THE EDITOR, Sir:
Wilmot Perkins is so "right" and firm in his belief that a PNP administration led by P.J. Patterson is not in the best interest of the nation that he will stop at nothing to continuously push his anti-PNP-Patterson agenda.
As I listened to many of his callers the day after the election, I seriously wondered if they understand what democracy means. What does it mean to have a free and fair election where people choose who they want to represent them?
It is quite bizarre that they believe in democracy but they cannot accept the wishes of the Jamaican people. Like free speech, we do not always like the things that are said, but people must have the opportunity to express themselves nevertheless. Mr. Perkins does that every day. Should free speech be banned because I do not like what is said? I don't think so. October 16, 2002 was the people's turn to speak and they did.
Why question the collective will of the Jamaican people? I suggest to all those who feel hurt, saddened, disillusioned and disappointed by the re-election of P.J. Patterson to accept the result, congratulate the PNP and be happy that democracy was at work, and worked. The Jamaican people have spoken clearly, but not loudly. Accept it! Wish the JLP well.
Very often Mr. Perkins quotes sections of the United States Declaration of Independence in defence of his arguments to support why the PNP should be removed from office. On Election Day - All men are created equal, they had one vote; some used it for the PNP and some the JLP. The Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) worked hard for this to happen. I happen to have confidence in the Jamaican people. The Jamaican people have exercised their rights to institute a new Government and I believe they did the right thing.
In my opinion, these wonderful words, written by Thomas Jefferson are true and if things were as bad as Mr. Perkins wants us all to believe, the Jamaican people would have turned up at the polls and rejected the P.J. Patterson-led administration. Wednesday October 16, 2002 was a great opportunity for the Jamaican people to constitutionally remove this "destructive" Government.
Why didn't the Jamaican people do this? Maybe their inalienable rights are being protected, maybe the Government is not destructive after all and maybe, just maybe, if we take the views of a majority of the Jamaican people - the Government, led by P.J. Patterson has secured the rights of the Jamaican people and, unlike Mr. Perkins, they do not see the Government as destructive.
I am etc.
ALLAN CAMPBELL
Alosca@Hotmail.com
