As we are to understand the issue surrounding the sale of the Order of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) medal which was conveyed posthumously upon Mr Adrian Cola Rienzi, is that currently the item is in the hands of a third-party, non-national merchant who is attempting to elicit national pride to drive up the resale value of the item, which currently has a bid at the asking price of 25 thousand US dollars by a corporate entity that reportedly intends to donate the piece to the Government, which presumably will be reimbursed with a future tax write-off.
Understandably, this issue has created quite a stir among those for whom the award still holds merit. However, in the face of everything else occurring around us, the vast majority seem not to even care.
At the same time as this is occurring another national treasure and cultural icon, Mrs Shirley Veronica King, whose legacy was achieved under the performing name of Beulah, is pleading with the public for assistance to rebuild her home that was destroyed in a fire, while she was laid up in a hospital bed.
When I first learned of this yesterday afternoon, I had to wonder if the thought crossed Mrs King’s mind of what the Hummingbird Silver Medal that she was awarded in 1988 would be worth today on the open market. Because, although it may not fetch the price that the ORTT commands on eBay, its value as an award may be even harder to ascertain when you’re ailing and forced to live day-to-day in temporary accommodations by the mercy of a government.
Both of these tragedies, however, occur as a result of our own dwindling pride in our nation. Long gone are the days when we cherished and appreciated this paradise, replaced instead with consumerism and selfishness as we put our personal needs and wants ahead of our country.
There was a time that in the case of Mrs King, our national community would have banded together and rebuilt her house and made sure she was taken care of out of love and respect.
What we have forgotten however, is that our problems at one time were once manageable, not because there were less, but because we all faced them together. When one person coughed the entire village would catch a cold. And we would also rub each other’s backs so that we could relieve the pressure and get better.
I don’t know what prompted the initial sale of the ORT&T medal, but I do believe that if the family of the late Adrian Cola Rienzi shared in the pride of our country, that we all once felt, we would not have ended up with the situation we are faced with today. Unfortunately, we cannot reclaim that pride in the same way that we aim to repurchase the medallion.
Ravi Maharaj