IT seems fitting that one criterion for any Jamaican to be honoured as National Hero is death, since heroes sometimes become “zeros” through the tests of time.

However, many heroes continue to impact humanity for centuries after their death, as seen in the hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11 which lists Moses, David, Sarah and Rahab among some 50 designated socio-spiritual heroes, most of whom remained nameless, though identified by their heroic deeds. Obviously, not all of Jamaica’s heroes can bear the title officially, and it is appropriate that each October the nation pauses to honour some of its greatest heroes.

This writer commends all those thusly honoured last year, especially Mr Justice Howard Fitz-Arthur Cooke, OJ; the Rev Dr Vivian George Panton, CD; Mr Ewart Livingstone Walters, CD; Mr Kenneth Adolphus Chaplin, CD; Mr Carlton Chin, OD; Mr Barrington Seymour ‘Barry G’ Gordon, OD; Mr Croswell Richard Taylor, OD; and Mr George Constantine Thomas, OD, all of whom have inspired me in many ways.

Walters, Chaplin and Gordon are fourth estate comrades, with Walters’ promotion of the rights of Jamaicans having blessed me personally; and Gordon was there to offer radio time when our CAST (now UTech) students union fought for students’ rights from the 1980s JLP Government.

Cooke, Taylor, Panton, Chin and Thomas are icons from Cornwall College, the first two having taught me history and chemistry, respectively; the third my fellow faculty member and mentor; and the latter two among the greatest CC old boys. The contributions of these Jamaicans to their country and fellowmen are simply priceless and their lives worth emulating.

Now more than ever, Jamaicans at home and abroad, especially the youngsters on the island, need help from their heroes. The living heroes will always persevere in nation-building and lend helping hands to their fellowmen and so Jamaica’s youngsters should listen carefully to them, respect and honour them. However, all Jamaicans can still learn many lessons from the dead heroes, including the seven National Heroes and other equally cherished Jamaicans like Bob Marley, Rex Nettleford, Philip Sherlock, Louise Bennett-Coverley, Gladys Bustamante, Edna Manley, and thousands of others.

Every Jamaican has had at least one close family member who is now deceased and who indeed was a hero of biblical proportions. That list includes my late grandmother Mehetabel Powell, herself a Heroes’ Day awardee for basic school education in St James. She taught me to fear God and to be fearless in defending justice and truth. I wonder how many murderers, corrupt cops, abusers, dishonest business people, “ginnal” politicians and other nation-wreckers in Jamaica have their mothers, fathers, grandparents and other departed family members turning in their graves?

Surely, Nanny is weeping over Jamaican schoolgirls who promote and participate in sexual debauchery on buses, school property and elsewhere. She must be wondering if any Jamaican woman, with or without Maroon blood, will ever again risk limb and life to fight foreign forces, reject harmful, alien practices and values, and do whatever it takes to unshackle and deliver Jamaica’s burdened masses. Nanny would agree with Marley that the time has come for Jamaica when “it takes a revolution to make a solution”.

Paul Bogle and George William Gordon must be wondering in their tombs if their Morant Bay Rebellion was in vain since many Jamaican males not only lack the cojones to stand up for justice but also deny justice to their loved ones by abusing their women, fathering children outside committed family life and neglecting to finance the welfare of those children.

Can the PNP politicians and people hear the weeping and wailing from Norman Manley, Michael Manley and other departed nation-building comrades? They wail because the party has sold out to dons and garrisons and have traded the party’s rich legacy for a mess of political pottage.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, no PNP leader has consistently, by action instead of meaningless words, promoted or achieved nation-building over politicking and not a single PNP MP can point to any significant achievements as far as raising his constituents out of poverty is concerned.

The party’s hundred-page manifesto promoting peace and fight against poverty is a sad joke. To say that the party leader “personifies” the fight and commitment is an insult to the Manleys when Portia Simpson Miller presides over one of the most impoverished communities in the world. Delano Seiveright once wrote that Simpson’s SW St Andrew constituency “is frankly hell on earth”.

The JLP is no better than the PNP insofar as causing grief to the souls of their departed leaders is concerned. Alexander Bustamante, Donald Sangster and Hugh Shearer must be currently wailing wailers in the afterlife as they observe the murders, guns, violence, extortions and misery that reign in various constituencies served by JLP MPs.

Party leader Bruce Golding presides over a constituency with a community once dubbed the “mother of all garrisons” by a former police commissioner. For Prime Minister Golding to allow those conditions to remain in West Kingston and Tivoli Gardens after taking the reins is a slap in the face of Busta who himself went to jail for his people rather than seeing them become victims of criminality.

Both JLP and PNP must be making Busta and Norman the sickest spirits in Sheol, since the parties can hardly “come together and make it work” for Jamaica’s betterment, even though their founders often campaigned from the same platform and podium.

Are Jamaican churches, by their inability to help curb crime, corruption and concupiscence, causing Sam Sharpe to die a thousand deaths? Marcus Garvey must have rolled over every inch of National Heroes Park since his interment, having witnessed the perpetual failure of Jamaicans to emancipate themselves from mental slavery.

Foreign goods and attitudes are still preferred and promoted over evidently superior Jamaican assets. Afro-Jamaican skin colour, language and other cultural traits are belittled and, worst of all, true Jamaican socioeconomic independence is nonexistent. None of the seven National Heroes could survive a day in today’s Jamaica without starting a rebellion. Each being dead “yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4). How many Jamaicans are listening to their cries?

INMerv@hotmail.com