IT’S a sad thing that politics has taken on such a bad name in Jamaica. The truth though is that there is good reason.

Above all else, our great political parties carried astray by many leading politicians – some still with us active and retired – must take the bulk of the blame for the active cultivation of a gun culture in the 1960s and ’70s.

For that alone, those politicians, no matter their positive achievements, stand condemned. The terrible consequences of that gun culture are with us today, manifest in one of the world’s highest murder rates, even as the links between the politicians and the gangsters gradually dissipate.

Also, unfortunately, our two main political parties have in the minds of much of the populace gained a reputation for ‘ginnalship’, trickery, even thievery, because of the conduct of various individuals in political representation and in government.

No wonder then that in the popular folk culture, regularly expressed in music and the arts, politics has become ‘politricks’.

To make matters worse, failures in governance particularly in relation to the economy, security, and the quality of life for the poorest, have left the impression that many among our political leaders are simply big-mouthed incompetents.

The disenchantment with politics is evident in the large numbers who routinely tell pollsters they will not vote; and from a purely anecdotal standpoint, the seemingly growing number of ‘bright’ young people who dismiss political representation as an option.

And yet with all that, our two major political parties — the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) — remain the only obvious options to lead as the Jamaican nation strives to cope with the realities of the 21st Century.

For better or worse, the majority of our people still look to the PNP and JLP to contest and lead in our ‘winner takes all’ system.

And while it is popular and easy to condemn the two parties we must not distort history. For while they have failed in crucial respects, these two parties have been pivotal in the evolution of a proud and sovereign Jamaican nation, the development of an institutional framework, critical social reforms and effective educational and health care systems.

The ambivalences, ambiguities, even contradictions inherent in all of the above are captured in the current debate over the decision of leading journalist and publisher, Mr Lloyd B Smith to contest the next general election on the PNP ticket.

Should a journalist cease to be a journalist because he is now a politician?

And if so why? Because he can no longer be fair and impartial, many will reply.

How then do we compute Mr Ronnie Thwaites, a lawyer turned PNP politician, who as radio talk-show host has commanded the respect of all sides.

Ultimately, it seems to this newspaper, everything here is dependent on the professionalism of the individual. Can Mr Smith abide by the journalist’s code to be always fair regardless of the consequences? His work will tell.

At bottom line though, it seems to us, this nation, now more than ever, needs its best, brightest and most honourable to be available for political leadership, no matter their profession.