The feeling nowadays is that the preventable plight of the last nine months is fast becoming a wearisome albatross around Jamaica’s neck. The truth is, the entire narrative surrounding the extradition of reputed strongman, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, the scurrilous attempt at concealment and then the forced revelation of the hiring of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips have been weighing down on us like a ten-tonne brick. However, as painful as it has been, we should never desert our commitment or relinquish the “stick-to-itiveness” to search out the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Loyal and responsible citizenship demands of us that we stay the course and finish the race to uncover the architects of this grand scheme, as only then will we salvage what’s left of our tarnished reputation. Many Jamaicans remain indignant over the mishandling of these matters and no amount of intellectual hokum from Trevor Munroe et al about Bruce Golding’s historic accomplishment in doing what, according to the “Munroe doctrine”, all of the seven prime ministers before him failed to do – “take on the crime monster”. Well, this premature, canonistic declaration will neither excite nor pacify us for Jamaica will never be the same again because of Mr Golding’s handiwork.

Professor Munroe’s quaint observation aside, we are correct for being incensed by the reckless manner in which Golding inserted himself in a legal matter he had no business meddling in at all. We are also correct for being furious with the likes of Martin Henry, who appears bamboozled by Bruce Golding’s mesmerising words and whose attempts to academise Golding’s devastating performance would have us hastily forget the cunning antecedents that created this mess. But they recommend that we move on. However, moving on will be a Herculean task, given the wide deficit of trust between the governor and the governed that continues to cover the entire country.

Understand this one thing: the people’s bewilderment is anchored by their loss of confidence in Bruce Golding, and by their fear of prime ministerial recidivism, given his inclination to equivocate. Hence, for us, the possibility exists for new discoveries and another caravan of lies. “Moving on”, in this instance, sounds psychologically titillating, but without heavy sanctions the command remains imprudent. Furthermore, no one should push us to abrogate the responsibilities that come with citizenship. Yes, responsible citizenship compels us to hold our leaders accountable until we are satisfied that they act in our best interest and transgressions such as these never happen again.

The prime minister’s conduct throughout this sordid affair must be held up as a deterrent to those who would contemplate similar ploys. It is for this reason that the Opposition should be commended for bringing a vote of no-confidence to the floor of Parliament. Consequently, the “dry-eye” cynics can salivate all they want; they can jeer the Opposition to the last end of the earth. The “no-confidence” motion was proper, and above all, it was a very principled action.

Clearly, our democracy is not being taken seriously enough. For in no decent democracy, would the people have allowed the prime minister to waltz into Parliament as if he’s the new sheriff in town, just to pontificate as an eschatologist would about Armageddon. His arrogance could not have been more palpable. And, coming as it did, on the heels of the worst episode of prime ministerial lumbering and crafty political interference ever witnessed in Jamaica, his participation was a drag on the national psyche.

Instead of standing up to the prime minister and saying to him, “Bruce, you are unfit for leadership, government members sat piously, and stoutly reaffirmed the Ocho Rios position. They did it with vulgar contempt for their constituents who sent them to Parliament to legislate and to protect their interests, but who were never canvassed for their input. The collective decision to sidestep the prime minister’s negligence came as no real shocker to me, though it inflicted a major blow to independent thinking.

It was disgraceful that neither the unnecessary loss of lives, nor the huge cost to the national treasury was enough to impel not even one JLP member to vote in support of the motion. Yet we expect bipartisan support going forward. None of them had the moral rectitude to stand up, as a matter of principle and decency, and reject the behaviour of the prime minister. But like the political poodles they are, they sat there, with tails under their “conclusions”, and with heads uncovered, swore them all to back Golding even if Jamaica falls. The collective action of government legislators, mostly men, made me wonder if they swapped the little political testosterone they possessed for trailer-loads of political estrogen.

Make no bones about it. By defeating the vote of no-confidence, these parliamentarians forfeited a great opportunity to help us to “move on”. Instead of approving the motion, they desecrated the people’s trust and took an extraordinary step to concretise slackness and partisanship. No good will come of their parliamentary timidity. For, if we are to go forward, we have no other choice but to rid our political system of these “dead-stocks”. We will not go anywhere if we continue to allow politicians to “dumb us down” by forcing rubbish upon us, in lieu of truth and honesty.

So how can we just move on in an environment like ours, where most in our nation’s Parliament find no fault with the near-catastrophic actions of our prime minister? How can we move on when, as it now appears, vultures have already eaten out the consciences of some parliamentarians? How can we move on, when intellectual dishonesty abound and people refuse to speak candidly? How can we move on when the symbiotic relationship between the filthy riverhead and its murky tributaries remains perplexingly strong?

We will not go anywhere, if we simply support the frowsy practice of putting party above country. And we will not go anywhere if we meekly accept that the remedy for governmental ineptitude, deceit and lying rests in the practice of pouring “new wine into old wineskins”. Nothing that springs forth will be as pristine or potable as some would have us believe. Jamaica’s body politic is in urgent need of a comprehensive purging because no pimple, however deep or painful, should be left to grow on the pathway to prosperity. Serious dredging is compulsory if we intend to unearth and expose the dirty underbelly and cruel nexus between politics and organised criminal activities. We must begin to stand for something in this country or we will continue to fall for anything, so for heaven’s sake, let us put principles above politics.

Burnscg@aol.com