Letter of the Day | INDECOM - motion and friction

THE EDITOR, Sir:

In light of the recent ruling by the Court of Appeal, Parliament will now have to determine what further powers, if any, should be given to INDECOM. The ruling comes amid the friction that clearly exists between the police in performing its duties and INDECOM in performing its oversight functions.

Similar friction has existed between public-sector officials, including even ministers of government and the contractor general, another oversight body. In many instances, friction arises not because of a clash of authority but because of the lack of respect that is shown to authority and the lack of respectfulness with which authority is exercised.

Many years ago, I was pulled over for speeding by a state trooper while driving on the I-95 in Florida. When I handed him my driver's licence and he discovered that I was from Jamaica, he proceeded to tell me about his holiday in Ocho Rios some years before and how he and his family had a great time, especially scuba diving and climbing Dunn's River Falls.

Just as I started to feel that he was going to warn me about speeding and let me go, he pulled out a book from his pocket and started writing, still carrying on in almost animated fashion about the wonderful time he had in Jamaica and his love for jerk pork. I encouraged him to come back for another visit.

Amicable Parting

When he gave me the ticket, I handed him my card and suggested that he give me a call if ever he visited Jamaica again. We shook hands and I almost found pleasure in paying the hefty fine of US$160 before returning home.

Some years later, out of the blue, he called to say he was back in Jamaica and staying at a hotel in Ocho Rios. I had not asked him his name, so he had to remind me of the occasion in Florida before I could recognise who he was. I drove over to Ocho Rios, met his family, and we had lunch together.

My initial encounter with this state trooper reminded me of the reason why bearings were invented - to facilitate motion without friction.

BRUCE GOLDING
Former Prime Minister