Devon Dick
WAS TUESDAY'S 'peaceful protest' the 'bangarang'? While being interviewed on TV, Senator Anthony Johnson, with a pleased smirk on his face, declared success because cities and towns were locked down. Was that the 'bangarang'?
The JLP missed a golden opportunity to display leadership of a peaceful protest and develop credibility by sticking to the stated aim. However, there was a glimmer of light displayed by some younger members of the JLP, namely, Andrew Holness, MP and Councillor Charles Sinclair. Both displayed on TV a willingness to adhere to a peaceful protest.
Golding might have been better served in following Holness and Sinclair rather than being seen on TV squeezing through a roadblock. It seems a better political strategy if there was a build-up of protest. Start with a 'peaceful protest' and then 'next time' let it be a march, then a national strike and when all else fails then block roads. The blocking of roads with debris must be a last resort. It should be stated that one is going to break the law and be willing to go to jail in order to highlight the injustices of the situation. That was the position of Martin Luther King, whose name Golding invoked.
CHARGING THE OFFENDERS
Hopefully, those who broke the law ought to be charged and tried. And if convicted I hope the judge will sentence them to community service of ridding that community of debris.
By Golding going to the last resort first, he runs the risk of being seen as exploiting the legitimate grievances of the weak and poor. One needs to hear from the JLP what they believe is a reasonable minimum wage. What is the position of the JLP on the wide spread between savings and loan rates and the spread between selling and buying foreign currency? Furthermore, Golding appears to be batting on both sides. He bemoans the rising costs and he also chided the Prime Minister on the Petro-Caribe agreement and sided with the Prime Minister of Trinidad. But this agreement will give us some relief from the high oil bill. He should have acknowledged the wisdom of the PM's move and therefore, having the date of the protest coincide with the signing of a significant agreement that could help the suffering of Jamaicans appears as the wrong move.
KEEP THE MESSAGE
Nevertheless, the message of the protest must not be lost in the inappropriateness of the roadblocks with debris and the wrong day. The Government agreement with Venezuela and the natural gas project with Trinidad are steps in the right direction. But there appear other things that can be done immediately, including a proliferation of the use of solar energy with incentives to boot. The PM's announcement of paying for CAPE subjects is good. More can be done in education including scheduling the payment of school fees.
A CRISIS
The doubling of the oil bill in one year is a crisis and the Government and people must treat it as such. Even balancing the budget this year ought to be re-examined. A slew of new and different measures needs to be instituted. Jamaica National's offer last week of special loans to its preferred customers is a step in the right direction. The NHT and other building societies need some special loans to deal with post high oil
recovery. The NHT could accelerate its refund programme. The private sector should make adjustment for lower profits in this time, otherwise it will be perceived as insensitive to the plight of the less fortunate. It is the wrong time for C&W to increase rates. Companies should cut margins. Workers will have to cut standard of living.
TIMELY RESPONSE
The Government should also respond in a timelier basis to Opposition queries and suggestions. The Opposition Leader had some interesting proposals after the National Solid Waste Scandal but no response. The Government cannot be like Chris Dehring who has decided not to answer the serious charges laid at his feet by his former boss. There are still too many unanswered questions about Air Jamaica.
If there are not new measures and better communication soon, we might all be saying "Welcome to Bangarang."
Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of "Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building".
