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The JDF from another angleMy gratitude goes out to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) for allowing me to see, from another angle, more to the Jamaican army than meets the eye.Last Thursday, the army's head, Lt General Rocky Meade, invited a small group of journalists to see beyond the curtains of Camp Road, its headquarters, and wow, what an experience it was!Termed 'Media Day', it was more than that, for many of the things that were unknown to scribes and broadcasters were brought to light, some revelations being met with wide-eyed amazement.My gratitude, too, must go out to the army for allowing me to enjoy my first flight since COVID-19 cramped everybody's style a year and a half ago. The nine-minute, 43-second Bell 429 helicopter round trip to Newcastle from army headquarters provided a breathtaking view of the St Andrew topography. Pilots, captains Miguel Ross and Jevon Anderson, kept the information flowing better than any commercial pilot on a long journey across the Atlantic.A short trip in the Australian-made armoured vehicle the 'Bushmaster' also stood out, but the highlight for me though - apart from a sumptuous lunch, lively presentation on the JDF by Major Garth Anderson, and the subsequent question and answer session that followed and was clinically handled by Lt Gen Meade, and second-in-command Commodore Antonette Wemyss Gorman - was my baptism at the firing range.Decked in combat gear, which included a bulletproof vest which seemed heavier than carrying a butchered 500-pound bull on your back, helmet, ankle and knee guards, I, and others, got the chance to fire three live rounds from a Carbine M4 assault rifle. My instructor told me that I hit the target with the second shot from 25 metres, which is not bad for a beginner.That exercise showed me what the ordinary soldier goes through daily. Please, never bash a soldier when you see him or her fitted in complete war gear. The weight of the bulletproof vest alone puts them under enormous pressure, and when you consider that they can spend up to half the day in it, or longer, you have to feel sorry for them.Other happenings on the day will have to be told in subsequent articles, but Lt Gen Meade and his team put on a pleasing show. It was a collaborative, all-round effort and I must specially hail the energy of Colonel Rohan Johnson, lieutenant colonels Rudolph "Ruddy" Reynolds and Warrenton Dixon, Major Anderson, lieutenants Celine Gordon and Nathan Curtis, and private Brady.Maroons are irrelevantWhy does the Government of Jamaica appear to be doing the proverbial crawl at the feet of the Maroon community in this land?With all the excitement surrounding this silly claim about sovereignty for Maroons some of us seem to be heading in directions that will only result in many getting lost.How strange it is that the police, on a ganja farming raid in the Cockpit Country, were forced to retreat after they were attacked by people who have this 'fool fool' view that Maroons in Jamaica somehow operate as a sovereign fixture.Who are the Maroons? As far as I know, Maroons are descendants of runaway slaves who came to this land from Africa. So it seems to me that around 94.28 per cent of Jamaicans are Maroons. Why then is a select group from a handful of communities pushing up their chests and behaving as if they have a right to do as they please in this land, unlike a majority of Jamaicans.I'm not one who is particularly fond of Maroon history either. Someone can correct me if necessary, but I believe that we were taught that it was the Maroons who sold their runaway brothers and sisters to the English at the height of persecution.The high-profile Maroons now will speak of a treaty that was agreed with the British, but surely, that must be outdated. Isn't Jamaica also an independent nation now?The Government should tell those hard-headed Maroons straight up ... it's either you conform to the rules and regulations of Jamaica, like all other citizens, residents, and visitors, or go find a piece of land somewhere on the African continent where you can build from scratch.Just for the record, I remain one voice which continues to hold the view that Nanny does not deserve to be a national hero, or heroine, based upon what we have been fed in history classes. But then, the people who really deserve to be national heroes, like Michael Manley, Eddie Seaga, P J Patterson, Bob Marley, and Usain Bolt, continue to be ignored. Wonder what Nanny has over them?Holness got it wrongBy now, even Prime Minister Andrew Holness would have told himself: 'I got it wrong', in respect of the lifting of COVID-19 measures a few weeks ago, which not only allowed for extended hours by people on the street but, importantly, increasing the numbers of those who could attend events - parties included.Strange enough, Holness admitted during his lengthy news conference last Monday that he had "expected" the rise in COVID-19 cases, as a result of his allowing more people to roam like unofficial owners of hinterland.It was always bound to backfire when the Government decided to "open up", and there is no clear reason in sight as to why that decision had to be made. But it was not surprising, for the Government's handling of the management of the pandemic has been devastating, and there seems to be no coordination of what should be done, as Health Minister Dr Tufton and the prime minister seem to be playing tug-o-war as to who is really running things.Holness should use the situation of rising COVID-19 cases, and deaths, as a reminder of what can happen when there is no careful and sensible planning. There are people who suggest to me that the prime minister must be held responsible for every death, and most of the illnesses that have occurred in Jamaica over the last two weeks, but I'm not convinced that it's as clear cut as that.Still, the prime minister must learn from this, or else...Cricket's false strokesCricket West Indies did two quite foolish things last week which confirmed that the people who run the sport in the region do not think before they act.Firstly, by allowing only television rights holders and those doing radio commentary into Sabina Park to cover the first Test match involving the West Indies and Pakistan, without spectators, Cricket West Indies invaded the constitutional rights of journalists and commentators involved in print media by locking them out. It was one of the most stupid things that I have ever seen in my long years on this land.Oh yes, COVID-19 has choked a lot of things, but I never expected that the head space of our regional cricket administrators would have gathered so much unwanted fluid in such a way that it affects their collective thinking.The second bit of foolishness that Cricket West Indies did was to host Test cricket at Sabina Park, and not invite those who have been fully vaccinated to attend - like what has happened in other Caribbean territories.What a glorious statement Cricket West Indies would have made, had it said to Jamaicans, "Those who have been vaccinated, this is your incentive. Those who have not taken the jab, this is what you are missing."Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt is a Rhodes Scholar. His deputy, Dr Kishore Shallow, has a doctorate. They should be top of the class ... not behaving as if they do not know the front of the book as distinct from the back.