Our Long National Nightmare Continues ...?

Today is a great today to be a Jamaican. I am very pleased of course with how the election turned out. I was at my computer last night chatting with my Jamaican internet friends about how the race was unfolding and it was gripping. I sat with my pen and pad with two columns drawn on my paper. Each time a seat was called for one candidate or the other I made a check in the corresponding column. The first indication I had the JLP had a majority of the seats came when I heard it on the Power 106. The TV and radio stations were surprisingly cautious in calling seats.

Mr. Golding was a true statesman last evening in his “victory” speech. I had never before this race been interested in Jamaican politics but I was sucked in after reading about Mr. Golding. He comes across as genuine, principled and extremely focused. He seems like exactly what our country needs at this time to help restore our reputation internationally, restore hope to our people and start to grow the economy. These are very weighty goals but I as I am sure many other Jamaicans stand ready to join with him to do what we can for our country.

Mr. Golding hinted toward this but I hope that he comes out and speaks clearly on it very soon. That is he needs to issue the call to national service for all Jamaicans. As I have shared with my Jamaican “net” friends, Mrs. Simpson-Miller incorrectly interpreted the reason for your initial broad based support from a majority of Jamaicans. She failed to realize that she personally embodied change for our country as the first female PM in Jamaica and I think in the Caribbean. I, like many other Jamaicans placed all of our hopes for a brighter and better Jamaica on her and we were let down which is why people started looking at Mr. Golding. It was ironic that she was the embodiment of change for our country but the message from her campaign was “not change course.” This was not what we wanted to hear from Mamma!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said the ultimate measure of a man “person” in this case is not where he/she stands in comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The place we find ourselves with a closely divided country is the kind of circumstance that shows character. Mr. Golding has passed the first test of showing grace and statesmanship at a time where no one could fault him for gloating even slightly. Mamma on the other hand has not; she instead seems to be leaning toward continuing the fight as opposed to unifying the country. I hope for the sake of the country, she FINALLY changes course.