AN ARMED GUNMAN NEXT?

MONTEGO BAY, St James — The killing of prominent People's National Party (PNP) activist Kenley 'Bebe' Stephens has left the party's organisation in St James in shock.

Yesterday, party officials mourned the killing with chairman of the PNP's Region Six, Dr DK Duncan, remarking that Stephens made a meaningful contribution to the party.

"Like most persons, we are saddened by his passing. He has made significant contribution to the PNP, through the youth organisation and the West Central St James constituency," Dr Duncan reflected.

Meanwhile, West Central Member of Parliament Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, who expressed unease about the violent manner in which the nation's youths are dying, argued that Stephens was not only a party man, but a zealous community worker.

"We are very shocked and hurt at his sudden and violent death. We are concerned about the horrific way in which our young men are dying, not only in St James, but in the nation," Folkes-Abrahams told the Jamaica Observer.

"He was at the Regional Executive Council in Montego Bay on Sunday and the Labour Day project (on Friday) where he was there joking around and riding a horse. He has always been enthusiastic about community activities. He will be sadly missed," Folkes-Abrahams lamented.

Meanwhile, in a release from the PNP secretariat -- which extended condolences to Stephens' relatives and friends -- the need for a sustained fight on crime was articulated.

"This latest killing confirms that while strides are being made in the fight against violent crimes and all criminality, we still have a long way in the journey to victory against criminals," the release read.

Members of Stephens' native Granville community were also shocked by his tragic passing.

"It is a very sombre mood in Granville, everybody is mourning. Bebe was a very popular man in Granville and the entire St James," Michael Troupe, the PNP councillor for the Granville Division, told the Observer.

The above is a report  in the Observer of the reaction on the 27th May 2014 of the governing People's National Party (PNP) to the murder  of one of their vice presidents in the western section.

Interestingly, this governing party had no words of regret to the murder of a nine year old child days before and one wonders if his death was not regretted as he had not achieved the necessary heights of crime to be considered important to the politicians  in that part of Jamaica? For this is how the Gleaner paints the same Stevens who is being lauded by the governing party,  "The colourful Stephenson, who was quite prominent on the social circuit in western Jamaica, has had several run-ins with law over the years.

Accusations against him have ranged from illegal abstraction of electricity to lottery scamming.

Following his May 2012 arrest by the Anti-Lottery Scam Task Force, Superintendent Leon Clunie described him as a major player in the scam.

"Bebe is one of the founders of the illegal lottery scam," said Clunie, the head of task force at the time. "He has been living a luxurious lifestyle, yet he has never, from our understanding, been employed in any of the services in Jamaica."

With that type of individual being held up as a role model  by the ruling party in the west, I suppose we should not be surprised if a known gunman is elected to replace him there soon!

Thank heavens the western PNP hierarchy  disassociated itself from Jamaica by removing the green from the flag at the swearing in of their mayor for it would be a sad day for Jamaica if that lot was held up to represent the type of politicians that are acceptable in this country!

TOTALITARIANISM RESURRECTED?

I thought totalitarianism was decisively defeated with with the overthrow of Pol Pot in 1979 but clearly some of the crumbs were blown in the wind to Jamaica landed on  representatives Dayton Campbell and Richard Parchment.

For what else could explain their attempt to have government pursue those who use a legal product in the privacy of their own home?  Not even James Otis' internationally accepted  philosophy that "A man's home is his castle' seems good enough for these legislators!

I have not smoked for many years and have absolutely no desire to again be tied to that product, but what possible leg can these men stand on in trying to outlaw the use of a legal product in the privacy of ones home? And what would be the next step, the establishment of a  special police squad to go into people's homes to see if the water they drink has the correct  ph balance or that parents only feed their kids on healthy foods (defined by them of course!)?

Anyway, since I maintain that the glass is always half full, these gentlemen have  probably done the nation a good deed by reminding us of the words of the great Desmond Tutu himself that "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

Thank God for those members of the special select committee reviewing the Tobacco Control regulations  who stood firm against the dangerous position proposed by Parchment and Campbell in  the house of parliament recently.

Now We Know

Thanks to that bit of investigative journalism by Balford Henry which was published in today's paper under the banner  "Parliament Not Passing Agreed Quota Of Bills"  and which begins "OVER the past 33 years, the Jamaican Parliament has been passing an average of 25 pieces of legislation annually, compared to the target of an average of 148," we now know why this country is regressing instead of progressing and why the word "Justice " has lost its meaning.

So despite the rapid growth in technology, our creaking system has not caught up with the possibility of experts authenticating a video recording, resulting in a clear case of murder which was played out before our eyes, going no where.

 To make matters worse,  in 2013, when an individual is overseas, the concept of video link is way beyond our utility because no legislation to cover it.

 With this latest reminder of  the disgraceful performance by our parliamentary representatives, how could I have expected them to have exercised the moral authority or even the competence to  bring to book  an under-performing  Public Defender?

I suppose if we had parliamentarians who cared what example they set for the youth in a country where productivity is steadily decreasing, or even a vigilant electorate, these things would be important.  But in Jamaica  we get the leadership we deserve, no more no less..........and live happily ever after ranking in the top five of the happiest people in the world!

Lets cleanse and Move ON

While some persons scoff at the call for some sort of reconciliantion commission to air and heal the ills of the country caused by the virtual civil war in the 70's, Miss. Lightbourne's bottled up resentment once again demonstates how necessaary it is to do this so we can move on.