LETTER OF THE DAY - Pray for Bruce

The Editor, Sir:

The more I contemplate our national conundrum is the more I think I see the hand of God behind it all. I do believe that Bruce Golding will eventually go down in the history of Jamaica as one of our best, certainly one of our most courageous prime ministers.

In Biblical terminology, I think that God has brought him "... to the Kingdom for such a time as this." Let's put aside our political positions and consider the following:

1. What a 'bangarang' there would be in Jamaica today, and for the foreseeable future, if a People's National Party (PNP) government had been in power and had initiated the current action against Tivoli Gardens?

2. Isn't this upheaval quite likely what Bruce envisioned and tried to avoid, or at least to delay, until his economic-revival package was on stream, before taking action against 'Dudus?' I believe he knew what the repercussions would be, both in terms of his party's political fallout and that in people's lives, and tried to spare the country the trauma.

3. What other political leader would have dealt with the situation? Would Eddie, P.J. or Portia have done so? He only of our leaders had spoken his mind honestly on the matter of the political connection of both parties with crime: he only would have been willing to expend the political capital needed to address the issue. Shouldn't we applaud him now, and urge him to continue cleaning the Aegean stables wherever they may be in Jamaica?

4. Is this what Portia saw in visions when she asked her own party faithful to pray for Bruce? Would she have dared do what Bruce has done? Shouldn't all Jamaica respond to her call and do as she has asked us?

Hold him up

In light of the above, I call upon my brethren in the Church to be more understanding of Bruce's dilemma. This is a time to be pastoral in our stance and lend him our aid, rather than be prophetic and display our anger against his sin of dissembling and delaying. Let us be more ready to understand than to condemn. I likewise call upon the media, the business community, civil society and the human rights groups to hold him up rather than tear him down. You have urged, encouraged and pressed him to do the right thing and he has done so. Now help him up!

I also call upon the Opposition, for the good of the country, to scuttle their plans for a no-confidence motion and deal with the business of the country at this critical time. Forgo any political gain to be had from the situation and help Bruce do what Jamaica needs to have done. If they don't they will have to deal with it themselves, if Bruce should yield to their shrill cries to resign. Do they really want the task?

I call upon all Jamaica rather to applaud Bruce. He has humbled, some would say humiliated, himself. Let us now cheer his courage and pray for him and for Jamaica in this his, and our, hour of dire need.

I am, etc.,

LLOYD A. COOKE

Royal Flat