The Editor, Sir:

Over the past few months, I have glimpsed through the writings of The Gleaner's latest contributor Dr. Peter Phillips, MP, with a certain amount of scepticism bordering on amusement, in that, I found it ironic that he had finally broken the long period of silence he has held on so many crucial issues falling under his portfolio when he was Minister of Security in the previous administration.

However, as time has passed, and his columns get more and more 'pious', my cynicism has turned into irritation and has now become downright indignation! Who does he think he is fooling? Reading his articles, one would think that he was totally uninvolved in any form of leadership in this nation over the past 20 years, much less holding any crucial position such as the Minister of National Security for at least the past five!

'Seldom seen kid'

During his tenure, particularly over the last few years, he became the 'seldom seen kid' as his silence was deafening. One could only believe that he wished to distance himself from the crumbling government that he was very much apart of. Unable to make any significant inroads into the escalating crime and mayhem in national security, he conveniently became 'missing in action' and has only now chosen to resurface, having 'mutated' himself into an intellectual 'journalist' who is sharing his 'musings' with us as he invites us to embark with him on a journey through a utopian world of how things "ought to be" in this fair isle of ours!

Well, I for one, am not buying into his or any other political dinosaur's hypocrisy any longer! As far as I am concerned, they've had their chance and they've blown it! And I urge all Jamaicans with any amount of common sense to guard against these subtle methods that unscrupulous politicians will use to try and entice us to forget that they are single-handedly, in many cases, the cause of the 'failed state' that we now call home. It is time that we wake up, get bold and serve them notice! They need to realise that they have been busted!

This new generation of Jamaicans are not willing to play political football any longer with the beautiful land that God has blessed us with! We are no longer willing to live in the squalor and chaos and be deceived into believing that this is really all that Jamaica can be! Enough is enough, Mr. Phillips! Save your rhetoric for your memoirs! This generation has had enough of 'sam fiesm'! Save that for your golden years when you recline on your veranda with the rest of your 'Drumblair crew' and reminisce on Jamaica's demise during your period of mismanagement! We are not suffering from amnesia, even if you choose to be!

I am, etc.,

PAULA KERR-JARRETT

Montego Bay