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THE best of weeks to all – and a great lead-up to our independence day on
Sunday. That’s always something to celebrate – it’s hard to believe that
we’re almost 32 years old.
***
QUITE a few of our people still remember the 16th of September 1975
clearly – it was an emotional day, a day of welcoming and farewells, and
of great promise for the future. Those who routinely decry PNG
independence and can see little to celebrate are generally those who are
too young to remember what life was like before that day of
transformation.
***
NO, Papua New Guineans did not live under tyranny. Probably the worst
accusation that might today be levelled against the territorial power
would be the unpredictable outbursts of blind injustice towards its
adopted charges. Add apathy and a tendency towards a stop-start approach
to many issues, and you have an explanation for anger on the part of
those who sought independence sooner rather than later.
***
BUT that is in the past, and we have little time for those who inhabit
that never-never land. We can use past events to inform the future and
we can admire much that was good and honest and well-intentioned from
those days. To mire ourselves in today’s fashionable swamp of negativity
and bitterness towards our former territorial overlords is only to
demean ourselves.
***
THIS is our country and it has been for more than three decades. It is
today – and will continue to be – exactly what we make of it. If we
botch the job, we can blame nobody but ourselves.
***
HAVING delivered ourselves of those somewhat weighty thoughts, we turn
to our tribe of Gemo Quizzers, and wish Geua Willie a jolly good
morning. Her correct answer was followed by another from Mr Justice
Gibbs Salika who also reminded us of the hospital located at Ela Beach,
just off shore near the former site of the Seapark. We recall the pylons
that supported that haus sik – they disappeared long ago.
***
ADAM Vai Delaney was the next correct correspondent – and an
unimpeachable one as his mother worked at Gemo as a nurse. Thanks Adam –
and cheers!
***
– Dee Nesenolis
 
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