Dear Editor,
The following is an open letter to Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness:
It is my information that, for more than three years, a document requesting the passing of legislation expunging the convictions of four of Jamaica’s national heroes was submitted to Jamaica’s Parliament and has not received the attention of our Government.
From my research, I have gathered that the document reads in part:
“An Act to expunge the convictions of the national heroes Marcus Garvey, Sam Sharpe, George William Gordon, Paul Bogle, and their followers and non-participants who were considered rebels against the Crown, and were ultimately convicted of crimes against the Crown following the 1831 Christmas Rebellion, 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion, and the 1929 campaign of the People’s Political Party.”
It seems like absolute hypocrisy to me that for all the years that we have celebrated our National Heroes’ Day, and we regale the contributions of these patriots, yet have failed to place meaningful value on their efforts when successive governments continue to have their memories sullied by allowing these criminal convictions against their names to stand. Such an oversight diminishes the contributions of these patriots and, by extension, tarnishes the value of their memories for future generations of Jamaicans.
In the circumstances, I view with even greater dismay the efforts of others to seek exoneration for Marcus Mosiah Garvey from the US Government. This because such an effort can hardly ever be supported by the Government of Jamaica since they, too, have marked his memory at home with a criminal conviction.
As we approach the 2016 National Heroes’ Day celebrations I am calling on you and your Government to, at the next sitting of Parliament, or if necessary to move that a Special Sitting of Parliament be held, in order to move for the enactment of this legislation and to wipe the criminal records of our four national heroes completely clean.
That must be your Government’s gift to the families and heirs of these heroes as well as to the people of Jamaica.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Florida, USA
richardhblackford@gmail.com
The following is an open letter to Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness:
It is my information that, for more than three years, a document requesting the passing of legislation expunging the convictions of four of Jamaica’s national heroes was submitted to Jamaica’s Parliament and has not received the attention of our Government.
From my research, I have gathered that the document reads in part:
“An Act to expunge the convictions of the national heroes Marcus Garvey, Sam Sharpe, George William Gordon, Paul Bogle, and their followers and non-participants who were considered rebels against the Crown, and were ultimately convicted of crimes against the Crown following the 1831 Christmas Rebellion, 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion, and the 1929 campaign of the People’s Political Party.”
It seems like absolute hypocrisy to me that for all the years that we have celebrated our National Heroes’ Day, and we regale the contributions of these patriots, yet have failed to place meaningful value on their efforts when successive governments continue to have their memories sullied by allowing these criminal convictions against their names to stand. Such an oversight diminishes the contributions of these patriots and, by extension, tarnishes the value of their memories for future generations of Jamaicans.
In the circumstances, I view with even greater dismay the efforts of others to seek exoneration for Marcus Mosiah Garvey from the US Government. This because such an effort can hardly ever be supported by the Government of Jamaica since they, too, have marked his memory at home with a criminal conviction.
As we approach the 2016 National Heroes’ Day celebrations I am calling on you and your Government to, at the next sitting of Parliament, or if necessary to move that a Special Sitting of Parliament be held, in order to move for the enactment of this legislation and to wipe the criminal records of our four national heroes completely clean.
That must be your Government’s gift to the families and heirs of these heroes as well as to the people of Jamaica.
Richard Hugh Blackford
Florida, USA
richardhblackford@gmail.com