Dear Editor,

The overwhelming public perception of politicians in Jamaica is that they are liars and thieves.

It can almost be said that it is a part of our culture to hate and criticise politicians. You don’t have to look further than our music. Lyrics which spring to mind are: “Was bout to be a politician to, maybe den I coulda mek any decision look. Maybe den I’d mek a 100 million disappear den mi act like mi nuh care, watch yuh vote mi back in there,” or “Dem suit nuh fit mi, fi win election dem trick wi, den dem don’t do nutting at all”, or even “well done Mr Politician man, you’ve done a wonderful job a tear down wi country, demolition man.”

Politicians are inevitably cast in the role of the villain. Even when they get it right, they’re wrong. Their successes are often glossed over because there will always be bigger issues requiring more urgent attention. This, however, can be said to be a problem of politicians’ own making. A long history of political scandals, including misappropriated public funds, corruption, links to crime and criminals, developmental failures, and unfulfilled promises, have created this culture.

The question needs to be asked: What causes elected officials who are ostensibly patriotic, intelligent, and of strong integrity to grossly underperform in their duties or, even worse, engage in corruption and get caught with their hands in the public purse?

Some people will say that they are not interested in building Jamaica and that they were always corrupt and simply entered politics to serve their own greedy, personal interests. However, I believe most politicians go into office with the best intentions to build their communities, constituencies, and, by extension, Jamaica, but many of them lose their way. But what causes this?

I believe there is an element of self-fulfilling prophecy in the characterisation of Jamaican politicians. Similar to the theory that if parents constantly denigrate their child and refer to them as worthless and good for nothing, then it is likely that the child will grow up to underachieve and display negative behaviour. The public often labels politicians as useless, corrupt, and thieving simply by virtue of their profession, even in cases where there is no evidence of this.

For some Jamaicans, asking them to be sympathetic toward politicians is like asking a man to feel sorry for a snake in his garden. Anyone who enters the political arena must brace themselves as it is a poisoned chalice and a thankless task. You will often be the subject of the public’s ire. You are liable to be blamed for any and everything that goes wrong, even if it is outside of your control. Being a politician means you are always under the microscope and any error you make will be magnified and discussed ad nauseam.

I am of the belief that praise should be given where it is due. We cannot only berate them for failing to resolve particular problems faced in Jamaica. Recognition should also be given for good work done. At the end of the day, just like us, they are human. Every worker appreciates being congratulated or commended for doing well and if they never are, they feel they aren’t valued.

That does not mean we should turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of our elected representatives as the political tribalists do, especially if there is actual evidence of them engaging in corrupt practice. To do so would be to feed into a dangerous ideology which undermines accountability of the political directorate. Any politician that engages in corruption should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and the people should vote out elected officials who do not perform up to scratch.

However, I encourage the public to remember politicians are not gods, they cannot make problems disappear at the wave of a hand. To expect them to do so would be to forget that they are just like us, human.

Payton Patterson

paytonpatterson97@gmail.com