THE EDITOR, Sir:
IT WAS interesting listening to Mr. Wilmot Perkins discuss 'the problem of knowledge' on his talk-show in the recent past.
I would like to express my support for his position of scepticism particularly since he himself provides useful subject matter of the need for this approach.
For example, persons who take Mr. Perkins' oft repeated comments at face value will 'know' that Prime Minister P J Patterson made a statement in Parliament in which he (Mr. Patterson) claimed that 'The British were about to kick us out of the Privy Council'; but is this so?
I stand subject to correction, but my recollection is that the Prime Minister did not claim or infer that it was present British Government policy or intent that Jamaica be denied access to the Privy Council; rather after citing statements attributed to a member of the Privy Council and Mr. Robin Cook, (or his representative I can't quite remember), a Cabinet member in the British Government, in which these individuals were supposed to have expressed support for cessation of appeals by Caribbean nations to the Privy Council Mr. Patterson posed the question 'are we going to wait until they kick us out?'
Persons should be aware that Mr. Perkins has difficulty accurately representing statements made by the Prime Minister thus 'the law is not a shackle to enslave' becomes 'the Law is not a shackle'.
I suppose its reasonable to assume that if the Prime Minister said 'Quarrie is not a man to run the marathon' Mr. Perkins would report that the Prime Minister said 'Quarrie is not a man'.
I am, etc.,
W. WEST
Kingston 6
