If you recall, I found it cynical that talented musician Michael Lampe joined the AVP list, after having been courted and pursued by the former MinPres.
He was #11 on the list and gathered mere 120 votes last September.
I met him this week, and I was very happy to see him. He is such a positive, bright and dynamic man. He is a father now and shows off the pictures of an adorable little kindergarten boy, who is as active as he is cute.
So, how’s it going, I asked, meaning Parliament and all.
I saw him at the press conference a few days earlier sitting to the right of the former MinInfra, who went on and on for twenty minutes with a tirade outlining the shenanigans of the current MinInfra, see my article, The Pot Calling the Kettle Black.
Michael did not look happy at that press conference, sitting there with a stony face, but I guess he needed to show support.
In answer to my question he said, as expected, that he is learning, and that there is a lot of material he must familiarize himself with, and that he intends to master it all because fresh blood is badly needed in government if change is ever to come about.
The way he explains it, he doesn’t come from a political family. Most of his family members are church going people and shy away from power and influence. He doesn’t come from big business or ambitious enterprise, on the contrary, his roots are artistic and spiritual.
And that is exactly why, he should stay where he is, he explains, in order for this county to get away from the traditional “you scratch my back, I scratch your back” politics. Our system needs more independent people, free thinkers, that are not bound by blind loyalties and affiliations, he said.
We need apolitical politicians, he added, and that is why he fits the role with his background in music and the arts.
Though it is true that the former MinPres was only interested in recruiting Michael’s successful brand and was probably not invested in the needs of the next generation he represents.
Michael did reveal, that the balance is delicate, while he must contribute to the party — otherwise he will not qualify for a spot on the list next time — he also has to make sure he furthers the cause he believes in, so the segment of the population he represents gets what it needs, in a reciprocal system.
What he told me before the elections, still stands and I am quoting:
“I felt,” he said,” that at this time of my life, this is a good move for me; take my music to a bigger platform, create opportunities for other Arubans, inspire and be inspired, give back to the community, serve my country in a broader sense.”
His heart is obviously in the right place. He is interested in culture, and heritage, and who knows might one day be a great Minister of Culture, as an independent ministry, not just an annex.
