January 11, 2022
The Prime Minister in his response to the Maroons who, I think, still identify themselves as Jamaicans, declared Jamaica to be a sovereign state. I do not know anything of the personal life of the Primes Minister and what I have seen of him as a PM does not allow me to speak of him in the superlative. I do not know of or am able to sense the depth of his personal passion for Jamaica land we love and his vision of the legacy he would like to leave. What I do know is that as Prime Minister, he has not, for more reasons than many, been able to hold the reins and keep us steadfast on the road to Jamaica’s Vision 2030.
Jamaica’s sovereignty is not on the Prime Minister’s agenda and even if it were it would indeed be a tough time to hold him accountable for that, given the way COVID 19 has flown in and taken centre stage. Having said that though I am also moved to say that, to my mind, no Prime Minister of Jamaica to date has seen it as critical and has made it a priority to facilitate sovereignty for our beautiful Island. But, do not let that settle, let me hurry to say that we the people of Jamaica have not seen it as important to ensure that the Prime Ministers and their governments make this an undisputed priority with consequences for failure. We have not wanted this badly.
We live in a bubble with a false sense of security. Perhaps it is the absence of certain kinds of resources that now protects us from the whims and fancy of our colonial masters, yes, they still are. As you recall when we had resources that could be utilized to fatten their purses, build their cities and fuel their industrial growth they were very present and ‘in control’. We have been used and discarded. But not cut loose, I suppose just in case…after all there is always the possibility of new discoveries and the bringing into use of that which already exists in the face of new technologies. And anyway isn’t Jamaica just such a beautiful paradise for them to still hold onto? After all, are those descendants of slaves still ‘not grown’ enough for a formal, once and for all, final and complete, in writing, in law, spiritual and emotional severing from us?
The sitting still of our colonial masters does not spell sovereignty. Our acceptance of what has become the ‘status quo’ is not sovereignty. There are some who believe that the instruments of the ‘Crown’ in Jamaica affect nothing that is still not sovereignty. The press for sovereignty ceased when we began struggling with identity, lost our sense of who we are and became confused as to who in the ‘Out of Many’ oppressed us and who elevated us. When we began thinking we had to turn on a light to see our ancestors and that there was something superior to the wisdom of the sages that they are. When we lost sight of their visions and the rights for their ways for which they prayed and fought.
They made some progress, but today the Church and the Government of Jamaica remain the largest land owners. What an injustice it is to those before us who understood the ‘rights’ of nature, man and God. But even as we continue to worship in the churches of our slave masters and black continues to fight to be beautiful, Sir you have lifted your voice to declare our sovereignty, Mr. Prime Minister may I and those of similar sentiment respectfully ask you to ‘Make it So!”
