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Far from perfect, but not the worst
JEAN LOWRIE-CHIN
Monday, August 23, 2010
var addthis_pub="jamaicaobserver";
IMAGINE Jamaica is rated by Newsweek magazine in the top 100 best countries in the world. Newsweek says little Jamaica is 47th "in terms of education, health, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and political environment." This tells us that though we are far from perfect, we are not the worst. In fact, an international survey last year rated Jamaica's press freedom ahead of America's.
We have to admit that there is a new resolve to tackle corruption in Jamaica, a disease which infects the proper governance of our private and public sectors. Even as we criticise the less-than-honest, we should save some breath for the courageous public servants who are being given a free hand to do their jobs.
If we can only get more teachers on the same page as principals Oneil Ankle of Green Park Primary and Junior High, Clarendon and Nadine Molloy of Buff Bay High, Portland, we would have a sparkling education system. Our health system is actually better than some places in rural America where poverty means no health care. Our quality of life is generally good, except for those communities which are kept barefoot and under lock and key by grinning leaders and their tyrannical dons.
Economic competitiveness is at the highest it has ever been in this country. Now there are special deals to be had, with the telecoms companies giving media a windfall beyond their wildest dreams. Advertisements give you a good indication of a country's prosperity - you would never hear so many weight loss ads in the Sudan, nor so many ads for plays and other entertainment if we did not have some spare cash.
At the launch of RJR's Blu-Wave Jamaica, government information adviser Neville James commented that with 3.2 million mobile phones, Jamaica had more cellies than humans! According to the folks at the launch, we will be able to use the Bluetooth on our cellphones to pick information and videos literally out of thin air.
As for our political environment, if only our parliamentarians could behave as they do when they get together at the Electoral Commission, what a great country we could be! In terms of our electoral system, we are second to none, and we are constantly being invited to give assistance to even developed countries.
Even as I write this, I cannot get Tredegar Park out of my head. We are haunted by the terror that struck in the early hours of the morning on August 13, when 20 armed men descended on a community there called Monkey Town and massacred eight persons, including two children. The news reports of various ministers visiting the victims show rusty zinc fences and dusty, stony pathways. Not one of us should be comfortable knowing that this is the way that our fellow Jamaicans are living.
This is why corruption is such a horrible crime. For every dollar scurried away by a corrupt politician or public servant, that is one less dollar to save a child from grinding poverty. And so, even as we are proud that Jamaica got a moderately good rating, we know we could be doing far, far better.
This same free press will have to do even more digging until we can show our people which politicians truly have their interest at heart and which ones are so addicted to power that they would kill for it. Be assured, we are watching - and there are many more videophones to record your dirty deeds.
We also want our good cops to stand firm, even as they are threatened by their murderous colleagues (I actually had to get help for a police officer who was in such a situation). However, I believe that the tide is turning and soon, respect will be restored to the force and the children of decent police officers will not be ashamed to tell their friends what their parents do for a living. Indeed, they should feel proud of their brave parents who stand between us and the heartless thugs.
We can be comforted that more and more strong Jamaicans are standing up regardless of the criticisms they endure: Paula Llewellyn, Patricia Sinclair-McCalla, Novelette Grant, Owen Ellington, Greg Christie, Danville Walker, Ronnie Thwaites, Trevor Munroe, to name a few. We are learning that to gain the international respect we need for lasting prosperity, character is key.
We are learning that when we achieve excellence, we welcome evaluations and embrace performance-related pay. We know that if we are really as good as we say we are, we have nothing to fear. Nadine Molloy, the new JTA president, subjected herself to close scrutiny to become the reigning Education Ministry-Lasco Principal of the Year. This relatively young woman is a phenomenal educator and leader. We hope that she will not be shy to spread this gospel of excellence at the JTA. Even as we believe that government should honour its commitment, teachers should also ensure that they honour their commitment to one of the noblest professions.
After freezing in Canada and frying in Las Vegas, I know our weather is close to perfect. On hearing the racist overtones in American politics and seeing the cardboard food being advertised on cable, I know I am in a blessed place. But there are still too many cold corners of misery in this country - we must harangue our leaders till they deliver on those glowing campaign promises to the poor.
We joined in the laughter, watching the hugely talented Debra Ehrhardt, as she recently acted out her play, Jamaica Farewell, the twists and turns she went through in the 70s to arrive finally at her dream destination, the USA. As her contemporary, I had the opposite view, but we have to respect each other's right to choose our path to salvation.
I have reservations about Ehrhardt's description of some of her fellow Jamaicans whom she "cartoons" on her north-coast journey to Montego Bay airport. We are happy for her that Tom Hanks and his wife have seen it fit to buy her story, but "Bullfrog say what is joke to schoolboy is death to him." So please, Miss Ehrhardt, ask them to go gentle on those north-coast scenes. Some of us are actually glad to be here, and are depending on our fellow Jamaicans in the diaspora to ensure that the world does not get a skewed image of a country which has emerged in the top 50 percentile of the best places to live.
lowriechin@aim.com
www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...-worst_7891888
JEAN LOWRIE-CHIN
Monday, August 23, 2010var addthis_pub="jamaicaobserver";
IMAGINE Jamaica is rated by Newsweek magazine in the top 100 best countries in the world. Newsweek says little Jamaica is 47th "in terms of education, health, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and political environment." This tells us that though we are far from perfect, we are not the worst. In fact, an international survey last year rated Jamaica's press freedom ahead of America's.
We have to admit that there is a new resolve to tackle corruption in Jamaica, a disease which infects the proper governance of our private and public sectors. Even as we criticise the less-than-honest, we should save some breath for the courageous public servants who are being given a free hand to do their jobs.
If we can only get more teachers on the same page as principals Oneil Ankle of Green Park Primary and Junior High, Clarendon and Nadine Molloy of Buff Bay High, Portland, we would have a sparkling education system. Our health system is actually better than some places in rural America where poverty means no health care. Our quality of life is generally good, except for those communities which are kept barefoot and under lock and key by grinning leaders and their tyrannical dons.
Economic competitiveness is at the highest it has ever been in this country. Now there are special deals to be had, with the telecoms companies giving media a windfall beyond their wildest dreams. Advertisements give you a good indication of a country's prosperity - you would never hear so many weight loss ads in the Sudan, nor so many ads for plays and other entertainment if we did not have some spare cash.
At the launch of RJR's Blu-Wave Jamaica, government information adviser Neville James commented that with 3.2 million mobile phones, Jamaica had more cellies than humans! According to the folks at the launch, we will be able to use the Bluetooth on our cellphones to pick information and videos literally out of thin air.
As for our political environment, if only our parliamentarians could behave as they do when they get together at the Electoral Commission, what a great country we could be! In terms of our electoral system, we are second to none, and we are constantly being invited to give assistance to even developed countries.
Even as I write this, I cannot get Tredegar Park out of my head. We are haunted by the terror that struck in the early hours of the morning on August 13, when 20 armed men descended on a community there called Monkey Town and massacred eight persons, including two children. The news reports of various ministers visiting the victims show rusty zinc fences and dusty, stony pathways. Not one of us should be comfortable knowing that this is the way that our fellow Jamaicans are living.
This is why corruption is such a horrible crime. For every dollar scurried away by a corrupt politician or public servant, that is one less dollar to save a child from grinding poverty. And so, even as we are proud that Jamaica got a moderately good rating, we know we could be doing far, far better.
This same free press will have to do even more digging until we can show our people which politicians truly have their interest at heart and which ones are so addicted to power that they would kill for it. Be assured, we are watching - and there are many more videophones to record your dirty deeds.
We also want our good cops to stand firm, even as they are threatened by their murderous colleagues (I actually had to get help for a police officer who was in such a situation). However, I believe that the tide is turning and soon, respect will be restored to the force and the children of decent police officers will not be ashamed to tell their friends what their parents do for a living. Indeed, they should feel proud of their brave parents who stand between us and the heartless thugs.
We can be comforted that more and more strong Jamaicans are standing up regardless of the criticisms they endure: Paula Llewellyn, Patricia Sinclair-McCalla, Novelette Grant, Owen Ellington, Greg Christie, Danville Walker, Ronnie Thwaites, Trevor Munroe, to name a few. We are learning that to gain the international respect we need for lasting prosperity, character is key.
We are learning that when we achieve excellence, we welcome evaluations and embrace performance-related pay. We know that if we are really as good as we say we are, we have nothing to fear. Nadine Molloy, the new JTA president, subjected herself to close scrutiny to become the reigning Education Ministry-Lasco Principal of the Year. This relatively young woman is a phenomenal educator and leader. We hope that she will not be shy to spread this gospel of excellence at the JTA. Even as we believe that government should honour its commitment, teachers should also ensure that they honour their commitment to one of the noblest professions.
After freezing in Canada and frying in Las Vegas, I know our weather is close to perfect. On hearing the racist overtones in American politics and seeing the cardboard food being advertised on cable, I know I am in a blessed place. But there are still too many cold corners of misery in this country - we must harangue our leaders till they deliver on those glowing campaign promises to the poor.
We joined in the laughter, watching the hugely talented Debra Ehrhardt, as she recently acted out her play, Jamaica Farewell, the twists and turns she went through in the 70s to arrive finally at her dream destination, the USA. As her contemporary, I had the opposite view, but we have to respect each other's right to choose our path to salvation.
I have reservations about Ehrhardt's description of some of her fellow Jamaicans whom she "cartoons" on her north-coast journey to Montego Bay airport. We are happy for her that Tom Hanks and his wife have seen it fit to buy her story, but "Bullfrog say what is joke to schoolboy is death to him." So please, Miss Ehrhardt, ask them to go gentle on those north-coast scenes. Some of us are actually glad to be here, and are depending on our fellow Jamaicans in the diaspora to ensure that the world does not get a skewed image of a country which has emerged in the top 50 percentile of the best places to live.
lowriechin@aim.com
www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...-worst_7891888