DR. PETER PHILLIPS, who has hopes of being Prime Minister of Jamaica, needs to bring all the moral suasion he can muster to persuade his supporters to cooperate fully with the police investigating the murder of Mr. Damion Hussey in Golden Spring, St. Andrew last Sunday.
He has to do so if for no other reason than to send a definitive message that whatever the provocation and whatever the source, crime must be dealt with appropriately, and the perpetrators brought to book. This is an opportunity for him to do more than enunciate the usual platitudes. The fact is the incident in Golden Spring was simply waiting for an opportunity to happen. Just a few days previously while Dr. Phillips toured sections of Kingston Gardens and Campbell Town in the Corporate Area, with busloads of young thugs in tow hanging out from windows and doors, all sorts of profanities and invectives were hurled at motorists to get out of their way so they could carry on with their indisciplined bobbing and weaving along the roadway. The double irony is that policemen in buses and on motorbikes were part of that cavalcade of indiscipline and all this was being done as a show of support for Dr. Phillips, the Minister of National Security. He, more than anyone else, should have an interest in seeing that the laws are upheld and enforced.
As the race for the presidency of the People's National Party moves into its final stages, it is to be expected that there will be more of these kinds of motorcades. It is part of the political culture. So too is the intimidation and harassment of persons who care little for that kind of display of partisanship who want to go about their legitimate business. Indeed, we question the need for motorcades and bussing of supporters for an intra-party contest.
The leadership aspirants within the People's National Party would do well to send a clear message to their supporters that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and will be forcefully dealt with. The police also have a responsibility to see to it that the laws governing road usage are upheld.
The leadership of the Jamaica Labour Party need also to urge their supporters to allow persons with whom they may have differing political views to go about their business without being subjected to abuse and violent attacks. The country has had more than enough of this stupid and juvenile display of partisanship.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
