Notwithstanding the positive trends in the macroeconomic data, the reduction in murders, low unemployment, improved infrastructure, a booming tourism sector, and other so-called indicators of “prosperity”, it is fair to say that Jamaica is sliding down a slippery slope morally. To put it bluntly, Jamaica is lacking a moral compass.

According to one online source, “Moral compass is used in reference to a person’s ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly.” This, of course, speaks to moral integrity, which is described as “the quality of having strong, consistent moral principles and ethical values and consistently acting in alignment with them, even when it’s difficult. It involves being honest, trustworthy, and principled, ensuring your actions match your words and beliefs. A person with moral integrity is reliable and acts according to their convictions rather than being swayed by external pressures or personal gain”.

Whatever happened to Jamaica’s moral compass? There was a time, for example, when the Church would be in the forefront of such a cause célèbre, but today it is safe to say many church leaders have failed to keep our political representatives on their toes. Instead, they have become part and parcel of the rabid consumerism and materialism that have overtaken the society, engendering greed and selfishness. Is there no Bishop Percival Gibson out there? And when it comes to the private sector, is there no Carlton Alexander out there? Who is there that is willing to call a spade a spade?

In this context, the shabby and dismissive way in which the Integrity Commission is being treated by officialdom is a stark example of what this nation’s real priorities are, and it does not appear that integrity is one of the embraceable factors in our national life. In this regard we may well ask what is preventing Governor General Sir Patrick Allen from acting post-haste to see to the filling of those critical vacancies that will enhance and strengthen the capability and forcefulness of that watchdog body to carry out its duties without fear or favour?

One of the sad truths that continue to plague this nation is the overarching influence of the political directorate. For example, there is no doubt that the country has a political economy, which means that politicians, in the very final analysis, determine who gets what and where, not to mention how, in the scheme of things. As a result, the private sector, for the most part, continues to genuflect to the political directorate in exchange for special favours. This, of course, is played out during an election campaign when big business interests fund the major political parties with the expectation that whichever one comes to power their bread will be well buttered.

The current spate of suicides, extrajudicial killings, multiple road crashes, the killing of children among other alarming incidents point to a society that is in decay. When there is heavy rainfall townships are flooded, potholes have merged on roads that were supposedly fixed, garbage remains uncollected in so many communities, rampant rat infestations abound, there is crass indiscipline on our roads, and a declining population while the country is running out of space to bury its dead, all of these and much more anomalies are forcing us to ask the question: What the hell is happening to Jamaica?

Now this may sound alarmist to many so-called concerned citizens, but the truth is always an offence, especially to those who prefer to hide their heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. Then there are those partisan hacks who are quick to go on the offensive or the defensive depending on what lens they are looking through, green or orange. And, in this vein, increasingly there is a swarm of bloggers, vloggers, and other partisan hacks who believe that their leaders should be above being criticised.

Indeed, it is becoming increasingly alarming, for example, that any criticism of this third-term Andrew Holness Administration is being regarded as an unforgivable sin.

And while the nation’s social capital continues to unravel before our very eyes, the repeated calls for the teaching of character education from the basic school right up to the university continue unabated. In this turgid scenario our children as well as young adults are growing up bereft of any moral compass. As one young woman once said to the late revered talk show host Wilmot “Motty” Perkins, “In Jamaica it is good to be bad.”

What is even more frightening is that as the nation’s population continues to age and many of the more morally astute Jamaicans move on to the sunset they are taking with them much of the institutional knowledge, mores, values, and attitudes that made Jamaica a better place. But it must not be all doom and gloom. And constitutional reform alone cannot ensure that Jamaica fulfils the mission of the 2030 Vision.

So in the same way that Prime Minister Andrew Holness is about to hold Vale Royal Talks (but not physically in that venue as it has now become a rickety relic) with Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding, he needs to hold a national summit of all major stakeholders/leaders so that a consensus can be arrived at as to how this sin-sick nation can once again find its soul and, ultimately, its moral compass. This crisis cannot be solved by a prayer breakfast or pontifications from the pulpit or Gordon House.

Captain, the ship is sinking!

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 40 years. He has also served as a People’s National Party Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.

Carlton Alexander.

There are those who believe many Jamaicans lack a moral compass.

Is Jamaica sinking under the weight of moral decadence?