IF PRIME Minister Patterson is successful in his stated aim to unify the nation his other achievements including his history-making electoral wins will pale in significance by comparison.
Creating this unity, divided as we are by so many factors, will require considerable effort, a single-mindedness of purpose and the erosion and or removal of the factors that create division and disunity.
As Opposition Leader Edward Seaga has been saying recently, in what could be construed as an update of his much lauded "haves and have-nots" speech, there are two Jamaicas. One Jamaica is a country of privilege with all that that implies and the other is a country of poverty, the denial of opportunity and a condemnation to a predetermined role and status for the vast majority.
To achieve any semblance of unity in this context will require an expansion of the opportunities for those who are disadvantaged, primarily the removal of the obstacles that poverty imposes in accessing education. It does not end there. While education will assist the climb up the socio-economic ladder, a growing economy must be able to create the jobs to make that climb complete.
Out of that growing economy and the initiative of the state must come the will to tackle and solve the problems of poor housing, inadequate water supply, a lack of health facilities and all of the other indices of poverty.
Race relations, while not openly discussed, remains another source of disunity. This past election was significant in that several candidates from the minority groups contested, some of whom were successful. Racial origin must never be a factor in denying any Jamaican the opportunity to serve in any office in the country.
Political tribalism remains as the major source of disunity. Mercifully some of its more grotesque manifestations were absent during the election campaign. Relatively few lives were lost during the campaign because of political differences, but every life that was lost was one too many. Dealing with the scourge of political tribalism requires the removal of the cronyism, the patronage and the dispensation of political spoils and favours on a partisan political basis.
If Mr. Patterson is able to summon the political will, to remove or lessen significantly the many factors that divide us and is able to evoke a vision of unity that he is able to have the country "log on" to, his place in our pantheon of heroes will be assured.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
