The Commentator www

Let us pray? [From Main Page]

Now, I myself am not a superstitious person – that’s why I don’t believe in Jesus, Selassie or Jehovah. But I do respect the right of others to hold on to these beliefs – no matter how irrational they may be. If Mrs. Simpson-Miller wants to believe that god can solve our problems, then that is her right. However, if she is trying to implement “god’s solutions”, then that’s a different matter entirely. If she is going to frame her policies according to “the will of god” – then she is insane!

Jamaica's Prime Minister

Mrs. Portia Simpson-Miller

"Whenever we see god being placed at the center of government policies – disaster follows. We have seen this being clearly demonstrated repeatedly throughout history. Why does Mrs. Simpson-Miller believe that Jamaica “under god” will be any different is simply beyond me"

It must be said that god (whosoever he may be) does not have an excellent track record of making life better for anybody. He is even worse when he is credited with making the lives of an entire people better. Afghanistan is a perfect example of god’s “excellent” advice to governments. Whenever we see god being placed at the center of government policies – disaster follows. We have seen this being clearly demonstrated repeatedly throughout history. Why does Mrs. Simpson-Miller believe that Jamaica “under god” will be any different is simply beyond me.

Maybe, like most of the other politicians, Mrs. Simpson-Miller doesn’t have any idea how to solve our problems. During the campaign for the PNP top job, none of the contenders, including Mrs. Simpson-Miller, offered any real solutions. All four contenders seemed desperate. Desperate people usually turn to god for help, you know. Is Mrs. Simpson-Miller desperate? Or is she using the church as some sort of political tool – to sway the deeply religious Jamaicans her way?

And talking about the recent PNP campaign, I must do something that I rarely do – take back what I said. I had chastised Dr. K. D. Knight for how he grilled Mrs. Simpson-Miller as an idiot. While I still believe that Dr. Knight was only warning up his seat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, it would seem to me that his labeling of Mrs. Simpson-Miller as a brainless dummy was well founded. Dr. Knight, it seems that you were right!

Of course, our deeply religious people see Mrs. Simpson-Miller as some sort of messiah. The church, especially, now see an excellent chance of making our society better. It has started already, by seeking to prevent the proposed Charter of Rights Bill from becoming law. The Church thinks that it is too liberal. With “god’s appointee” now in the top job, the church in Jamaica will now have its way.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I am really worried for Jamaica. It really seems that we are a country without any real hope. Former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson offered nothing – except traveling expenses. The opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) clearly is at a loss as to what to do. Our business and civic leaders are totally blank. The only “solution” that we have is a Prime Minister who thinks that she has a direct line to “the almighty” with the solutions to all of our problems and all we have to do to get them is pray! Man, we are doomed!

[Back to Main Page]

Jamaica bobsled team – Let’s Join Hands [From Main Page]

However, all is not totally lost. Although Jamaica will not be represented as a nation, when the bobsled event gets underway, a Jamaican will be there. Lascelles Brown, who with Winston Watt recorded the fastest start in the two man event in the Salt Lake City Games, now represents Canada.

His career highlights include
2005-06 – Canadian Championships (two-man): First place
2005-06 – Canadian Championships (four-man): First place
2004-05 – World Championships, Calgary (two-man): First place
2004-05 – World Championships, Calgary (four-man): Third place
2004 – Canadian Championships (two-man): First place
2004 – Canadian Championships (four-man): First place
2002 – Olympic Winter Games (two-man) World record - 4.78 secs

The 31 year old former butcher from Clarendon, joined the Jamaica Bobsleigh Team in 1999. He is revered for his speed and power and is now, along with Switzerland's Beat Hefti and Kevin Kuske of Germany, considered one of the top three brakemen in the world. If all goes well, we will have the first Jamaican stepping on the podium at the Winter Olympics. I tell you, that almost sounds as crazy as when we first entered the arena calling ourselves the Jamaica Bobsleigh Team! What is certainly not crazy though, is the idea that there are any more Lascelle Browns and Winston Watts scattered throughout our beautiful island. I believe we have many Merlene Otteys waiting to don a bobsled helmet and turn on the speed.

Let us join hands to find them. A Jamaican will likely end up on the medal podium in Torino, Italy. Of that we can be proud. Still, with proper funding and support, a team competing under our flag could also stand proud while our national anthem is played and medals are hung from their necks. There is no telling what a Jamaican team of Winston Watt and Lascelles Brown could have done. Let us join hands to give future teams the opportunity to make it happen so that we can all share in the joy and pride of their achievements.

Devon Harris is a member of the original1988 Jamaica Bobsleigh Team. He also competed in the 1992 and 1998 Olympic Winter Games. He is currently a motivational speaker and author.

url: http://devonharrislive.com

[Back to Main Page]

An Appalling Underworld Nexus [From Main Page]

A top-level meeting of the Committee of Secretaries, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, the senior most government official in the country and answerable only to the Prime Minister, however, shot down the proposal last month after a lengthy discussion. The DOPT had wanted the Center empowers to "to empower the Central Government to unilaterally transfer those All India Service officers out of the State cadre whose continuation there was considered prejudicial to national interest or to the Central-State relations."

Initially, the Committee of Secretaries appeared interested in doing so as a circular had gone out to the state governments and union territories early October for their comments on the draft proposal. According to the sources, 29 states and union territories replied but only seven agreed to the proposal while 12 opposed and five wanted it modified. At the last committee meeting in February, the DOPT Secretary admitted that there were the IB (intelligence bureau) reports but the number of the officers involved in the extortions in connivance with the underground outfits and its extent was, however, not known. Why amend the All India Service (Conduct) rules if the allegations were only against some odd officers who can be dealt with under these rules itself, it was suggested at the meeting. The Union Home Secretary forcefully stressed that the proposed amendment would not effectively deal with the widespread extortion of funds. If the officers were doing so because of threats to their life and that of their relatives, the Home Secretary felt, the transfer of the concerned officer would not solve the security concerns affecting the all-India cadre officers working in the North Eastern states. The committee was told that the problem mainly existed in Manipur and Nagaland and the officers would be willing to move out of these states but it would not solve the real problem as the threat of life from the terrorists would continue on whosoever comes in their place.

As the trump card, Cabinet Secretary cited the existing rules that can take care of the problem and made the committee agree that no new rules will be made for transferring the officers suspected to be involved in siphoning off the government funds for whatsoever reason, under threat or without threat. The Cabinet Secretary suggested that the officers guilty of conniving with the underground outfits should be dealt with under Rule 6 of IAS cadre Rules 1954, essentially a British rule, that says "a cadre officer may with the concurrence of the State governments concerned and the Central Government be deputed for service under the Central Government or another state Government or under company, association of individuals whether incorporated or not which is wholly or substantially owned or controlled by the Central Government or by another State Government Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central Government and the State Government or State Governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the Central Government."

[Back to Main Page]