The Casino Gaming Act is now the law of the land. Curiously, it was not signed by the sitting governor general but by someone acting in his stead while he was on a trip out of the island. Some will argue, and have argued, that this was a convenient arrangement to save the GG the moral embarrassment of carrying out an action that he clearly did not support. His surreptitious absence at the time when the bill was to be signed has left a great deal of doubt in people’s minds as to the integrity of the holder of that illustrious office. The people of Jamaica are owed an explanation as to why he did not sign.

It is well known that the church in Jamaica is vehemently opposed to casino gaming despite its quiescence in the face of the bill being enacted into law. I well remember the vigorous protestations that were mounted against casino gaming in the 1980s. I was a part of those protests in the central region of the island. The fact that casino gaming has become the law of the land with hardly a whimper from the church indicated how apathetic the church has grown to important moral issues of the day.

This is where Sir Patrick’s convenient non-signing of the bill becomes important. The present governor general came to the office as a prominent practising churchman in one of the more conservative Christian denominations in Jamaica. By his own admission he well understood the kind of moral dilemma that could confront him in the execution of his duties. The signing of the casino bill is the first real moral test that he had to confront as a churchman and a Christian. He failed the test in that, instead of demonstrating the strength of his moral convictions and resign in the face of an action that his conscience could not allow him to carry out, he hid under his desk and left the unenviable task to someone else. The GG seemed not to have been prepared to face the ridicule that could have come from a national debate over his actions; however, to give him the benefit of the doubt, I believe his more important reason is that his Christian conscience did not sanction him as the person to affix his signature to a law with which he undoubtedly disagreed. Any such disagreement is only a conjecture at this point for we have not heard from the GG as to his position on casino gaming. Again, we give him the benefit of the doubt that he is opposed.

We need to hear from the GG on this for the reason that in the future he may be confronted with a similar moral dilemma as a Christian. Today it is casino gaming and tomorrow it may be something else. What will he do then? Find another desk to hide under? I will reserve further judgement until and if the GG chooses to speak on the matter. At present he does not smell clean. Integrity, Sir Patrick, is not a subject on which you need any lecture.

This brings into focus the larger question of integrity in public life; standing up for what you believe and holding steadfastly to the strength of your convictions, especially when and where they matter most. At this juncture in Jamaica’s history we need leaders in every sphere of society who can demonstrate courage in upholding the highest nobility of what makes a strong, functioning, healthy and viable society. This is where I believe the GG missed a great opportunity for standing up for what he believes in. The church’s quiescence in the face of great moral hazards that are poisoning the fabric of this country leaves a lot to be desired. You cannot vehemently oppose one moral hazard and then turn a blind eye to others because they may not get you in the headlines or on the evening news. Moral ambivalence is the stuff of which cowards are made. Vacillation in the face of threats to national peace in an effort to preserve a salary, pension or even saving one’s life is itself a violation of public trust and a betrayal of a people’s confidence in an institution which should provide moral guidance out of the confusion of the day.

It is this kind of moral cowardice why we cannot as a nation come up with an effective strategy to fight crime. If I am correct in my statement that moral ambivalence and vacillation are the fabric of which cowards are made, then we are in serious problems in this country. We will always then be taking the line of least resistance in our response to grave threats. For we will then not have the moral courage to resist and push back the relentless tide of rampant criminailty. Fighting crime is not just about firing guns, but having the moral courage to do what is right. This moral courage is sadly lacking in our country, especially in those in whose lives there should be a great supply. But it is needed or we will lose the fight against the elements that are seeking to disrupt and destroy our society. In case you have not noticed, Somalia beckons.

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