A MAN accused of stealing $200 million from the poor spends three nights in jail. This statement sounds reasonable; after all, theft is punishable by the law, and the thief is, after all, a villain. Villains usually are ostracised by society yet, in Jamaica, we feel sorry for the man who had spent three nights in jail; we excuse him even before we know all the facts, and then we embrace him!

A man benefits from $100 million worth of power from the Jamaica Public Service Company and he is rewarded with $50 million settlement. A few weeks later, we have forgotten all this and his spotless profile is printed in the pages of the newspaper.

Another man is accused, not by gossip-mongers, but by our most respected investigators, the contractor general and the police, of a whole host of crimes and we celebrate him, suggesting he is probably innocent and attack anyone who speaks harshly of him. He walks out of the 'lock-up' in his expensive suit and fresh spritz of cologne, into the arms of adoring fans. There to show support is the party hierarchy. Hugging Kern Spencer has become a staple in this saga, the first to embrace him was, of course, Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller.

Pay back the money

I am all for hugs, and feel that the leadership of the People's National Party (PNP) really do owe us all more hugs. Perhaps the mothers of children who cannot get adequate health care and are watching their children suffer need a hug more than Kern Spencer does. Or the children who don't have running water in their community and are forced to live in inhumane conditions - they need a hug, too. To the child whose self-esteem has been shattered in an education system that has summarily ignored his needs and abilities, or what about the child who is just hungry and alone, wouldn't he deserve a hug?

But I have a better idea. What if instead of hugs we sought out thieves with conviction and determination, and when we found them, we made them pay back all of the money? We could build schools, feed children and equip hospitals. I am no genius, but it just seems like a good idea. When a supermarket is found not to have paid for their full consumption, the bottom line is, I pay for part of it. When a party official takes public funds, he is taking my money, my tax dollar. I don't know about all the huggers out there, but I want my money back!

While I accept that we are all innocent until proven guilty, when our public officials whom we entrusted with the running of our country fall under serious suspicion, I just don't think they should be embraced. If Kern Spencer proves his innocence, then hugs all around.

No stones to throw

Yet, what cripples our ability to defend justice and encourages our acceptance of theft is, as the Bible said, 'Let he who has not sinned before cast the first stone'. Perhaps we have all sinned so much that we actually have to embrace the offender, much less cast any stones at them. Thankfully, we have had a period of 18 years where our governing party has not had a chance to sin that much. As a result, perhaps as a country we will benefit from a few stones being thrown. This almost feels like change!