Esther Tyson, Contributor

'No, No, not Brownie!' The wail erupted from the normally composed, externally correct demeanour of the uniformed policewoman. After the Area 1 choir rendered a heart-moving song, they clung to each other and moved to their seats. Then, "Wooh! No, not Brownie! Wooh! Ahh! Not Brownie". The grief was thick; the atmosphere of sorrow enveloped the church. You could cut it, if you tried. Coupled with this was anger. 'Enough is enough!' was the cry.

The funeral service of Sergeant Errol Brown of the St. James Area 1 Highway Patrol, who was murdered on December 5, 2007, is one that I will never forget. Forgotten, seems to be what happens to the policemen who have been executed protecting the citizens of this nation. Yet we, as a nation, need to be mindful that, in spite of the rogue cops that exist within the police force, there are many who are placing their lives on the line daily to protect our nation. There are good men and women serving in the force, and Sgt. Errol Brown was one such policeman.

In a nation where fathers are many times not fulfilling their roles as nurturers and examples to their children, Sergeant Brown was doing just that. He was the consummate husband and father. Mesha-Gay, his daughter, in reflecting on her father's life, painted the picture of a man who was a tribute to this nation. Sergeant Brown was married for 26 years to one wife, Doreen. This is how Mesha-Gay described her father.

"Daddy was a family man and to him, family was the core of his being. To his wife, Doreen, he was the perfect helpmate. He was a very considerate and caring husband. He ensured that she was happy even when he was not ... How many fathers do you know who end each and every conversation with his children by saying, 'I love you?'

"Well, Daddy did. He was never afraid to be affectionate with me or my brothers. We always knew that we were loved and protected. No one loved us more than our father. He was a dedicated, loving, honest and caring man."

How many of our Jamaican men would have such a tribute given to them by their children? Our society is reaping the results of fatherlessness and the irresponsible production of children, yet, here we have a man who exemplified how our Jamaican fathers should be, and he was wantonly butchered by gunmen who, more than likely, had no one to call father.

Sergeant Brown taught his children Christian morals and values. He not only taught them, he lived them before his children. Mesha recounted that he taught them the value of, "humility and of living within our means". "He taught us never to compromise our integrity for anything."

An example

As an example of how he lived this before them, she told us of how, on her coming home from university abroad, he would pick her up at the airport in his old car. She, out of embarrassment and frustration, would ask him why he didn't buy a new car. He told her he could have bought several new cars but instead ,he chose to put her through the best schools and through medical school. His last line on that matter speaks to the character of this policeman who was brutally removed from us, "Mesha, I love you with all my heart, but not even you are going make me tief."

Oh, that we had many more policemen like Sergeant Brown! As a nation, we would have strong young men growing up to be valuable citizens of this great nation who would become nurturing husbands and fathers. Instead, we have produced heartless, cold-blooded murderers spawned from communities created out of the need for our people to have a shack to cover their heads, where running water does not exist, where light, if it is there, is stolen, where law and order is determined by the don. Our nation has spawned these persons who murdered Sergeant Brown, blowing off the top of his head, pumping eight bullets into his body while he was entering his home after coming off duty. He ran, but fell, and they did not spare him. Sergeant Brown's family resides in the U.S.A. and they implored him many times to join them since he had his green card. He felt that he had to stay to serve his country. It is such a man that was torn from us.

How did this come to pass? Politicians set up garrison communities to ensure their own continuity in the political arena. Guns were brought in to ensure compliance of all to the party who set up these garrisons. These places have become the breeding ground for the murderers of Sergeant Brown and for other criminals. We forget, to our own detriment.

As I have called for before, as a nation we need to set up a truth and reconciliation commission to look at our recent past and find a way to cleanse the spirit of our nation.

The webpage of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission informs us that more than 30 nations have utilised this model. These include Peru, Ghana, East Timor and Sierra Leone. What has been achieved through the commission is what we, as a nation, need, to start a new day as a people.

"The truth and reconciliation process seeks to heal relations between opposing sides by uncovering all pertinent facts, distinguishing truth from lies, and allowing for acknowledgement, appropriate mourning, forgiveness and healing."

This is a new year; we are under a new administration. I challenge this administration to change the old paradigm. I challenge the Prime Minister to be a leader of courage, to face squarely the sense of hopelessness which has enveloped this nation and take the necessary actions to address the plague that threatens our existence.

Make Sgt. Errol Brown's murder count for something! Cause the innocent blood that has bathed and soaked this land to bring forth beauty out of its ashes!

Esther Tyson is principal of Ardenne High School, St. Andrew.