Dear Editor,

There has been a generation of second-tier politicians that I have been watching for the day when they will replace the dinosaurs. A number of them have fizzled like water vapour in the midday sun, however.

Raymond Pryce has been pushed into the wings. Imani Duncan-Price’s campaign seemed to have been just public relations. I don’t know what has become of Damion Crawford and Hugh Buchanan. We all watched the closing days of Kern Spencer’s political career. Lisa Hanna seems to have her focus only on calling out her ministerial successor’s faults. And, Allando Terrelonge and Dayton Campbell are yet to achieve anything beyond their seats in the House.

My most recent recent disappointment has been Mikael Phillips.

He started out well, but it seems he is either too jumpy and unsettled, or suffers from a ‘want-to-hear-my-own-voice’ syndrome.

When the zones of special operations logistics were being ironed out, there he was bawling out that the social intervention measures were to start even before the zones were declared. Does he realise that social issues don’t develop overnight? They existed while his party was in power. Why was he not bawling our for intervention then? It just seems opportunistic.

Yesterday his party released a statement with him demanding an investigation into why Jamaica’s airspace was closed for as long as it was. Does he not expect that checks and balances and full evaluation of weather conditions must be done before reopening the airspace after an attack of lightning?

Said the release: “Phillips says a reliable backup system must be put in place to ensure that our air traffic navigation and communications infrastructure is able to resume its function in reasonable time, should it be affected by lightning or any other debilitating circumstances in the future…the excuse of a lightning strike cannot account for the extremely long delay in getting Jamaica’s civil aviation activities resumed.”

What was the name of that syndrome, again?

If the Kingston Air Traffic Control Centre of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, in its professional capacity, wants to ensure everything is in order to secure travellers they should be allowed the space so to do. Why would a politician, in Opposition, want to use that time for creating further disharmony and unease? He never even noted that no incidents occurred with the system being down. I am thoroughly disappointed.

These young politicians have learnt the wrong things and have not brought to bear good sense and a better way of being on our system of governance . That’s what I expected. Who’s left? Long live the dinosaurs. Smh.

Afronose

bigzy_2000@yahoo.com