Watching the Democratic Party of the U.S.A.’s National Convention (DNC) on TV last week was quite an experience. 

The DNC praised their candidate for the November presidential election, current Vice President Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, while running down the Republican Party’s candidate, former president Donald Trump,  a convicted felon.

One would think there should not be any difficulty in making a choice but judging by the ferocity of the attacks on Trump, the Democrats are not underestimating his candidacy; thus the loud, deafening chorus: We Shall Not Go Back. 

Not to the January 6 insurrection of Trump’s effort to stay in power and his mob’s call to – Hang Mike Pence, Trump’s own Vice President. Now Trump has pledged to pardon the insurrectionists if he gets back to power.

As the American Democrats shouted out their vows not to go back, I could not help thinking that we should also make that vow. We shall not go back.

We cannot go back to the locked Parliament House. We cannot go back to the failure to honour our Constitution by our Members of Parliament (MPs) not meeting at the stipulated time.

We cannot go back to making the Head of State sign doctored copies of parliamentary papers to change what Parliament had decided. 

But we remember with pride the Head of State’s refusal to sign the warrants for the illegal appointments by the former President of the Land and Titles Court.

We remember with pride also the Judiciary’s firm stance against the vicious attacks by ambitious, selfish politicians who were determined to pursue personal goals and damn the rest of the people.

We thank the overseas Justices who showed our politicians and us how to honour our commitment to the rule of law.

We cannot go back to a time when the lust for power was stronger t[‘an the love for people.

True, no one was killed during the resistance and not an insurrection; but what if it happens again?

We must decide with the DNC: WE SHALL NOT GO BACK.

Manuia tele le vaiaso fou.