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Jah Cure seems incurableEntertainer Jah Cure has confirmed that not only is he stupid, just like Vybz Kartel and the others who clearly believe that prison is a bed of roses, but has also demonstrated that there is no way of him curing certain habits from within.Jah Cure did not learn from the rape conviction that he, to this day, vehemently protests. Poor fellow! Now, he has gone to The Netherlands, a lovely country with some fine people, and has not only brought shame on Jamaica, but has managed to convince us all that he cannot be tamed. So the result is a six-year prison sentence for attempted manslaughter, following his stabbing of a show promoter, amid the flimsy excuses he offered to the court in his defence.Now, some show promoters can be a pain in the, you know where; others can be devious and deceptive. But you have to be smart in how you deal with them...which includes dotting all the 'i's', and crossing all the 't's' - more so when you are in someone else's land of birth.I must confess that Jah Cure is not an artiste whom I admire. No. As long as you are convicted for rape - to me the most heinous crime - you cannot gain my admiration or love. And it takes a whole lot to find a man guilty of rape in a Jamaican court of law. Based upon the evidence presented at the trial, he brutally manipulated and violated that young Christian woman and her aunt in Ironshore, Montego Bay, over 20 years ago, so all his protestations to being innocent do not add up. He remains guilty as hell.Before he was paroled after serving seven lucky years of an original 15-year conviction for the two counts of rape, robbery with aggravation, and illegal possession of a firearm, the State tried to facilitate him as part of his rehabilitation, and even allowed him to record music in prison at General Penitentiary Hotel, officially known as the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre.While I served as a director of the Courtney Walsh Foundation, visiting penal institutions to use cricket as a rehab tool was quite frequent. Jah Cure was there in his element - sort of superstar status he enjoyed, and deeply admired by those who had also been found guilty of doing wrong.There was deep anticipation that he would be that reformed exemplar when that humongous gate slammed behind him and he started to breathe the fresh air of freedom again. No such luck.So here we are again...another 'prison bud' situation, and a further thump in the area of the testicles (low blow if you like) for Jamaica, its people, in particular the fraternity of artistes. Holness, Golding and the Royal visitWell, royalty walked up and down Jamaica's roads last week, and it now seems that the message is finally about to be delivered, formally, that the monarchy has overstayed its welcome.We had promises from leader of the Opposition Mark Golding that it was his wish or desire, to say to the Queen's biological servant, Prince William, a grandson, that 'look...you said colonialism has ended, but we still live under a system called neo-colonialism, and we wish to get out of it. So, we want to become a republic, which should result in a symbol like the Judicial Review Committee of the UK Privy Council being removed as Jamaica's final court of appeal. We also want to discuss reparation issues with you over a few cups of tea, mate'.Hopefully, that was delivered as promised.But then, the prime minister stepped in. He, a subject of Queen Elizabeth II, by virtue of his acceptance of her invitation to become a member of her Privy Council last year. So here is what the PM did: He told Prince William, second tier heir to the throne, and the Queen's emissary, that "we are moving on", meaning, I suppose, that Jamaica wants to end the 'habit' of having the Queen as its head of State. Observe the prime minister closely if you will though, as he gave William the message. Check his eyes in the video - he failed to look the oppressor straight on while mumbling the words, choosing instead to move his head from side to side when he needed to look William directly in the eye and not be concerned about addressing others in the room.At least though, the prime minister seems to be listening more to the people of the country which gave him so much power. That's a good move by him.When people have influence, they should use it wisely. That is why veteran legal mind, Hugh Small, did not gain the kind of traction that he could have in recent days when he asked his subject to burn wigs that he and his father wore while they practised at the Bar.Now would have been a good time, and in no small measure, for the mighty Hugh to have struck. Had he thought about it some more, Hugh, instead of ordering them burnt, could have sent those items to the prince's hotel, or King's House, if, by tradition, people of royalty still sleep there while they visit.As a 'brawta', Hugh could also have said, 'hear what, take my Queen's Counsel title too...it means very little to me these days, and is not as sweet as it sounded in former years when Queen was Queen. She is now living in the shadows and her influence is fading by the day.' Sewage and a hurting pharmacy Last week, one of my trips downtown Kingston took me to Variety Pharmacy, West Parade. Believe me, it was not a nice and pleasant experience. At one point I bawled out 'oh sh...'Why? Well, there was a large pool of water at the entrance to the pharmacy, which was giving off a smell more pungent than the rotting carcass of a crocodile. It turned out to be raw sewage. And guess what? It was a regular experience by those who sought to use the popular pharmacy and gift store.Some have told me that the matter has been reported several times to the Kingston & St Andrew Municipal Corporation, and the National Water Commission. The result is that a 'bitch up' job is done on it and within days, sometimes hours, the situation returns to where it was.I am told that since the sidewalks were extended, water and sewage have been seeping out of a manhole in front of the store, and when it rains, the store is flooded, sometimes has to be closed. A storm drain is not being maintained, it appears, and is only partially cleared when there is a blockage. The result is that the health of the staff is compromised. Can you imagine... a health facility being treated that way by authorities.If I were in the shoes of those who have to face the mess daily, I would take the KSAMC and the NWC to court. They can do better. They must do better. It's a shame. PM wrong on fines for ministersWhen the first photograph of Cabinet ministers was published last week, four of whom were not wearing masks at the time photos were being posed for during an event at which dancehall star Shenseea was, like in pastorial terms, the chief celebrant; it came across to me as not really a big deal. Why? Well, it was known to me that the prime minister would be suspending the DRMA the following day, and as such, people would not be viewing it as anything of deep substance. Furthermore, the rate of COVID-19 infections had gone way down, if you are one who follows data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, reliable or not.All around, despite the statistics from the ministry which showed that just over 20 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, there was a dip in attention paid to a pandemic that has been sheer hell for most.So, although the men were not wearing masks when the photos were taken, I would not fuss about it, unless it could be proven that throughout the event they were mask-less. In other words, prominent people are asked sometimes by photographers to drop their masks in preparation for the snapping of shots. Perhaps, just maybe, that was one such.But the prime minister wanted to prove a point. Instead of leaving the matter alone or allowing whatever action that was appropriate to fall in place by those qualified to pound the gavel, the PM acted like a Parish Court judge, with no urging from the Judiciary at all, to impose 'fines' on his colleagues. I suggest to you, that although the move was made under a roof of humour, it was illegal for Andrew Holness to fine his colleagues...he had no such authority, and I hope that the four men will disregard his order to Minister Babsy Grange and keep the $100,000 that they were instructed to pay, in their bank accounts.Maybe privately, Holness could have done what he did. Publicly, he had no right to, and I hope that he never attempts such a foolish thing again...at any rate, not in the nation's sacred Parliament.I would give any 'smalls' to hear what the Police and the Judiciary really think about that move by Holness, which I maintain was quite unwanted and unnecessary.Those involved - Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang, a man I hold in high esteem, Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, and Minister Without Portfolio Floyd Green - may be laughing off the prime minister's slap on the wrist action, and even saying, well $100,000 is no big thing. It is anything but a laughing matter though.