotten but used as a constant reminder for us to never go back there.

We must learn from the past so as not to make the same mistakes in the future. Down here in Bluefields it seems like the only people doing their own thinking are doing it in a negative way, or so someone wants us to believe. All we ever hear or see are the drug trade or cocaine trade, which does not grow any where near Bluefields, crooked politicians who never seem to have enough money and low life thieves. Could this be our fate? Is this the end of our people? We have prospered now for over three hundred and fifty years it is just a matter of time before we realize what we must do and do it. All we were taught by the white man was design to keep us down. To sit down and wait for jesus to fall out the sky is a part of this slavish mentality. That is all a fantasy an over hyped illusion. It will not happen in this century or the next. This fantasy, only exist in the mind of the believer that is why it is so important for them to believe. The white man has used this lie now for over five hundred years to keep you gazing in the sky while he took everything necessary for us to live. This jesus theology is for people who does not want to come to terms with reality. Could you just imagine a man after being crucified for two thousand years descending out of the sky? How could educated thinking people believe that now for so long with no evidence? While we waited for jesus to fall out the sky we were slaves, murdered, raped, lynched, hanged, humiliated, subjected to poverty and shame. As long as we keep gazing and waiting we will remain where we are.

This illusion is no more ridiculous than the other superstitions the European has left us. Superstitions that are still a part of what is left of our culture. People today in our Bluefields believe in every thing but themselves. We are still bounded by these beliefs. We still put our money and hope into obeah. We want to know what the future holds for us. We want to know; “who did us wrong”? Who is impeding our progress? Learn this my people obeah is not needed to see the obvious, if we keep believing in these things that has kept us back all this time, there will be no future! Any so called “card cutter” can come to our town and make a fortune they don’t even have to know what the hell they are doing no clairvoyance is needed, here certain things just seem to happen because we believe them. We cannot even blame these crooks they see an opportunity and well like every wise person they take it. We must rise up and learn to live in reality and truth that is the only way to life. Bluefields could well be what we want it to be as long as we go about it in reality. We are not doing our very best taking care of what is left of our home. We have neglected our duty to seek after material gain while our town and her people are perishing. Let us not wait until our backs are up against the wall. We need not wait until the last minute to make a move, let us make a move now. We have stood and watched for far too long now and almost nothing is left but we must not give up this never ending, fight.

The time has come for us youths to show the world what we are capable of doing. Let us put our beloved Bluefields on the map of the world. There are still people on this planet who do not know of English speaking Nicaraguans. Our people are a beautiful people and it is time the world knows. We need not beg for what is ours. Why should we be the generation of beggars we are much more than that. Our people abroad have achieved great accomplishments for big companies around the world. We have mastered English, Spanish, and in some cases even Miskitu. Let us use our intelligence for the benefit of our people. Bluefields is our home this needs to be realized among our people why we allowed savages to force us out is beyond me. It is a fact that we have been brutalized, branded and humiliated by people who did not appreciate us. We have been taken advantage of by all types of governments that promised us a better life. We have also been fooled by churches who promised us a heaven but that is for after we are dead, which is really useless today. This does not mean the end, that was then and this is now, they cannot fool us anymore we are wiser or at least we should be. Let us all do our part in this fight for liberty this will only benefit us in the long or short run. Colonialism and imperialism are long gone it is time for us to come out of this mental slavery.

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