Jamaica Under Siege - A personal reflection

It's been a long time since I wrote anything on my blog. I guess I was having a 'writer's block'. You might ask how could I have had a writer's block when there is so much happening right here in my country Jamaica land we love. I had decided that I would not touch any of the social, national and political issues concerning Jamaica in my blog. But after today I felt that I could no longer remain silent.

My heart is full. My heart is broken for my country Jamaica land we love. At first I told myself that I did not care, that I would not allow myself to be affected. With all the calls for the Prime Minister's resignation over his handling of the Manatt Phelps Phillips and the extradition affairs I did not allow myself to care. Many of my friends who know that I have strong political views have called me to get my opinion on the saga as it unfolded, but they were disappointed with my response as all I had to say to them was "I have nothing to say". I did not care to tell them that I think the Attorney General and the Solicitor-General should resign for the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. That is unless someone is lying. I did not want to tell them (for I believe they already knew) that it is a reason why the opposition was in power for eighteen years. Neither did I want to comment on the convenient attempt to all of a sudden separate the ruling political party politics/doings from government business.

It was not only my mouth that was zipped but my sensitivities to political and national issues had died. My friends know why my response was like that. They know that I was a casualty. I just didn't have anything to say about national politics anymore. The country could rot for all I care.

But last week when the examinations council had to re-schedule venues for students to sit their exams, I started to feel as if the walls that I had built up to protect my sensitivities were being torn down and I could do nothing to stop it. I started to feel ANGRY. Angry that our children were the ones to suffer for the mess that the government had created. Now tomorrow, May 25 2010, some schools will remain close and there will be more bundling in the re-scheduled exam centres where students have to write exams while hearing the echoes of thousands of shots being fired.

Now I know what it feels like to be living in a country where there is war. I always thanked God that I was not born in one of the middle eastern countries but now I find myself living and existing in a literal war zone of Kingston, Jamaica land we love. The Prime Minister has called a limited state of emergency but twenty four hours later he has not yet specified what those 'limitations' are. So far I am hearing from the news that seven members of the security forces have been injured (one fatally), five civilians and nine gun men are dead (these are unconfirmed reports), flights have been cancelled in and out of the country, our tourism product is negatively affected, and the war continues...

I am at home, my heart is breaking, my heart is bleeding. I am waiting until 8:00 pm when I will receive an advisory on where the hot spots in the war zone will be tomorrow and if we will have to remain marooned in our house for one more day. I hope I will be alive to write another entry in a few days time.

(For a balanced background to the issues mentioned in my above entry, please see the Jamaica Observer's article in the panel across)