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Q u o TA B L e

‘Ladies and gentlemen, it is a blight on our by empowering thousands of working class
politics and democracy - and the greatest Barbadians to own property and enjoy the
absurdity in our history - that the work and modern amenities that were mushrooming
worth of Tom Adams has been lost to the across the island.’
murky machinations of political forces. ‘
‘it is doubtful that in the annals of the history
‘Nothing was as exciting as Tom in the House of Barbados whether any initiative will be as
of Assembly. His interventions were textbook encompassing, of the scale, or as uplifting of
studies in content, phrasing, and emphasis, the spirit as the social and economic revolu-
economy of words, the motivational, and tion of the Tenantries Act.
the cruel put down. You listened to Tom to
learn. He inspired us youngsters to go for On that alone, Tom Adams is incomparable.’
excellence, to debate among ourselves, to be
curious and to be achievers.’ ‘The circumstances of Caribbean politics
and lives might have been so very different
‘Reflect on the fact, too, that 30 years ago, without the tenacity of Tom to take a stand
Tom Adams, the visionary, was not only for democracy in the region. ‘
speaking of four lane highways but of the
impending computer revolution. ‘Barbados requires this application of intel-
lect of the Tom Adams model rather than
He stated emphatically in 1985 that, in a few what has been our lot for the last seven or
years, computers would replace type-writers so years. Intelligence without ambition is
on every desk in offices. This was remarkable wasted. Tom Adams maximised his intellect
for at that time the average Barbadian had with a soaring ambition, ingenious in its
only heard of this new “machine” called a simplicity - to make Barbados the best small
computer and hardly knew anything about island state in the world.’
it.’
‘Yes, there was the extraordinary, the remark-
‘Each measure shows Tom to be far more able, and the unusual. But Tom Adams also
multi-dimensional than just the political and excelled in what is called “secondary great-
economic guru of his time, and reflects an ness”, the issues of ReAL LiFe - those things in
unchanging component of his philosophy; a country that are relevant; in fact, necessary,
that, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, “the for the common and universal good and day
care of human life and happiness is the first to day living.
and only object of good government”.’
Can you imagine a Tom Adams administra-
‘The benefits of the removal of the concept tion glibly presiding over the severest water
of illegitimacy through the status of Children problems for almost two years?’
Reform Act will endure as long as there is a
Barbados.’ The least we can expect from our leaders is
to deal with the “issues of real life”, provide
‘By far the greatest of these measures cham- at the very least the five basic components
pioned by Tom was the Tenantries Freehold for which Government exists - to provide
Purchase Act of 1980. This Act completed the shelter, health care, education sanitation and
total emancipation of the Barbadian society transport.

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