Martin Henry BONE-WEARY but glowing in victory and a grandfather's joy on election night, P.J. Patterson told us in his speech that his adored grand-daughter, Gabrielle, had told him, "Grandpa, PJ means protect Jamaica." The four-time Prime Minister solemnly pledged to his grand-daughter and to the nation -- that his last stint of office would be devoted to rooting out gunmanship and controlling crime.
Jamaica stands in very great need of protection by the authorities to whom political power has been entrusted. We are ravaged by criminal elements in control of over 20,000 guns according to an old police estimate. Yesterday Gabrielle's grandpa took the new Oath of Office in Emancipation Park: "I Percival James Patterson, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Jamaica, that I will uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of Jamaica and that I will conscientiously and impartially discharge my responsibilities to the people of Jamaica."
Today, let us listen in on a little talk between grand-daughter citizen and grandpa Prime Minister: Grandpa, I am afraid you know. All the children of Jamaica are afraid because of crime. When you were growing up what were you afraid of, Grandpa? Grandpa, you ever see the art drawn by children like me? A lot of guns, and shooting, and bodies. Fear and violence and death are in the children's pictures, Grandpa. And I hear that some of them are wetting up and messing up themselves when they hear explosions or angry voices. Some of them are suffering from serious psychological disorders you understand what that mean, Grandpa? And they can't learn in school.
Big people are afraid too, Grandpa. You tell me that when you were little like me, the houses didn't have all these burglar bars. Now everything is burglar-barred up and people still don't feel safe. They don't feel safe on the streets and they don't feel safe in their homes behind the burglar bars. They don't feel safe anywhere.
And Grandpa, you know that there are a lot of places that people can't go although the Constitution that you swear to uphold and defend say we have freedom of movement. Some people, you know Grandpa, can't cross over from one street to the next one right nearby without getting shot from where them going to or from where them coming from.
You listen to the radio the other day Grandpa? The police who should be protecting us were telling us not to use the bottom part of Mountain View Avenue because war down there. The police, you know Grandpa, say they are there "to protect, to serve, to reassure." But sometimes it look like them can't manage, and some people hate them and afraid of them, you know, Grandpa because of how the police treat them.
Grandpa, I know you can't do without your Gleaner. From you were a young man till now you are a Gleaner man. How old are you again, Grandpa? You remember you tell me that is through The Gleaner you first met Norman Manley and learn about what he was trying to do for the people through the People's National Party. And so you decided to join the PNP and help him from the time you were a young, bright spark at the University of the West Indies? Grandpa, you think Grand-uncle Norman would be afraid to live here now. You think him would feel safe here, and drive his Jaguar alone from Drumblair to all bout downtown?
I was asking you about The Gleaner because last Friday the newspaper published a whole page of "Barricades of Fear". You did see it, Grandpa? How you feel? Grandpa the people them are struggling to provide their own little security. They are blocking themselves in and blocking attackers out. So Grandpa, how you tell me that Government has the responsibility to protect all the people in the country?
Grandpa, I am glad you tell the people that I tell you what your name mean. And the people vote for you and the PNP again, Grandpa PJ. How many seats again? Them finish counting now? The people want you to protect them, PJ, so that they can feel safe just like how I feel safe with you. When my grandpa, the most Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica is with me, and his security men around, nobody can' do me anything! Ah oh!
FOURTH INAUGURAL ADDRESS
Grandpa, I want to ask you something. You mustn't vex, you hear Grandpa. Why you take so long? Things bad now you know Grandpa! You have been Prime Minister four times for ten years since Uncle Michael resign. What a long time. I wasn't even born yet.
Thousands of people have been murdered in that time. Every type of crime has grown as you run things, Grandpa. You and Uncle Omar spend a lot of time on the economy. But the economy not growing, Grandpa. Perhaps the economy afraid of crime like me! You not vex, Grandpa?
I know you have been busy putting your new Government together and preparing your fourth inaugural address. You hardly have anytime to talk to me, and me vex. You have kept your promise of making swearings-in a habit. Clap it star; you are the best. I am proud of you, Grandpa! When I grow up perhaps I will become a Prime Minister like you. And you will show me how to win elections clean and fair.
But I hope you were not too busy to keep up with the news. Children are afraid to watch the TV news you know, Grandpa. A lot of them get nightmares! Grandpa, over 25 more people have been killed in the week between your winning the election and your swearing-in!
Shanique, Sharon and Chavelle were killed in Rema, Grandpa. Gunmen broke into their one-room wooden house near the border and murder them with big guns. And I hear is politics.
They were children just like me, Grandpa. Sharon and Chavelle were three-year-old twins. Shanique was only 15, you know Grandpa. And guess what, she was pregnant! Isn't there a law, Grandpa, which say a girl must be 16 before she can have sex? So Grandpa, are you going to do anything about these laws? Big crime come from little crime, you know Grandpa. And slackness breeds crime.
You tell the people you are a man of your word. And you promise them to root out gunmanship and to bring crime under control. But they are afraid to trust as much as they are afraid of crime. They trust you more than they trust the other people though Grandpa. You mustn't let them down, you hear. The work may be hard and dangerous because all kinds of people in crime, some of them in Grand-uncle Norman party. But if you need any help, I am right here, you hear Grandpa."
Martin Henry is communications consultant.
