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Withdrawals and apologies
published: Friday | May 4, 2007
Heather Robinson
Any Jamaican who follows politics in Jamaica will admit that it is never boring. Every day brings something new to discuss or marvel about.
This week the main focus has been on the Prime Minister's presentation in the budget debate, and last week attention was focused on an observation made by a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate in an address to a divisional conference, over a hundred miles away from the St. Andrew constituency in which she is hoping to have her name placed on the ballot.
Much has been said and much has been written about Joan Gordon-Webley's reference to the Prime Minister as "Jezebel". Her sensible and fast thinking general secretary apologised for the remark when it was brought to his attention. Most Jamaicans thought the matter had died there, but this was not to be. Joan Gordon-Webley responded by saying that she had not apologised and was "merely reading the Bible, quoting from the Bible" (Jamaica Observer, April 27). This response evoked a second wave of criticism directed at her and some wondered how the JLP general-secretary would deal with this obvious questioning of his authority.
Is there a difference?
On Monday, we learned that the very sedate chairman of the JLP, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, would attend to the matter. By Tuesday, she is quoted as saying, "I further withdraw any comments made at the meeting in South Trelawny which have caused offence." At no point did she apologise. Is there a difference between an apology and a withdrawal?
As children we are taught the value of admitting to the commission of a wrong. You are instructed to say "I am sorry," and mean it. It is only in the context of near violent discussions that one is asked to 'tek back' what is said. Both situations can be the result of coercion, but more so in the latter case.
The return of Joan Webley to Jamaica, after being domiciled elsewhere in the Caribbean, has created some problems that appear to be unique to her personal situation. 'Tracing' is no longer a welcome form of communication by politicians. Jamaicans know what some words connote and how to interpret their meaning. Here are some examples. Careless (pronounced 'kliss') does not mean that a motorist made a mistake and hit the pedal cyclist while driving. It means that you have no morals and are loose in your personal conduct.
The list continues
A mattress is not just something that is manufactured for the purpose of sleep and rest. It is used also to refer to women who have a large number of male sexual partners. When children greet each other with the salutation 'Dawg', this is not a derogatory remark. Rather it is a positive greeting. 'Pre' is no longer a prefix placed in front of a word meaning 'before'. In Jamaica today if someone is 'preing' you it means they are checking out or observing you.
To 'eat you food' is not a reference to removing a cornmeal dumpling from someone else's plate. It means that the food eater is going to murder you. And there are many other such words and phrases in Jamaica that mean something totally different from their original use.
Jamaicans will go to the polls within the next six months. Candidates who speak on political platforms with the hope of persuading us to vote for them, need to exercise care. Jamaica is 'preing' you. If you have been living in a time warp that places you contextually in 1980, you need to do all that is necessary to place yourself in Jamaica 2007.
And many of us know the difference between a withdrawal and an apology. Our head will be our guide.
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Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
published: Friday | May 4, 2007
Heather Robinson
Any Jamaican who follows politics in Jamaica will admit that it is never boring. Every day brings something new to discuss or marvel about.
This week the main focus has been on the Prime Minister's presentation in the budget debate, and last week attention was focused on an observation made by a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate in an address to a divisional conference, over a hundred miles away from the St. Andrew constituency in which she is hoping to have her name placed on the ballot.
Much has been said and much has been written about Joan Gordon-Webley's reference to the Prime Minister as "Jezebel". Her sensible and fast thinking general secretary apologised for the remark when it was brought to his attention. Most Jamaicans thought the matter had died there, but this was not to be. Joan Gordon-Webley responded by saying that she had not apologised and was "merely reading the Bible, quoting from the Bible" (Jamaica Observer, April 27). This response evoked a second wave of criticism directed at her and some wondered how the JLP general-secretary would deal with this obvious questioning of his authority.
Is there a difference?
On Monday, we learned that the very sedate chairman of the JLP, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, would attend to the matter. By Tuesday, she is quoted as saying, "I further withdraw any comments made at the meeting in South Trelawny which have caused offence." At no point did she apologise. Is there a difference between an apology and a withdrawal?
As children we are taught the value of admitting to the commission of a wrong. You are instructed to say "I am sorry," and mean it. It is only in the context of near violent discussions that one is asked to 'tek back' what is said. Both situations can be the result of coercion, but more so in the latter case.
The return of Joan Webley to Jamaica, after being domiciled elsewhere in the Caribbean, has created some problems that appear to be unique to her personal situation. 'Tracing' is no longer a welcome form of communication by politicians. Jamaicans know what some words connote and how to interpret their meaning. Here are some examples. Careless (pronounced 'kliss') does not mean that a motorist made a mistake and hit the pedal cyclist while driving. It means that you have no morals and are loose in your personal conduct.
The list continues
A mattress is not just something that is manufactured for the purpose of sleep and rest. It is used also to refer to women who have a large number of male sexual partners. When children greet each other with the salutation 'Dawg', this is not a derogatory remark. Rather it is a positive greeting. 'Pre' is no longer a prefix placed in front of a word meaning 'before'. In Jamaica today if someone is 'preing' you it means they are checking out or observing you.
To 'eat you food' is not a reference to removing a cornmeal dumpling from someone else's plate. It means that the food eater is going to murder you. And there are many other such words and phrases in Jamaica that mean something totally different from their original use.
Jamaicans will go to the polls within the next six months. Candidates who speak on political platforms with the hope of persuading us to vote for them, need to exercise care. Jamaica is 'preing' you. If you have been living in a time warp that places you contextually in 1980, you need to do all that is necessary to place yourself in Jamaica 2007.
And many of us know the difference between a withdrawal and an apology. Our head will be our guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
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