Orville Taylor I did not like it when the People's National Party's (PNP) young professional arm called itself the Patriots, because one can be a strong defender of one's country without necessarily supporting any political party. I am a patriot and put no other country above this one.
Something happened to us after we were brought over from our native lands in Africa and Asia and we somehow never seem to be able to fully appreciate our own. Last week, in this column, I lamented the negative beliefs that we have about our Jamaican men, because we constantly spit out derisive self-fufilling statements about ourselves.
It is disgusting that after more than half a century of colonialism and slavery and 200 years since the end of the transatlantic trade, we still share the view that 'nothing good comes from yaad.' Common expressions such as "Bwoy, you can't believe black man," abound.
When the Cricket World Cup (CWC) was announced, there were numerous naysayers, some of them with very good reason. However, once agreed, there was no space for negatives because it was not a matter for the PNP apologists to embellish or the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to turn into a political football. After all, considering the 'success' we have been having with that sport, we now have to start thinking outside of the "Box," and stop harbouring 'hill' thoughts.
Great organisational skills
Anyway, the CWC, for whatever it was worth, demonstrated that West Indians, and Jamaicans, in particular, have great organisational skills. The performance of the local Windies was disastrous but the security arrangements were first class. Where else in the world would you get a set of English hooligans, the worst set of fans in modern sport, to come into a series of venues and behave? English spectators have been so undisciplined that many of them have been banned from several stadia across Europe.
Of all the major cricket-playing nations, the West Indies is among the most disciplined. It is for that reason that we go to cricket matches with pots and pans, some of which are full of curry goat, roti and an assortment of 'bickle.' We take in pieces of metal, conch shells and other 'offensive weapons.' But strangely, we never seem to use them except to make noise and cheer, on the rare occasion that the Windies perform well. Imagine seeing Marlon Samuels or Chris Gayle hit a six and hearing the din of assorted instruments, while spilling gravy or the Vat 19, Cockspur, Appleton or Mount Gay rum. Yes, it's a great rum, though unknown in Jamaica, it is common in Barbados.
As for Jamaica, I am exceedingly proud of this little piece of rock, that has withstood the ravages of the assortment of Labourites and PNP over the years. Despite being the CARICOM crime capital - CCC - we have just about the lowest crime-against-tourist rate in the region. Simply put, fewer tourists on the average, get attacked, robbed or abused in Jamaica, than anywhere else in the Caribbean.
Security at the Pegasus was as tight as what erstwhile DJ Tumpa Lion referred to in an early 1990s song. No unaccredited Jamaican could enter, and not even information could get out. So, when Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer died, the first question was how, and what could we have done to prevent it?
Our local doctors, and that is what a pathologist is, examined the body, saw marks on his neck, discovered a broken neck bone and signs that indicated strangulation. Don't choke the messenger, our doctors have sense. Come on, we have more murders per capita than England and Pakistan and we have fewer tourist homicides than either. Therefore, Jamaican doctors are far more competent to judge homicide than the Brits.
As good as it gets
With our experience in trauma care at hospitals such as the Kingston Public and Spanish Town hospitals, our medics are as good as it gets. With hospitals that are woefully underequipped, even with the 'cutting edge' technology in orthoscopic surgery at Annotto Bay Hospital, it takes doctors that are beyond the average metropolitan standards in the United States of America or the United Kingdom.
I witnessed a Caesarean section delivery in the U.K. a month ago and the competence of the surgeon and his team was amazing. He made a deft incision, removedthe infant and handed him to the midwife in a few minutes. He clearly was a 'cut above the rest.'
Our infant mortality rates and life expectancy put us outside of the range of the typical Third World country. With an expenditure of one tenth of what the U.S. and U.K. spend on average per citizen, we have a population that lives longer than black Americans and black Britons. If our medical personnel were so hapless, then there would not be such a drive to recruit Jamaican nurses and doctors in droves.
I stick by my Jamaican pathologists, who advised the local police that it was murder. I won't necessarily 'stick my neck out' given who it is I suspect that did it, but the 'Yard' police I am backing is certainly not Scotland.
Trust me, we have no vested interest in pointing towards murder, when it could be an indictment against the competence of our local security forces.
Unfortunately, the Brits sent us Mark Shields and we did not object. But he is here and is trying. With a reputed closeness to beautiful 'darkies', he is now a deputy dishonorary 'N-ger.' So now they have a problem with him.
Well, sorry mate, you might have whitewashed our people with notions of inferiority, but I am standing with the locals.
Dr. Orville Taylor is a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
