LETTER OF THE DAY - No good deed goes unpunished

The Editor, Sir:

Permit me to use this space to share a few thoughts about the Rev Al Miller. As I understand it, the security forces were trying - without success - to apprehend Christopher 'Dudus' Coke to execute a warrant for him to be taken to the United States to answer charges. Rev Miller is now facing charges for attempting to take him directly to the US Embassy so that he could be taken to the US to answer those charges.

The powers that be are not pleased and that is understandable. After all they slaughtered between 76 and 120 citizens (depending on who is talking) in the largest military operation in this country's history, and after one month - assisted by a state of emergency - no Dudus. For a parson to achieve what they failed to do with their thousands of armed men is a little demoralising. And therein lies the first lesson for those who are willing to learn.

Breaking the law

So since no good deed goes unpunished, Rev Miller is charged. Not encumbered by legal training as those who charged him, some thoughts have passed through my mind. Among them is: was he charged for any offence in Jamaica? No! Was the objective of this manhunt solely to take him to the US? To the best of our knowledge, yes! Did Dudus, and most of the country, feel that this operation was not so much to execute a warrant but to execute Dudus? Hmm! Did the reverend cause the extradition process to be obstructed/delayed in any way? No! Do the powers that be look a little foolish/incompetent? Well !

May I say to Rev Miller that when Hitler and his security forces executed millions of citizens, they were not breaking the law. It was people like Oskar Schindler, who were saving Jews from the death chambers, who were breaking the law. America's founding fathers were - in the process of creating a new nation - breaking a law punishable by death. The operators of the underground railroad - smuggling slaves to freedom - were breaking the law.

Disappointed

I am disappointed, but not entirely surprised that some of Rev Miller's colleagues condemned his actions. May I say this to them: human reason, scripture and history teach us that while we are called to be law-abiding citizens, breaking the law is not always wrong. The lessons from scripture are myriad. The apostles were given strict orders not to teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4 &5). Should they have obeyed? If so, we would not know the gospel today?

Martin Luther King was arrested 133 times for civil disobedience. On one of these occasions he declared, "An individual that breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice is, in reality, expressing the highest respect for the law."

The law is sometimes wrong. When it is, citizens do not have a right to act - they have a responsibility to do so.

I am, etc.,

GLENN TUCKER

Stony Hill

Kingston 9