Jamaica Observer

Dear Editor,

I live in a cul-de-sac in the Waterworks area of St Andrew and as such there is only one way in and out of my road. I pride myself on being early for work most mornings, and make it a point of duty to leave my house by the latest 6:20 each morning. However, I am having issues with a group of joggers who park their vehicles at the end of my road, to jog around the Constant Spring/Norbrook Area.

It has become a habit for this group to 'socialise' at the end of the road while they cool down after their morning jog. Many mornings I have to be very careful in negotiating my way around them as they do not move out of the way until I am almost upon them, and even then, quite reluctantly.

One morning I had had enough of contending with the car doors left open, persons standing in the middle of the road, and the legs of those who sit on the sidewalk, splayed-out in the road, so I stopped and asked two members of the group, quite nicely, to ensure their safety and that of their vehicles (and mine) simply by closing their car doors and moving aside to give my vehicle enough room to pass .

Apparently my speaking to them was a problem. How dare I? After all, I'm not of their social 'ilk'. They were missing from the road for some time, but have since returned, except now, it seems like a game for them to impede my progress, judging by the smirks I see on their faces while passing.

I refuse to be bullied on a road that I have lived on for close to 45 years, when all I am trying to do is to get to work. Indeed, in all the years I have lived there, I have certainly never experienced anything like this.

I am not opposed to persons parking on the road, nor am I opposed to them socialising on the road. But I would think that self-preservation, if nothing else, would dictate that one gets out the way of an approaching vehicle. shudder to think about the kinds of trouble I would be in if, in negotiating my way through the narrow space left for my vehicle to pass, I should 'touch' one of their vehicles, and/or — God forbid — one of them.

I am merely asking for common courtesy to be extended and common sense to be displayed, after all, as a taxpayer. I, too, am entitled to safe passage along our roadways without obstacles or hindrances. But perhaps that is too much to ask.

My experience with this group is but one of the examples of thoughtlessness and selfishness that pervade our society. The general thinking, at all levels, from top to bottom is... "as long as I'm doing what I want to do, when I want to do it, and how I want to do it, I don't give a damn how my actions affect or impede others".

As a good friend once observed: "The level of disregard for simple order in our society is frightening and baffling. I guess only when we truly get a taste of the chaos that we are bringing upon ourselves will we realise that there's merit in living not just for yourself, but as a member of a civil society".

H R Campbell

Waterworks

St Andrew

Thoughtless and selfish joggers

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Mr Shaw what you did was right -- right for the JLP, right for Mr Holness, and it was right to test yourself and your own position within the party. The support you were able to gather proved you were also a formidable choice.

In the process, you helped to awaken the party, and for the first time since the last General Elections two years ago, the country was reminded that an Opposition Party actually existed.

We were reminded of the key players and the leadership hierarchy within the party, even when there were squabbles, and strong words shouted on both sides.

The party must now challenge all this positively, and move forward with this momentum right into the next General Elections.

Congrats to Mr Holness on his victory. The delegates spoke through their ballots democratically, and he proved himself by legitimising his position as Leader of the Opposition. He will emerge a much better person and leader from this experience, he will be stronger, wiser and more confident, and certainly more poised to become the next elected PM, should that happen .

He was tested in many ways over the past few months, and he quickly had to reassess himself and his style, having to deal with critics from within, in a challenge that became very public. If there is one thing we know, as a leader, one must be able to lead from the inside, first or it won’t work. As a leader he must now pause to listen, as he should realise he was the main reason why a challenge emerged in the first place.

Despite Sunday’s victory, he must show humility, and realise that many delegates and officers in the party did not support him, but preferred his opponent as the more viable alternative.

His challenge now is to immediately show how he can reunite the party in the short term, bringing together all sides, regardless of how they voted or who they supported. There should be no victimisation, nor punishment nor hard feelings towards anyone, likewise we hope there will be no resignations.

This election proved that either way, the JLP is still alive, and posses immense talent all around , which could collectively benefit the country effectively whether in Opposition or in Government. It is how Mr Holness as leader choose to harness this talent going forward, which will ultimately determine their effectiveness and readiness to win the next general elections.

In the end, it is the electorate who so desperately crave a Government which can actually perform and produce, while at the same time show they are responsible and fully accountable and not just in office for themselves. The PNP should now be on guard. Performance is key.

P Chin

Dear Editor,

We have all heard someone say: "Yuh betta no sick or get ina trouble in dis ya country (and be poor) or dawg naam yu suppa!" They are in effect speaking about the poor health system and poor justice system that is our current experience in Jamaica.

An 82-year-old family member recently fell and injured her shoulder. After a whole day at the hospita,l and in much pain, she was eventually treated and told to return the following Wednesday to be reviewed by the doctor.

She returned the Wednesday, as was instructed, and after half-day, the 82-year-old was told that all she came for was to make an appointment for the next week, without which she will not be able to see the doctor.

She had to be transported from a distance in the country the day before, to stay with her son, to enable her to reach the hospital early in the morning. And that was to only make an appointment, which her son or another family member could have done for her.

Is this experience familiar to anyone? "If yuh poor ina dis ya country, dawg naam yu suppa!"

A young man of our church family has to face the justice system and his family was told that he would be before the courts one day in the week. After much effort to get the exact date, the family was given a date only to attend the court and found out that the young man would not be there on that day, but "possibly" the following day.

Again, is this experience familiar to anyone?

But the reality is, there is no help beside God. Man, in and of himself, cannot fix this malaise. No prime minister can, have or will ever be able to fix this malaise. Have we not yet learnt this as a people? Neither Andrew Holness nor Audley Shaw can fix it, for it is the very fallen nature of man that makes this fix impossible.

Did Security Minister Peter Bunting mean it or truly understood it when he said: "only divine intervention can help us"?

There is no salvation, no help, but by looking unto God in Christ. O God, grant that we may believe and act on this truth.

Millicent Battick

Sbat65@gmail.com

'If yuh poor ina dis ya country... only God can help'

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Dear Editor,

I usually refrain from expressing my views about anything in the political arena for various reasons. Among them are the seeming futility of it all and also I value my life in a country where sometimes even a misinterpreted look could get you killed.

But it is hard to remain silent.

I write as the voting for the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party has just ended (1:20 pm Sunday, November 10).

I simply want to ask: How could whomever wins expect anybody but the fanatics among us to vote for them in a general election? This goes for both parties.

After promises of a campaign which would be free from malice and venom we ended up with a campaign full of nothing but. And this was just an internal election.

Yet we wonder why Kingston College and Calabar fight as they do after Champs, and why people cannot cross imposed lines in some communities.

To me, the just-concluded JLP leadership race is an accurate metaphor for life in this country of ours. Ideas do not contend. It's simply vitriol and cass cass. God, help us.

I want to revisit a comment by Mr Ruddy Spencer, carried in the electronic media, in which he said (not verbatim): We (JLP) can't wait for 15 years to get back to be the government. By that time, all a wi dead and all a wi bankcrupt.

Was this finanlly an admission by a former minister of government that the objective of being the government is to facilitate personal material gain?

Stephen Harrison

St Mary

The no-win of Jamaican politics

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Dear Editor,

What a day we witnessed yesterday?

Why do I think all Jamaica will be remembering and talking about his day for a long time? Am I the only one who thinks that Jamaica has just been taken for a ride; that we have fallen for a massive hoax over the past few weeks of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leadership race? Or is this really the beginning of the next election campaign?

Has the JLP just cooked up and, before our blinded eyes, executed a complicated plot to invigorate their party and burnish the image of their leader Anthony Holness?

Have they, in so doing, also energised Audley Shaw to take the fight to the PNP in anticipation of the next election, while the ruling party is enmeshed in trying to dig Jamaica out its economic pothole?

I foresee our political pundits and commentators trying to disentangle this "riddle wrapped up in an enigma" for many moons to come.

What a master stroke of creative strategy, much like a good old-fashioned detective 'who done it' show. We wait to see what the PNP will do to counter this JLP renewal strategy. There is not a dull day in Jamaican politics.

Lloyd A Cooke

Royal Flat

Manchester

Political hoax?

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Dear Editor,

Since the election of Glendon Harris as mayor of the city of Montego Bay very little tangible accomplishments have been achieved while many long-standing problems persist.

The Charles Gordon Market is currently in a deplorable state and requires complete renovation

The Bryon Leslie Fish market on Orange Street is also in a disgraceful state.

The drains in and around the city are not being cleaned regularly by the parish council and oftentimes are clogged with debris which causes flooding when it rains.

Garbage collection is also very disorganised in the city and this is an indictment on Mayor Harris and warrants his immediate attention.

The payment of property taxes within the parish of St James is at a very low rate, which is shameful to say the least. The mayor has to take the relevant steps to ensure that all property owners pay their property tax or face the full force of the law. The parish has one of the worst property tax compliance rates within the country.

A number of street lights across the city are not working. Many vendors have taken over some of the streets of Montego Bay to sell their various wares. The Town and Planning Act should be adhered to by the parish council in terms of removing the vendors from the sidewalks and streets.

A number of street lights across the city are not working. Many vendors have taken over some of the streets of Montego Bay to sell their various wares. The Town and Planning Act should be adhered to by the parish council in terms of removing the vendors from the sidewalks and streets.

There are a number of parish council roads that are in devastating condition. The city of Montego Bay continues to have a disorganized, shabby and inept transportation system, whereby most taxi and bus operators continue to operate contrary to the Transport Authority Act and Regulations. Mayor Harris should ensure that the authorities proceed to implement a zero-tolerance approach towards the indisciplined, reckless and lawless taxi operators.

Montego Bay continues to have a serious problem with street people, some requiring medical treatment . This growing problem should be addressed by Mayor Harris.

The Montego Bay Animal Abattoir has been closed for the past eight years and still remains closed.

Mayor Harris must wake up from his comatose state and take some positive action. We need an accountable, transparent and hard-working parish council and a mayor who is not rude and will employ the proper thought process which will ensure that he addresses the plethora of problems that are affecting the city of Montego Bay and parish.

I would like Mayor Harris to inform us citizens and business persons of Montego Bay how much funds have been allocated to the councillors at the parish council since his appointment as mayor.

Some months ago former mayor of Montego Bay and current Councillor Charles Sinclair stated publicly that Harris has failed as mayor and should resign if he doesn't take his job seriously and begin to address the problems. Charles Sinclair is very correct and we need Mayor Harris to begin to perform or resign.

Robert Dalley

Montego Bay

robertdalley1@hotmail.com

Perform or resign, Mayor Harris

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Dear Editor,

While it is true the PM did let herself and the country down with that idiotic and undiplomatic remark concerning the whipping of Andrew, I am just wondering if the Observer is on a campaign to embarrass the PM even further. It kept open the original article for comment longer than any other.

The article had over 200 comments, more than 90 per cent were negative, and rightly so. But was this done to rile up the people to pour out their negativity about the PM?

The Observer, as a national and leading newspaper in Jamaica, can't afford to be bias in its reporting. If the Observer can't fully endorse a party outright in the public, then it is better to report justly and fairly. I could easily say the Observer is a JLP-leaning newspaper. There is nothing wrong with that. The paper shouldn't give the impression, however, that it is in the middle when it is leaning to one side.

Let me make it absolutely clear that the Observer has done nothing wrong concerning the idiotic utterance from the PM, but I suspect the Observer left the article open longer than normal to further embarrass the PM.

We are thankful that the Observer gave us the opportunity to comment on the latest news back home, and we should comment wisely, fairly and leave party politics out of it.

When we see a spade we should be able to say that it is a spade without any contradiction. Anyway, our politicians should learn from the PM's mistake never to belittle your fellow Jamaicans abroad. Doing so only gives more armour to others to shoot us down.

Hero Scott

Brussels, Belgium

herocarlito@yahoo.com

cover shot

Open season on the PM

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The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is still not doing enough for Jamaica.

They can be a little more creative with their advertisement. For years, they have been using the same commercial theme with that Bob Marley tune in the background.

In my opinion, Jamaica is much more than reggae and the usual sun and sand.

We have several regions, such as the savannas in St Elizabeth, mountains all over Jamaica, historical places in Spanish Town and other centres. I want to see different ads playing to this fact that we are very diverse.

As such, in one ad, we can focus on, say, Portland. Get the name Portland out there so that it is as ubiquitous as the name Jamaica. Portland is bigger than many of the smaller Caribbean islands.

I think we can aim to get as many people visiting Portland as say Barbados.

Yes, we need better infrastructure and more hotel rooms in Portland, but this is where leadership from the JTB and other actors would strategically reposition Jamaica tourism.

Let's focus development of tourism in Jamaica on a regional basis. Many of our regions have better attractions than some of the smaller islands in the Caribbean and we should be getting as many or more visitors as those islands. Let benchmark those islands for each of our regions and then better them.

Richie

Dear Editor,

Now that Andrew Holness has received his mandate as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, all of the shadow ministers should follow Audley Shaw and Delroy Chuck's lead and resign their shadow ministerial positions. This should be true even of those who supported him. Holness should be free to implement the changes that he promised would be coming.

He will need to create a new shadow cabinet made up of persons who he can trust. If anything else, the leadership race has shown that not all of these shadow ministers were fully behind him. Indeed, during the election campaign, he made it clear that he felt his leadership was being undermined by these elements.

Holness told us that there are some persons in the JLP who will need time to "cool off". Indeed, he is right. I can think of a few "bright sparks" who will definitely need some time to cool off -- even outside of the shadow cabinet.

However, there is one thing that one of his senior opponents said that is true. He is an excellent candidate, but he is not ready to be prime minister at this time. That is why he must be given the freedom to make his shadow cabinet through their resignation. He will need the support of trusted colleagues who will mould him into the prime ministerial material that he is not at this time.

For the next six to 10 years, at least, Holness and the rest of the JLP will have enough time in Opposition to be in a better position to form the next government; and for Holness himself to become a worthy prime minister, now that he has his mandate.

Michael A Dingwall

michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com

All of them should resign

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Dear Editor,

We celebrate Julian Assange's WikiLeaks, a non-profit organisation which publishes secret information, news, leaks and classified media from anonymous sources. We cheer on Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who spilled US surveillance secrets to the world. But too often our political parties place party over principle and party over country.

Hence, when a bank executive exposes millions of dollars given to a political organisation, we forget the interest of Jamaica in our defence. When Anne Shirley exposes to the international community her fears about Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission's lack of regular testing of our athletes, she is ridiculed. Are her claims aimed at causing embarrassment or a warning to ensure that our athletes are not banned from international competition?

Dr Andrew Wheatley doesn't want the Independent Strategic Review Commission (ISRC) report on the Jamaica Labour Party's massive defeat in 2011 to be made public because it embarrassed the party.

We don't care if enquires shame parties. We put the interest of Jamaica above all else. We know that Jamaica, by itself, cannot give us a multimillion-dollar consultancy contract or employ us in highly paid jobs, but political parties whenever they hold State power can see that supporters are well taken care of.

This is why our leaders place party before principle and party before country, but they are short-sighted, because the complex problems we face, which seem insurmountable, are all linked to this false premise. Unless our leaders are willing to embrace embarrassment and shame of their political parties or political leaders and stand up for principles which fortify Jamaica then Vision 2030 will remain a dream. Wash, dry and hang your dirty linen in public regardless of whether or not it will paint your political party in a bad light. Jamaica's interest must always be paramount and decisions you take must always reflect this.

Mark Clarke

mark_clarke9@yahoo.com

Jamaica above party

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Dear Editor,

Appalled and disgusted cannot sufficiently describe my immediate reaction at the Jamaica Urban Transit Comapny's (JUTC) intention to discontinue its system of free transfers.

They say it is to plug revenue leaks but it only adds to the woes of its customers, after being granted, a significant fare increase less than three months ago.

Commuters, many hanging on to the poverty line, who travel daily from Washington Boulevard and its environs to work along the routes of Papine, New Kingston or downtown Kingston will no longer struggle to pay $200 per day/$1,000 per workweek for transportation, but will instead have to double their transportation budget, perhaps at the expense of a nightly meal for their families.

The JUTC seems yet to consider the obvious fact that the majority of their customers fall within the large percentage of minimum wage earners and unemployed who are constantly deprived of life's basic needs due to the high cost.

While not directly affected by this decision by the JUTC, my sentiments are with the poor and helpless who are subject to the oppressive stances taken by entities operating autonomously in various industries in Jamaica, such as that of public transport.

The bus company should be charged with finding sustainable means to deal with the numerous issues they are faced with, both internally and externally, which results in the enormous financial loss they experience.

I hope that our prime minister is already aggressively engaging the JUTC in discussions on how best to alleviate this burden on the poor, given her constant affirmation of love for that group in our society.

Phillip A Royal

phillip.royal@gmail.com

JUTC transferring stress to the poor

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Dear Editor,

Interestingly, but more so disturbingly, in a year when nature has spared Jamaica from the destruction associated with a hurricane the Kingston & St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) has moved away from its core function to focus on cosmetic needs.

The KSAC's mission statement unmistakably states the council should meet the local needs of the citizens of Kingston and St Andrew by providing effective and efficient services to enhance their quality of life. However, recent developments and actions by the municipal council clearly lead one to question whose needs are being met and who are the citizens benefitting from an enhanced quality of life by the work of the KSAC?

The KSAC has embarked on the registration of handcarts operators in downtown Kingston. Accordingly, some 500 handcarts owners have registered. This initiative is aimed at regularising handcart operators across the city. Seriously?!!

Clearly, the KSAC needs to be reminded about the proliferation of sidewalk garages across the city. What about the needs of those of us, who pay property taxes, should we not have the right of easy access to and from our premises without being blocked and inconvenienced by uncaring and thoughtless motorists?

Has the KSAC forgotten about the many drains and gullies needs cleaning across the city or must we wait until a hurricane threatens? What about the mosquitoe nuisance across the city? Is there even a mosquitoes eradication programme?

What about the numerous unregulated morgues and hairdressing parlours across the city?

Where are the effective and efficient services that your mission statement speaks of KSAC? Are these services only for one section of the citizenry in the Corporate Area?

For the most part living in Kingston and some parts of St Andrew is characterised by social decay and unregulated planning. Yet, for reasons which I don't understand, the KSAC has turned a blind eye to the obvious -- addressing trivial matters in order to attract media attention while ignoring the elephant in the room. The time has long passed, KSAC for you to return to your core mandate! Get to work!

Wayne Campbell

waykam@yahoo.com

www.wayaine.blogspot.com

One of the over 400 handcart operators registered by the KSAC.

'Devil find work for idle hands'

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Dear Editor,

On Sunday, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) pleasantly surprised the Jamaican people by having a peaceful and apparently fair election.

I say surprised everyone as so many of the older, influential persons in the party had been totally against an electoral challenge to the leader, Andrew Holness, because of their culture of allowing only the elites in the party to select the leaders; thus opening up of the system to allow delegates to decide was, to them, totally unacceptable to them.

Their vitriol on the campaign trail even indicated that they considered anyone who supported the challenger as a traitor, and we all know the penalty for treachery.

It will now be very interesting to review who makes the new shadow cabinet and even the Senate, and why, as that will tell us whether the talk of uniting the party is really genuine.

Now that the process is over too, we look forward to them presenting the country with a workable alternative to the mismanagement and corruption which is the order of the day, and hopefully, those who were only roused from their slumber by a leadership challenge, though being well paid by taxpayers, will remain wide awake to defend the interests of the Jamaican people.

Joan Williams

gratestj@gmail.com

Now we'll see if unity talk is real

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Dear Editor,

This is an open letter to JLP General Secretary Dr Horace Chang:

I am a young labourite who loves my party dearly. However, I am disappointed by the way in which the recent internal leadership election was handled by you, the party's general secretary. I do believe that you ought to have maintained a neutral position as to who you supported in the race for leadership. You must have known that this is required of any general secretary.

As you rightly said on TV on Sunday, the general secretary of the party is the "CEO" of the party, while the leader is like the "chairman of the bboard". My question to you then is simply this: Do you feel justified that your partisan behaviour in supporting Andrew Holness publicly is a best-practice in running Busta's party?

Dr Chang, I put it to you that your behaviour in the leadership race will hurt the party in more ways than you might be concerned. It is not just a matter of Audley -- the now vanquished -- making "ray ray" of your biased involvement in the process, but rather it goes back to the delegates and "surrrogates" -- that of Shaw -- with whom you will have to contend from here-on. I believe that you should have recused yourself totally, since as you rightly said you are an influential member of your party with strong views.

Why would you then want to waste time doing up a delegates' list when you could join your allies racking up a "storm" on the campaign trail? Don't you feel, in retrospect, that you would have served Busta's party better by doing that? After all, surely Andrew coudn't possibly lose. But you had to remain in your big chair.

You were so busy preparing a list that you forgot that James and Christopher, though contrary, were not properly nominated for deputy leadership posts until the week before the election. Your actions, Dr Chang will affect party unity. Any worker of the party not on the list, that shoudl have been, would feel robbed of the right to choose who leads their party. This runs the risk of ending up with a leader, as is the case now, that is not favourable among grass root Labourites. I don't have to sing the party anthem twice to know this. Many workers of the party are disenchanted with Holness and his highhandedness. They certainly prefer Shaw. Watch out fi dis!

Dr Chang, you are foolish to think that a party leader in modern Jamaica, worst one with the "lay-lay" style of Holness, can win an election against the election machinery of the PNP. For JLP to win State power you need the helping hand of every single worker; from Miss Joan a St Thomas to Mass Charles in Tivoli. You cannot afford to create discord. So in other words, democracy must not only be the buzz word, but seen to be done freely and fairly.

I have lost all confidence I once had in you, Dr Chang. Even if my leader, Andrew Holness, was in fact the preferred choice of the delegates of my loved party, the entire process seemed contaminated.

Dr Chang, you are like a football referee who issued all the cards wrongly, and yet, shows no remorse. Even if it is not so, your failure to have remained neutral has hurt everyone. How can you now set about to ever fix the suspicion which is now looms over your head?

Amos Wint

amoswint@hotmail.com

Dear, Dr Chang

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Dear Editor,

As the dust settles over the JLP leadership race, I find myself in a most peculiar position. Theoretically, I absolutely respect the position of the delegates and believe that it is imperative that the party leader be given free rein to craft his vision.

However, from an emotional perspective, I feel as though I am going through some kind of withdrawal. I have had the chance to sit and listen to Audley Shaw on numerous occasions, duelling inflections of passion and pain clearly evident in his tonel and I must admit that I became inebriated with hope and the crash today is real.

I may sound extremely naïve and petulant at the same time, but I did believe we needed to begin to build a more unified, loving society, as a matter of priority, and I was so looking forward to the Jamaica that would come from the standardisation of our infant schools over the medium to short term.

I was proud of the fact that an institution that was so dear to my heart would be championing this cause. I fell in love with the illusion that this could have very well been our "Arab Spring" moment, and I am now forced to re-evaluate the relevance of a world view that has defined my existence to date. Forgive me, and other supporters such as myself, if we do require some time to recalibrate and shake the feeling of being political and in effect ideological orphans.

We must be allowed the space to determine the kinds of sacrifices that we are willing to make going forward. Personally, the question of whether to devote a part of me to the JLP cause, as opposed to stepping aside completely to allow for individuals whose personalities and character more closely align with the vision of the majority to take up the mantle, will occupy my thoughts for a while to come. I am seized of the fact that this may be deemed a cop-out and a demonstration of bad sportsmanship. However, while a number of positions are currently in flux, what is absolutely true is that my intellectual credibility is always going to be more important than your perception of my actions.

As we wait to see the kind of tone and structure that the leadership of the party will take, it is my fervent hope that all of the pent-up vitriol and hate that was on constant display over the last two months will have been expended. I hope the party leader learns the right lessons from this process as he will have extremely huge shoes to fill, in my mind at least, going forward.

Whether there will, or ought to be room in the JLP for individuals such as myself is left to be seen. However, one thing is very clear, interesting days are definitely ahead for the party and the country.

Nicordia Vickers

niekababes@yahoo.com

I feel like a political orphan

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Dear Editor,

Members of the media were kicking up a great deal of fuss about Milton Samuda "requesting" or "seizing" tapes of an interview conducted with Olympians Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson by some local journalists. The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) and editorial writers are concerned that Mr Samuda is caught in a conflict of interest as the attorney-at-law for the athletes and chairman of Television Jamaica (TVJ) and a director of the RJR Group.

The focus on Mr Samuda, however, is entirely misplaced. This is a moment that invites self-critique by media, rather than illusions or allusions of threats to press freedom.

From all the information available in the public domain, it appears that journalists agreed to do an interview with the athletes on the basis that there would be a restriction on what could be asked about their recent positive drug tests. That was a compact formed in hell. The media houses should never have agreed to this because even before the first question was asked and answer given, the editorial function was already compromised. By that flawed act, they had surrendered their independence which is at the cornerstone of the relationship between the public and the press.

But it does not stop there. Having agreed to that foolish arrangement, the journalists were bound by good ethics to carry it out. News gathering is based on journalists giving their word to sources (whether anonymous or on the record) and it is dangerous for them to recant out of opportunism. When journalists break their word, their sources dry up.

A statement issued by the PAJ said: "The commitment of journalists is to the public and we must use every opportunity to ask important questions without fear or favour. The information relayed must stand up to professional scrutiny."

That seems fair enough, but the principle should not be interpreted to mean that journalists have a right to ambush sources or back out of agreements when they find them inconvenient. The PAJ seems to think that, despite the deal they made, the journalists were still at large to ask whatever they wanted "in the public interest" and it was up to the athletes whether they wanted to answer. This is very Machiavellian and plainly unsatisfactory.

I am aware of cases where guests have agreed to go onto radio and television programmes to talk about one issue, and not the next, only to have the interviewer later firing questions about the very thing it was agreed they would not talk about. In those circumstances, if the guest refuses to answer, it seems he has something to hide and if he answers the journalist scores. That's not tough journalism, it's just bad ethics.

Vernon Daley

Attorney-at-Law

vernon.daley@gmail.com

Pact formed in hell

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Dear Editor,

Now that the JLP leadership race is over, everyone is analysing its significance.

In my opinion, it is a preference for youth over age, enthusiasm over wisdom, and the JLP leadership must recognise this

in its reconstruction.

All honour must be given to Ken Baugh, Pearnel Charles, Babsy Grange, Mike Henry, and Karl Samuda, but they must be advised that they will not be in the next parliamentary body and should immediately identify and prepare their replacement.

Retirement at age 65 for both men and women is sorely needed in our Parliament, which suffers from geriatric atrophy to a marked degree. Do you realise that 40 per cent of parliamentarians are over 60 years old, and 20 per cent over 70?

We should insist that any candidate for political office should be under 60, and under 65 if offering themselves for re-election. This would remove Bartlett, Baugh, Charles, Clarke, Duncan, Grange, Henry, Peart, Pickersgill, Phillips, Samuda, Shaw, Simpson-Miller, Thwaites, and maybe a couple more at the next election.

My suggestion is not made from spite, but in recognition of the inevitable deterioration in our mental and physical capacities as we age, and, most critically, our ability to learn new skills and develop new ideas — rare after 60 and extinct after 70.

By all means we should respect age

and long experience, but in advisory roles, not leadership ones. Get them to let go of the steering wheel and move to the rear seats. But please not into the Senate. This would also create the ideal setting for a serious reduction in the size of the Cabinet.

Would this give us less corrupt politicians? I very much doubt it, as I believe we are all honest until temptation smiles at us.

Our best protection is transparency through the media, an open and inquisitive Internet, proper use of the Access to Information Act, and less idolatry of the "honourables".

John Fletcher

johnofletcher@gmail.com

Dear Editor,

I plead insanity for having believed the hype on Sunday last that, despite the bruising leadership challenge to Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness, he would have been willing to be magnanimous in victory.

I guess I was just hoping against hope. Instead, Holness moved swiftly to get rid of those who did not support his leadership, reappointing only Bartlett and Shaw as showpieces to the new shadow cabinet.

What would have been magnanimous and sensible would have been for him to have reappointed everyone from the original shadow cabinet, en blo,c then over a period remove the non-performers, as they have always outnumbered the performers.

Instead, he jumped straight into stark victimisation. Plus, what possible reason can there be for wanting the senators to resign. For nothing has changed over the two years since Holness appointed them, except that some did not support him in his leadership challenge. His calling for their resignation therefore has nothing to do with their performance or usefulness to the country, but is truly pure pettiness.

I therefore applaud Mr Shaw for putting his own political future on the line and standing up with those who supported him who are threatened with victimisation; none more obvious than the two deputy leaders who came out in support of him but whose nomination papers mysteriously disappeared a few days before the election.

And, if Holness really wanted to unify the party, as he claimed, what of the fate of the lady Councillor who was evicted from Samuda's office for supporting Shaw, and the one whose future in politics was threatened by Warmington? It is perfectly clear that,

while democracy prevailed on Sunday, it is really vindictiveness and divisiveness which is the final victor.

Joan E Williams

gratestj@gmail.com

No JLP unity in sight

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Dear Editor,

On Tuesday (November 12, 2013) I attended a public forum at which the Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding indicated his intention to initiate a review, in 2014, of Jamaica's laws pertaining to sexual conduct so as to introduce in his country "modern principles of morality", removing laws from what he called an "oppressive [past] era" in which persons were discriminated on the basis of race, creed and class.

He also noted that, although the majority of Jamaicans did not approve of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) behaviour and the review will be controversial, his Government was interested in advancing the interests of a sexual minority.

But isn't forcing unwanted laws and behaviour on the majority of a population an act of oppression? Where is the justice in that move, Minister Golding? Is there a plan to make this PNP Administration no different from the imperialistic pre-1962 political administrators? Is this what their founder, Norman Washington Manley, fought for when he sought Jamaica's Independence from foreign powers?

To whom is Minister Golding really accountable? Foreigners, a minority group or the majority who democratically elected him and his party into power? Is this what the PNP calls progress?

Philippa Davies

seivadap@gmail.com

No funny business, Minister Golding

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Dear Editor,

What has become of the reports/allegations of 31-year-old Kamoza Clarke having been brutally beaten at the Falmouth police lock-up last month?

If it is eventually confirmed that Mr Clarke was beaten, it will, I am sure, resurrect for many the almost daily similar brutish acts over the years by our security forces. The result is our police force having the distinction of the highest per capita killings in the world, at approximately 140 per year.

Why can't we understand that unless we bring police brutality to an end we are not going to make any real advances as a society? It matters not what the colour, class, mental state or background is of the Jamaican that is beaten, killed, tortured or abused by the police. What matters is that an attack on any Jamaican is an attack on all Jamaicans. If the police are allowed to continue to abuse the rights of Jamaicans with impunity, then we are nurturing and sustaining a society that will be forever violent.

The different oversight and accountability bodies of the police have been ineffective. We must, therefore, protect INDECOM's efforts to ensure a just society where the rights of all Jamaicans are respected.

Colonel Allan Douglas

Kingston 10

alldouglas@aol.com

Support INDECOM

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Thoughtless and selfish joggers

ONLINE COMMENTARY: No Hard feelings Mr Shaw!

'If yuh poor ina dis ya country... only God can help'

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Political hoax?

Perform or resign, Mayor Harris

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OBSERVER ONLINE COMMENTARY: JTB not doing enough for Jamaica

All of them should resign

Jamaica above party

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'Devil find work for idle hands'

Now we'll see if unity talk is real

Dear, Dr Chang

I feel like a political orphan

Pact formed in hell

Wide the road to political retirement

No JLP unity in sight

No funny business, Minister Golding

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