Dear Editor,

The Political Ombudsman Donna Parchment Brown is correct in stating that Mark Golding, the president of the People’s National Party (PNP), “breached accepted political behaviour” when he called Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Chairman Robert Montague “likkle bwoy”.

In calling Montague a little boy, Golding appears to be calling upon the vestigial practice of white plantation masters who would call grown black men “boy” with impunity. This was done to castrate their selfhood and demean their dignity in order to reinforce the master-slave relationship.

Of course, Golding is not aware that he did anything wrong. How could he?

Those who come out of the loins of white privilege may still believe that they have some natural right to disrespect black people.

In censuring Golding for calling Montague a likkle bwoy, the political ombudsman recognised not only the repugnant disrespect of Golding to Montague, but also the utter disrespect Golding showed to all black men whose ancestors have been called bwoys or likkle bwoys by privileged white and brown masters.

Those days are done.

For Golding’s information, Montague is not a likkle bwoy. He is a man.

Garnett Weir

gtw_jam@yahoo.com