Our National Colours: A signal of independent thinking!

by Dr Neals J Chitan

As the 50^th Golden Jubilee of Grenada’s Independence celebration heats up, one can’t help but notice the island-wide proliferation of our national colours, a signal of our Grenadian pride and patriotism, across the tri-island state and in the Diaspora.

Red, gold and green, the 3 major colours of our flag with their distinct meanings scripted in a narrative that captures the natural blessing of our country, have been our international Grenadian representation in art, attire or culture, and evoke a feeling of nostalgia in our people, especially for those of us who lived on foreign soil for most of our lives.

It is with this pride that the government of Grenada annually hosts National Colours Day, when offices, employees, business places and Grenadians everywhere compete to showcase their best combination of our red, gold and green colour scheme, colours that represent 50 years of independence as a nation. And what’s the meaning, you may ask? Well, hopefully, it’s half a century of self-government of socioeconomic growth and making independent decisions as a sovereign state.

However, it’s time to move beyond just national colours and independence celebrations and see another implication of our colours. In 1923, Garrett Morgan, an African American, son of freed slaves, who had personally witnessed a fatal road intersection accident, was inspired to invent the 3-colour traffic light system. Using red to indicate STOP, yellow to indicate a GET READY mode and green to indicate the GO command, Morgan patented a light control system that can be found today across the globe, whether in large urban cities or small so-called third world countries like ours. And, if the truth be told, these lights and colours suggest personal and independent decision-making on the part of drivers and pedestrians alike, decisions that can either protect the safety and lives of people internationally or put them at risk.

It was 98 years after, in 2001, after contemplating my personal impulsive reactions and decisions, and how, if not harnessed, they can compromise my safety, health, freedom, happiness and life, that I used Garrett Morgan’s traffic lights colour scheme to copyright the slogan “Always STOP and THINK before you PROCEED” as Decision Making Control Lights © 2001 with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. This red, yellow and green traffic light representation has been the hallmark of our international Crime Reduction Programme “Project STOP ‘n’ THINK,” warning people across the globe of the consequences of not STOPPING and THINKING before PROCEEDING to impulsively react or respond.

As we work in prisons, we encounter men who are paying for their crimes. Very frequently, we hear the dreadful moans and bitter regret of men who did not STOP and THINK and have allowed their impulses to take over causing tragedies, trauma and death. However, now locked away behind bars and STOPPED, they have the time to THINK of how different it could have been and what bitter consequences they are now facing.

Being a proud Grenadian professional and son of the soil, it has been my utmost pleasure to fly our national colours (red for STOP, gold for THINK and green for PROCEED) as a simple yet powerful decision-making year-round insignia, encouraging folks across East Africa, the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, from Jamaica to Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean to make better independent decisions.

As I wish our nation a Happy 50^th anniversary of Independence, I am also advising our people of the importance of “Independent Thinking!!” Too often, we are triggered, encouraged, stimulated, coerced and pushed into responding impulsively, only to personally get stuck with the consequences. Gang loyalty and family ties sometimes pressure us into revengeful responses on their behalf, thereby putting our own safety, freedom and lives at risk. However, when the gavel comes down, the bitter results are meted out to you, with no one to take it for you!!

So, amidst our independence celebrations, let us help each other to make better independent decisions thus securing our safety, future, freedom and lives for another 50 years!! Happy Independence to all!!

Dr Neals Chitan is an International Social Skill Consultant and Crime Reduction Specialist who holds a PhD in Social and Behavioural Sciences and currently works in Grenada. He is the President/Founder of Motiv-8 For Change International a Toronto-based Social Skill Agency and can be reached from North America at 647-692-6330 and locally 473-416-8377 or at [email protected]