Colin Steer, Associate Editor - Opinion
An elderly woman standing in the Papine Square had seen something that did not permit her to hold her peace. Less than 15 metres away, a younger woman, heavy in the hips and thighs and clad in a tight fitting mini-skirt was struggling to enter a van.
First, the young woman lifted her left foot then lowered it.Then, she lifted her right foot and lowered it. Then, with a more determined effort, she lifted the left foot again while tugging at the hem of her skirt. The pressure of flesh upon fabric caused a mighty rip, leaving the young woman somewhat, eer ... aahm, exposed.
Whereupon the elderly woman threw her hands in the air and exclaimed " See ya Puppa Jesus, tek de case!" That appeal for divine intervention is often invoked by members of the Jamaican peasantry when they witness situations that are past ridiculous.
Small-minded pettiness
Surely 'Puppa Jesus' is working overtime in Jamaica. Consider, for example, the official reaction to the publication of the Prime Minister's doodles. A toddler overhearing adults discussing the issue might well be forgiven for thinking that the Jamaica Observer had published a picture of prime ministerial doo-doo. Such unforgivable invasion of privacy!!!
The strictures being imposed on the media in Gordon House point not only to the ridiculousness that has overtaken the government but a small-minded pettiness as well.
The media had earlier been restricted from the foyer after reporting K.D. Knight's colourful chiding of Mrs. Simpson Miller when she abstained in a House vote last year. One would think it was a reporter who had used an expletive that probably reminded her of her grandmother's crockery.
Then, there was the recent banning from the Hansard box after the publishing of the doodle picture and then again last Friday's officious obstruction by a security officer preventing reporters from gaining access to the Opposition conference room at Gordon House.
Those who believe they are serving the government's cause by restricting the media over such relatively minor matters should perhaps take a long walk, do some deep breathing exercises and then return to their offices hopefully with clearer heads. Banning the media over such trifling matters only points to a dangerous mindset.
These actions reinforce an image of a government committed to hiding things and of a Prime Minister who needs continually to be sheltered because she is not up to the task of leading a government as was claimed by her colleagues in their intra-party presidential contest.
Jamaican media are not demanding any extraordinary privilege for covering Parliament but, in serving the public's interest, deliberate and unnecessary obstacles should not be placed in its path.
A country's democracy is best served when members of the public have access to information about what their government is doing in their name and ostensibly on their behalf.
Clearly, doodles of wine glasses, stick men and triangles do not fall into the category of public policy issues. But if the media are insulting the intelligence of their readers and listeners, their people eventually have their own way of imposing sanctions.
Hardly intrusive
These grand schemes to protect the Prime Minister and her colleagues from perceived media intrusion are foolish at best and dangerous at worst. In the main, Jamaican media ha hardly been intrusive and more often than not, frustratingly deferential to officialdom. And media also need to be wary of allowing their concerns to be co-opted by self-serving Opposition members.
In any case, there is no Jamaican Prime Minister who has not been the subject of praise and vilification, admiration and ridicule.
Some people nearly asphyxiated when Morris Cargill called Michael Manley a windbag; Edward Seaga was lampooned and demonised; And some of the things said of P.J. Patterson, including from people in his own party were unprintable. Madame PM will be no exception. Get over it.
