Dawn Ritch, Contributor
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION in this country is an absurdly futile proceeding. Symbolic of this is the recent Cabinet decision to change the meaning of the colour black in our national flag, and the connivance of the Opposition in the poor governance of Jamaica.
Originally the colour black in the flag meant "hardships", but now the meaning has been changed to "the strength and creativity of our people". In future therefore when somebody refers to a "black-hearted man", we are to understand that he means a strong and creative man, not an evil person. And "black days" will in future be cause for celebration, instead of despair.
Counting it a job well done, the Government has therefore removed the majesty from the meaning of the Jamaican Flag. Something that used to say "Hardships there are, but the land is green and the sun shineth", suggesting hope and aspiration, now says "The sun shineth, the land is green, and the people are strong and creative". So what?
Based purely on skin colour the Cabinet has come up with a new interpretation of the flag, that is at once both meaningless and bereft of any suggestion of achievement. In so doing, the Most Hon. P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister, and his ministers of government, have demeaned the Jamaican Flag. Where once the meaning was triumphalist, now it is utterly banal, something from the mind of a backward five- year-old.
This new interpretation of the flag however, is an apt reflection of the Government's own psyche. There is no longer any suggestion of achievement because their own performance has been disastrous these past umpteen years. It seems hardly worth saying that had the PNP Government thought achievement were important, they would not have removed it from the meaning of the Jamaican flag.
It is an odd time for the Cabinet to launch an assault upon the meaning of the English language. One would think they have more important and pressing matters to handle as the Government.
RECOMMENDATION
When asked why it had become so urgent to change the meaning of the word "black", Mr. Burchell Whiteman, Minister of Information, said that the Government was only acting on the recommendation of the Rex Nettleford Report of 1996. Readers should note that there was another Nettleford Report of even older vintage in 1992, which recommended a reduction in the number of Cabinet positions and the downsizing of the public sector. Over 10 years later nothing has been done. I fail to understand how changing the meaning of the flag can have been more urgent or more deserving of attention than either of these vital issues.
The plain fact of the matter is that anything to do with black is always of greater interest to the Most Honourable. It is his equivalent of the Roman purple. And like an emperor during the decline of Rome, Mr. Patterson gives his people circuses and games instead of good government.
Totally at a loss on how to stem the unparalleled decline of Jamaica, Mr. Patterson is always happy to seize upon trivialities. First, there was the re-introduction of Emancipation Day while keeping Independence Day and producing more public holidays in such a manner that days-off from work fall all over the place. Then there was the game about King's House and Emancipation Park, and where the Most Honourable wanted to take the Oath of Office, and did. Now there is a change to the meaning of the word "black" in the flag. And last but by no means least that God is to "guard" us in the national anthem, not "guide" us, when any normal human being would be perfectly happy to have Him do either.
Mr. Patterson occupies himself and the time of his Cabinet with this nonsense because they are collectively unable to address Jamaica's social and economic crises. The social crisis of the routine abduction, rape and murder of the nation's children goes unchecked.
CONSULTANTS
A serial rapist and murderer of children cannot be apprehended and brought to justice. Yet the Most Honourable, who loves meetings and committees and consultants and the meanings of words, has had not a word to say about that. Perhaps in view of the intractable nature of our problems he has indeed assigned the responsibility to God.
Faced with damning reports on the abuse and neglect of children in state-run homes, the Most Honourable went to the House of Representatives and refused to dismiss John Junor, Minister of Health, from his ministerial post. The Opposition which had been demanding Junor's resignation then retired with representatives from the government benches and returned to the House with a change of motion. Junor won't have to give up his post after all, the JLP said, but child care must be taken away from him.
This is yet another example of the absurd and futile proceedings that pass themselves off as public administration in this country. And aided and abetted by Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. We cannot take away whole subjects from ministers of government because they're not doing them well, yet continue to pay these individuals. Far from offering good governance, the House of Representatives is becoming just low farce.
BABY MIX-UPS
Mr. Junor not only presided abysmally over state-run homes for children, but continues to preside just as badly over hospitals now notorious for baby mix-ups. First there was Baby Pansy in Mandeville. To-date hospital officials are unable to say what became of her. Then there was another baby mix-up at Jubilee in Kingston. Expensive DNA tests are being sprinkled around like confetti in an unsuccessful effort to sort out the confusion.
Is the solution therefore to take hospitals out of Mr. Junor's portfolio as well? And will the Opposition agree to that in future, along with Mr. Junor continuing to enjoy the perks of Minister of Health without any of the responsibilities?
All they want to talk about is the colour in the flag, and whether God is to "guide" or "guard" us in the national anthem. I suppose what we really need is that God guide them, and guard us from them. Again this is a reflection of their own psyche and performance.
The Patterson administration is impotent to change the decline affecting the country because that decline is thanks to their incompetence and neglect. Unfortunately the Opposition benches are becoming just as useless and as foolish as they, and not only in the Junor episode.
In the face of the horror at state-run children's homes PNP Parliamentarian Sharon Hay Webster proposed compulsory sterilisation for young women who have had three children. Not to be outdone, JLP parliamentarian Ernie Smith proposed mandatory virginity tests for schoolgirls. It is due to poor representation like this that the country has to be thrown on the mercy of God.
Our elected representatives have obviously decided that the abysmal state of children's homes is the fault of the Jamaican woman. Why didn't either of them suggest the sterilisation of Jamaican men instead? A man can impregnate any number of women at random in 10 months, while a woman can only bear one child during the same time. Surely sterilisation of men is therefore the more effective way of going about reducing the birth rate. But nobody in the House wants to start that controversy, which just goes to show how hypocritical the whole process of public administration has become.
