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Lying does not suit Thompson-HerahElaine Thompson Herah is one of athletics' great sprinters of all time. Anyone who can win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres must be included in the hall of greatness.But there exists, too, a level of dishonesty about her that she would be well advised to correct.Never one to demonstrate humility - although she is said to be from humble beginnings - Thompson-Herah flopped massively around the same time that Jamaica officially recognised her as a Commander of the Order of Distinction in the annual national honours and awards celebration on Heroes' Day last Monday.On September 21, soon after she crowned herself sprint Queen of the Tokyo Olympic Games, she wrote to her MVP club indicating that she would be training elsewhere. The Jamaican media carried that information, but lo and behold the athlete denied any such move, on NBC television of all places, going on to highlight the media as mischief-makers and liars in spreading false information when she was the one being dishonest by lying about her future. Such behaviour is not only unbecoming of a woman, but is an almighty slap in the face of the Jamaican media for merely communicating the truth.Now, Thompson-Herah has confirmed the move. Checks should be made if eggs have reached her face yet.Nothing is wrong with switching training camps, but one should never lie about it when you know that it will happen. Arguably, she will now be at a disadvantage severing ties with the best coach in the world, Stephen Francis, but some of us do not know what the real issues of contention are. It would have been better, though, if she had said that she didn't want to comment on the matter at the time, instead of blaming the media, which so many people tend to do when they are faced with bows and arrows.Better is expected from a national track and field representative of such distinction.Brown-Burke should stand down and back DalleyJust when we thought that the Opposition People's National Party would be listening to its critics and well-wishers and chart a course for unity comes another ambitious attempt by Angela Brown-Burke to run for chairman of the organisation.Such a move will split the party even further.You would have thought that Brown-Burke, whom I understand has done doctoral studies, would be smart enough to see and appreciate that running for a post that she contested mere months before and lost would not be good for the PNP. You would expect such a decision to be made by a child completing kindergarten work, not one who has passed through the formal tertiary system. But, then, there are many graduates of tertiary institutions who are thrown into the shallow end of the society and cannot move around in knee-high water to save their lives.So what has now caused Brown-Burke to want to become the party's first woman chair? Is it just that - a sex or gender issue? Because if it is based on sheer competence she would not qualify over the other individual, or individuals, whom we hear are interested.When Mark Golding became PNP president last November it was accepted that he would want to have his trusted people beside him in key positions because of how fractious the divide had become. Brown-Burke, whom he endorsed as chairman, did not get the majority support of the National Executive Council. His other lieutenant for general secretary, Dr Dayton Campbell, did.Phillip Paulwell, a vice-president then, took the chairman's slot, but then illogically resigned from both offices, leaving Dalley, the then deputy, to act as chairman earlier this year. For the sake of the party, Dalley should be inserted, unopposed, thereby eliminating the tension and the fostering of further disunity.People in the party need to listen to the wise old man, P J Patterson.If Brown-Burke decides to go ahead with her foolish move it will result in an erosion of all the gains made by the party in respect of unity in recent time.Someone sensible should pull her aside and have a talk with her. In any case, if she decides to go ahead and run for the post of chairman, she will be embarrassed when the votes are counted.Abduction of little girls a sad situationWhen I put forward the view that many sex-based crimes are far worse than murder my friends look at me as if I am mentally unstable.Maybe I am, but I still hold the view that a crime like rape should be treated by the courts in similar, if not harsher terms as murder when offenders are found guilty.In some instances, when women are raped, it is as if they had been killed. The pain that they have been forced to endure is long-lasting.If Jamaica would resort to punishment like chopping off the willies of offenders, or castrating them, incidents of rape would be history. But many are into this modern-day thing about human rights without even looking at the human wrongs that some of these beasts have done to so many.What happened in St Thomas over the past 10 days, with two minors being taken from their comfort zones and exposed to conditions that they hitherto would not have known, has further stained Jamaica badly. We are still not sure if any personal harm was meted out to them, but taking away someone, in this case two young women, against their will was a dastardly act.The finger has been pointed at an individual who was before the court on rape and gun-related charges, but why was he out free? Granting bail to an alleged rapist and banning him from the parish in which it was committed is an act that the judge who presided over ought to be ashamed of.With rape cases still on the bounce, and gun crimes one of the highest per capita in the world, no judge should be granting bail to any such accused person. What should happen, is that the officers of the courts should do everything possible to speed up these trials, but granting bail is a waste of time and only adds to the nation's problems.What we saw play out last week of concerted searches in St Thomas communities also involved people breaking the law right in front of the police. By sharpening machetes, brandishing them, and vowing to chop up the man they said was guilty of snatching the two girls, the villagers were in possession of offensive weapons, and could have faced charges.Searching for the girls did not have to involve the carrying of machetes. But the message was clear: Once the alleged abductor was spotted, and caught, the citizens would exact their own form of justice, and the police could do nothing about it. That's a dangerous thing. For if a farmer is returning from watering his cows and is identified as the perpetrator, once the words goes out, he will be chopped to death, mercilessly. He would not get the chance to plead his case. It happened last week, and I have seen it happen before that in St Mary during the 1980s.If we have laws, we must follow them. That is the only way we are going to get back on track as a country.Bikers must be pressured to wear helmetsLast week the Jamaica Observer carried an article which quoted motor bike accident victims in a cry for support while they recovered from a crash on one of Jamaica's roadways.The two, from Westmoreland, were involved in a crash with a motor car. Well, based upon how things are going these days, a motor vehicle crash can occur on any street, any day of the week, and any time of day. Motorists, taxi drivers in particular, just do not do what is required to stay safe. They drive at breakneck speeds, overtake sometimes around corners or on the unbroken white line, and swing from lane to lane like how Australian spinner Shane Warne used to bowl his leg breaks.Now, the finger is not being pointed at the young men who were thrown from their motor bikes, but, had they done one simple thing, the injuries they sustained, especially those to the head, may have been avoided. The plain fact, as confirmed by the police, was that they were not wearing helmets, which is a breach of Jamaican law.Precaution is important. It makes no sense saying 'bwoy, if me did know' after the fact. Jamaican authorities have allowed too many of the road users to enjoy a field day and put pressure on motorists who want to stay safe. So many laws are passed, yet enforcing them is always an issue. When was the last time a policeman arrested a biker for not wearing a helmet?Last week, as I heard of the men's plight, I saw four motor bike drivers, three of them with pillions, 'fly' past a group of police personnel in Half-Way-Tree. The law enforcers did not even look at them twice. Curious, I stopped the vehicle along the roadside, sat there for around 20 minutes, and during that time, counted 41 motor bikes go pass. Only nine of the drivers were wearing helmets. Yet, the police remained right there.We are at a stage in our nation's growth wherein crashes add up to a huge slice of the expenditure of treating victims at hospitals. It is now that we should not only be tougher on motorists on two wheels who do not wear helmets, but if anyone is caught without the safety gear, he/she should be taken to jail immediately and locked away until authorities are convinced that he/she is ready to protect himself.Cuba is a standout with something like this. Anyone deciding to drive a motor bike without wearing a helmet takes a huge risk in that country. For, if caught, the chances of that individual having the luxury of keeping his licence would be very slim. Jamaica needs to follow Cuba's lead.