The Editor, Sir:

A trend has developed in the United States of America where celebrities, politicians and church officials who have acted in ways unbefitting their status or the public's expectation of them, offer apologies or voluntarily check themselves into 'rehab' as some form of penance.

As with many other foreign trends, this one has crashed onto the shores of Jamaica. The current spate of apologies for the most outrageous and contemptuous behaviour on the part of public and private officials has become too ridiculous. Especially when the pack includes repeat offenders.

The unlevelled playing field has never been more obvious in Jamaica with respect to the 'who' that is involved in these misdeeds all of which have threatening implications on justice, social harmony and human rights.

Cases in point

I refer specifically to the electricity metering saga at a major retail brand, the acrimonious statements to the public and the media by Ministers Warmington and Montague, and the disreputable behaviour of the Director of Elections (if reports carried in your paper are to be believed).

In most, if not all, cases 'apologies' or 'explanations' have been proffered (to the best of my knowledge, none have yet checked themselves into rehab); the greater issue, however, is: does an apology suffice in situations such as these?

With respect to the statements and behaviour of the Director of Elections as carried in your front-page story of December 20, enough is enough. Recall comments attributed to him after Hurricane Dean said then to be in reference to complaints made by Jamaicans who had received housing solutions from the Office of National Reconstruction) - has he not now ruptured the layer of objectivity and cool-headedness that his office requires?

One wonders why there is one standard for wealthy private sector tycoons and retail owners, another for elected officials, yet another for the 'res a wi' and still another for the immovable Director of Elections who has become his own special brand of offensiveness.

I close with my own apology (which I won't sign) just in case someone finds my thoughts offensive.

I am, etc.,

Mi Sorry!

icedoutprincess@hotmail.com

Kingston 8

Via Go-Jamaica