Dear Editor,

Despite the efforts of Gilbert Alexander Edwards, launching his faith-based Christian Jamaica Progressive Party (JPP), aka God Party, aka Jesus People Party; despite the efforts of Reverend Al Miller and his Jamaica First Movement making a valiant attempt to stimulate Christians and church people to make their voice heard with a vote, or a spoiled vote, Jamaican Christians still stayed away from the polls.

I am told that, as usual, approximately 61 per cent of enumerated voters did not vote. Allegedly, most of those non-voters are church people. The exception to this data was in 1980 when the Church came out and staunchly voted against communism, and voted out Prime Minister Michael Manley.

This habit of non-engagement by the Church has once again reared its head in this election and left the choosing of who will govern Jamaica to a small group of political activists on both sides — many who, over the years, have proven themselves to be the duncest bright people the world has ever seen.

Some pollster or researcher must help us understand what has caused the Church to adopt such an apathetic attitude towards politics in general and voting in particular, so much so that even when one of their own decides to enter the public representation arena they avoid him or her like poison.

Surprisingly, pastors and their congregants do this while praying for God to give them righteous leaders and that the unrighteous who lead will get saved and embrace righteousness.

It looks like the Church is the group that deserves the title of duncest bright people for this is the same church which stood beside early political leaders and fought hard for us, landless black people, to get the right to vote. The fight was even harder for landless black women.

On election day I reached out to a female friend, enquiring if she intended to return to the constituency of her birth to exercise her right to vote. I received a nonchalant, dispassionate ‘No.’ I reminded her that someone fought to give her the right to vote.

Universal adult suffrage was implemented in Jamaica in 1944, giving the right to vote to all adults regardless of their race, sex, social class, or possessions. Before 1944, voting rights were restricted by wealth and property.

The push for universal adult suffrage was ultimately a secular political movement, led by Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamante through their respective parties, the People’s National Party (PNP), and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

However, the foundational support of pastoral leaders and their communities was a necessary and important element for the political movement to become a movement of Jah people. It’s time for Jah people’s pastoral leaders to reawaken, retake, rebuild and restore the moral and socio-political foundations of Jamaica land we love.

Without this united pastoral activism Jamaica will never become the place to live, work, raise families and do business. Without this united pastoral activism Jamaica will not, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity, and play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race.

Church pastors and church people, wake up from your spiritual and mental dunceness and re-engage in the socio-political life of Jamaica, land we love. For it is evident to most that the current crop of political leaders are getting foundational advice and support from someone who thinks that corruption, deception, selfishness and self-enrichment ought to be the political norm in Jamaica. Wake up church, and engage suffragium before even universal adult suffrage is threatened.

Michael Andrew Aiken

transformationjamaica@gmail.com