Henry Martin, Contributor

Flair Magazine wants readers to tell them their deep, dark secrets if they feel an urge to divulge as they are about to walk down the aisle. That would not apply to me. I have been happily married for nearly half my life.

But I have a deep, dark secret to confess; something which would be of little interest to my wife - or to Flair; but in the macho Caribbean world it is almost tantamount to admitting that I have not been a man at all, all this while: I have no interest whatsoever in the game of cricket. I don't watch, I don't listen, I don't follow. I have been tormented by the expectation that every Caribbean man is a cricket fan and by cricket talk bowled by others on the assumption that, of course, everybody talks cricket.

I have nothing against cricket; it is just not my game, despite the hype and expectations. But I do have a passionate love affair with our constitutional rights and freedoms.

Imposing rights

And that quintessential Caribbean game is about to make a serious imposition upon the rights and freedoms of a number of citizens, lovers and non-lovers alike. We have heard that Cricket World Cup 2007 will be closing schools in the Sabina Park area. We have not heard of any compensatory action. Now we are hearing that the local organising committee is pushing a census to provide 'accreditation' for citizens living in the area.

The Social Development Commission acting on behalf of the LOC is out there trying to ascertain the number of persons in each household, the licence number of motor vehicles and motorcycles and the names of the drivers. The information, we are advised, will help to facilitate proper security for spectators, and no stone will be left unturned in the effort to nullify the possible threat of terrorism on local soil.

A pass card, oops! ID card, will be issued so that each documented person, duly certified as a non-terrorist, can go and come. On a visit to Cuba, one of the safest countries in the hemisphere if a citizen does not anger the government, a man came up to us on the streets to tell us in halting English that his grandparents came from Jamaica and to enquire if any of us came from the area they did. And he pulled out his pass card. Every citizen must have their pass card on their person out of their house or face criminal prosecution.

Jamaica has one of the worst crime problems in the world and pass cards would be a great help to deal with the problem. Why stop with the area around Sabina and with Cricket World Cup?

Here come the utilitarian arguments from the spin bowlers for the curtailment of freedom of movement. Cricket World Cup will be a big money spinner. The venue areas themselves can benefit when money ah run. We absolutely have to secure international visitors, never mind our vast incapacity to secure citizens in their own homes and communities. An incident would seriously damage our international reputation and tourism, and this and that.

Freedom of movement

Our Constitution guarantees freedom of movement and enjoyment of property without interference, except in the face of a declared clear and present danger to the 'public interest'. As things now stand, a police officer cannot even lawfully demand to be told where you are coming from or where you are going, although the police illegally do and ignorant and frightened citizens comply.

Miss Aldrine Hawes of Hart Street, Kingston 4, who has lived in the community for decades, has told The Gleaner that she will register the strongest protest if anyone tries to prevent her from gaining access to her community without an identification card. I am with you, Miss Hart. And I hope so will the legal fraternity, the human rights activists - and even the most die-hard cricket fan(atic) who loves and respects our collective freedoms and rights as much as, if not more than, the game.

Martin Henry is a communication specialist.