Heather Robinson'MILO', 'DICKIE', 'Mercaman', 'Fish', 'Satta John', 'Cliffie'. Who knows these men? The American political system focuses a lot on the antecedent reports of persons offering themselves for leadership positions including even the judiciary. If you smoked a spliff in the United States while in high school, the possibility of it becoming an issue when you offer yourself for an elected office is great. If you did not serve in Vietnam, that too becomes an issue, but it does not mean you are automatically disqualified from being the President of the United States of America.
The distinguishing feature between the political system there and here in Jamaica is that it is possible that you can get elected without the electorate being even aware of your antecedent report. Some of the best masters of the 'old time' politics have tried to successfully re-brand and re-package themselves. Perhaps to a younger generation they might have been successful, for the simple reason that 'who don't know better, cannot do better'. But since the last ballot has not yet been counted, in fact not even the first ballot has yet been polled, there is indeed time to prepare and present to the jury correct and detailed antecedent reports.
THE FUTURE
Wouldn't it have been good if as children and young adults, we all knew what we would precisely be doing at age fifty plus? Would we lead a more upright and transparent life that would be able to pass the most detailed examination by all Jamaica?
There is no perfect human being who offers themselves for leadership, but we do need the one who has the least flaws and who is best able to make Jamaica proud. Bruce Golding has offered himself as a candidate for the leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party. Perhaps the most outstanding highlight of that event at the Jamaica Conference Centre was Mr. Golding's response to his son's presentation. His son spoke of the father whom we knew. I have no doubt that the youngman was being very honest about the man he knows as his father.
Many politicians try to keep their families out of the politics and from the daily work of a Member of Parliament. Some wives never ever visit the constituency, and certainly children are protected and excluded from constituency life. A visit to the gallery of Gordon House during the State of the Nation, Budget and Sectoral Debates is however a cherished occasion.
For some politicians therefore it is almost like a double life. The life at home is first. And the life as an elected politician is second. In some cases if members of a politician's family were to visit the constituency office or attend a community meeting they would be very surprised, and worse yet if they were to be privileged to hear some of the instructions being given to party functionaries.
WEEPING
Mr. Golding cried, and at the same time the people of Spanish Town were crying. Older persons who remember 1980 and beyond held their bellies as they wept when they remember what happened then, and what is happening now. Residents of Spanish Town felt and continue to feel Mr. Golding's pain that reduced him to tears, as they thought that this man of whom his son spoke, they were never exposed to. It is good I suppose that Mr. Golding's son could expose the father he knows to the entire Jamaica. Christianity recommends that all sinners should seek repentance. And further we should seek forgiveness for our sins from God. But even when we do this, there are many human beings, who don't forget.
Politicians who have had a particularly long political life, must always remember this. The best tribute we can give to those who have represented and seek to represent is to ensure that the person, whom our family knows, is the same person who is elected to Parliament, party or state leadership. It is impossible to erase one's past especially when the legacy that is left is one that has been built on personally designed foundations. Are you proud of your legacy? Re-branding and a denial of the past do not a leader make. Acceptance of responsibility for the true past and its impact on the present is the first step. But then if you did almost nothing while you represented the people, there really is only that legacy, and it cannot be erased.
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
