Orville Taylor | COVID curfew, yes, but don’t curfew my Easter mind

It is Easter Sunday, and those of us who read the Bible and believe most of it, unburdened by the need to accept its infallibility, recognise that this is supposed to be the greatest day in the lives of Christians, the day that Jesus the Saviour rose from the dead. Now, we know that there is no accurate date when the believed resurrection took place, or even if there is any scientific or corroborating evidence. However, one thing I know for sure is that if the resurrection were to take place today in Jamaica, no one would get to see it because the nation is under curfew. However, I do not want anyone to try to curfew my mind.

The curfew is justified, and unlike with the earlier states of public emergency since 2018, there is no debate that these are times for extreme measures. On the whole, there is little dissensus regarding the need to have extraordinary arrangements and adjustments to our lives. After all, who can disagree that this COVID-19 pandemic is a real threat?

Moreover, in a country where men do not like when other men ‘grounds out’ on them, establishing parameters of physical distancing should not be hard. For some of us, it is a welcome relief because there are some greetings that have been grossing me out since they were introduced. Just the idea of my single bredrin coming to rub thumbs with me, fresh from celebrating Palm Sunday in relative isolation, is disgusting.

Government’s Primary Responsibility

This is a germ that is highly contagious, and if the Government does not continue to act decisively, the consequences will be unimaginable. Curfews and other legal curtailing of constitutional freedoms do make sense. Doubtlessly, the Government’s primary responsibility is to protect its citizens, and any right we have under our Constitution or any other statute is never an absolute. Therefore, we are free to exercise our rights as long as in doing so, we do not cause harm to anyone else, or worse, we do not do so contrary to the national or public interest.

Our Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of movement, expression, association, and peaceful assembly, among others. Yet, given that the first right is the right to life, I am very comfortable with Government reasonably, and especially in concert with the Opposition, taking the necessary steps to prevent anyone from doing anything that risks anyone else’s right to life.

So, putting in place health protocols regarding distancing and following old-time Granny’s rules to ‘tan a yu yaad, lef di whole heap a company, wash yu hand dem, go tidy, and stop nyam a road!’ all make perfect sense now. Indeed, the only thing left for the Government to advise us on is ‘how water walk go a pumpkin belly’. And one more thing: Granny used to force us to go to church and read the Bible. This was so especially during Easter, after which we would be rewarded with slivers of bun and a thin slice of cheese, which I used to force through the tea strainer to make it spread.

Still, I am a bit uncomfortable with the Government’s stay-at-home orders for persons with ‘flu-like symptoms’ and ‘underlying medical conditions’. Unless there is some statute or document that clearly itemises what these symptoms or conditions are, it could take a judicial decision to enforce it. Moreover, given the scope of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, does ‘underlying medical conditions’ mean that symptom-free HIV-positive persons should stay home, too?

But back to the Bible. For all the reading that the old folks, and especially Elder Taylor, forcibly encouraged me to do, I constantly failed in-class religious studies tests at the Pope’s school, St George’s College, because I deeply resented the idea of anyone telling me what to believe, especially when there was no biblical or historical evidence to back it up. True, many of the laws from Leviticus were and still are very logical in dealing with health, and even this pandemic. However, Jamaica is a secular democracy, and we are free to disagree even with our religious leaders.

All of this discourse about religion and constitutional freedoms for me, in particular, sets me thinking about Easter bloodletting. Of course, the zealots among us will try to tell me that the kangaroo-court trial of Jesus and his execution were the worst human-rights violations in history and that his suffering was the greatest any man ever endured. Doubtlessly, that is rubbish because, as I have said before, many people before, during, and after the times of Christ suffered major injustices and torture that make his crucifixion pale in comparison.

‘Bad Friday’

Indeed, as we reflect during this ‘solemn’ period, I remember that yesterday made 57 years since the ‘Bad Friday’ Coral Gardens killings took place. Yes, it was under a Jamaica Labour Party government, but make no duppy fool you; the preceding administration of the 1950s People’s National Party had also visited major horrors on the Rastafarians, who were coming with their new ‘pagan’ religion, challenging the established whitened and anti-historical versions of Christianity.

Even today, as Culture Minister ‘Babsy’ Grange acknowledges the wrongs committed against the Rastafari, the relatives, colleagues, and friends of the police officers killed are also seeking truth, justice, and resolution. There were victims on all sides, and all of this was from a failure to acknowledge that there is one freedom that must not be touched unless it manifestly translates into action. This is freedom of thought and conscience. I do not want my secular leaders telling me to pray, as the governor general attempted to do. Neither do I want my prime minister to tell me what to reflect on during the Easter weekend.

Nonetheless, my secular Government gets my support as we fight this virus together. But I want to give space to my Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Rastafari, and atheist friends to do the universal: love your neighbour as yourself. Empathy will take us through this.

- Dr Orville Taylor is head of the Department of Sociology at The UWI, a radio talk-show host, and author of ‘Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets’. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.