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You deserve more, Ms Ann-Merita Golding
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
In yesterday's edition, Ms Ann-Merita Golding says she isn't too bothered by the bashing that her father and prime minister, Mr Bruce Golding, has attracted since taking office in 2007.
According to Ms Golding, who is pursuing doctoral studies in Audiology at Nova Southeastern University in the USA, she has got so used to the utterances of her father's critics that they hardly bother her anymore.
In the affectionate tone typical of a doting daughter, she describes her father as a man of integrity with an inexplicable love for his country, who can do no wrong in her eyes.
We can't blame Ms Golding for her obvious deep love for her father and the unwavering support she affords him. Indeed, Mr Golding is to be commended for being a good father to his children, a role in which too many Jamaican men have been found wanting.
However, no matter how rosy the lenses through which we choose to view the story of the past 11 months, no matter how far in Mr Golding's favour anyone tries to slant it, the verdict can only be that the prime minister has compromised himself, his family, his administration and the entire country.
From his destructive decision to defend Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke against the United States' extradition request, to his sanctioning of the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips affair, to his current refusal to come clean about the entire sorry situation, he was and remains horribly wrong, to put it mildly.
It is irrelevant whether Mr Coke, who waived his right to an extradition hearing in Jamaica and is currently in the US awaiting trial on drug and gun-running charges, is found guilty or innocent. Or that the method by which the US secured the evidence against him appeared — on the face of it — to be illegal.
Those are matters which are to be argued by the relevant lawyers who are dealing with the case.
What is and will continue to be of paramount importance as far as Mr Golding's reign over this country is concerned, is the quality of the leadership he is capable of providing, given the implications of his behaviour.
Yes, he has apologised for carrying the country to the brink of anarchy, but his current resolve to move on past the several concerns expressed by the many who are legitimately afraid of getting back into the water with him is unacceptable.
It doesn't matter how charming, how hard-working, how devoted he may be, Mr Golding must — for his sake and ours — confess the sins of yesteryear before laying claim to any meaningful form of absolution. The same thing goes for the Government senators who sanctioned Mr Golding's bad behaviour and have not, to date, retracted their folly.
We expect nothing less of our leader who, to be quite frank, owes all of us -- his daughter included -- much more.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
In yesterday's edition, Ms Ann-Merita Golding says she isn't too bothered by the bashing that her father and prime minister, Mr Bruce Golding, has attracted since taking office in 2007.
According to Ms Golding, who is pursuing doctoral studies in Audiology at Nova Southeastern University in the USA, she has got so used to the utterances of her father's critics that they hardly bother her anymore.
In the affectionate tone typical of a doting daughter, she describes her father as a man of integrity with an inexplicable love for his country, who can do no wrong in her eyes.
We can't blame Ms Golding for her obvious deep love for her father and the unwavering support she affords him. Indeed, Mr Golding is to be commended for being a good father to his children, a role in which too many Jamaican men have been found wanting.
However, no matter how rosy the lenses through which we choose to view the story of the past 11 months, no matter how far in Mr Golding's favour anyone tries to slant it, the verdict can only be that the prime minister has compromised himself, his family, his administration and the entire country.
From his destructive decision to defend Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke against the United States' extradition request, to his sanctioning of the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips affair, to his current refusal to come clean about the entire sorry situation, he was and remains horribly wrong, to put it mildly.
It is irrelevant whether Mr Coke, who waived his right to an extradition hearing in Jamaica and is currently in the US awaiting trial on drug and gun-running charges, is found guilty or innocent. Or that the method by which the US secured the evidence against him appeared — on the face of it — to be illegal.
Those are matters which are to be argued by the relevant lawyers who are dealing with the case.
What is and will continue to be of paramount importance as far as Mr Golding's reign over this country is concerned, is the quality of the leadership he is capable of providing, given the implications of his behaviour.
Yes, he has apologised for carrying the country to the brink of anarchy, but his current resolve to move on past the several concerns expressed by the many who are legitimately afraid of getting back into the water with him is unacceptable.
It doesn't matter how charming, how hard-working, how devoted he may be, Mr Golding must — for his sake and ours — confess the sins of yesteryear before laying claim to any meaningful form of absolution. The same thing goes for the Government senators who sanctioned Mr Golding's bad behaviour and have not, to date, retracted their folly.
We expect nothing less of our leader who, to be quite frank, owes all of us -- his daughter included -- much more.
and sista P.
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