Howard Mitchell’s speech is a stark reminder

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The excerpts from the thought-provoking speech made by Howard Mitchell at his induction into the PSOJ Hall of Fame banquet and printed in The Gleaner, is like tonic to a people who are given a steady, daily diet of doom and gloom.

Headlined ‘Jamaica in grave danger of failing as a nation’, his uplifting speech balances the negatives with the positives, the latter receiving the lion’s portion of his delivery. He is spot on by reminding us: “We are hell-bent on self-destruction because of our culture of selfish and decisive tribalism, which steadfastly ignored value unless it is clothed in green or orange.”

This incontrovertible diagnosis he correctly traces back to our past of slavery, piracy and mayhem; unless we consciously uproot ourselves from those negatively ingrained causes, we are doomed to fail as a nation. He refers to our former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson’s ‘values and attitudes’ rallying cry that was, unfortunately, not followed through. And yet that’s one of the indisputable pathways to turn this nation around. In reference to those in leadership position who seem to endorse the pathetic pattern for no accountability and chastisement, Mr Mitchell sends a stark reminder that cannot be contradicted: “A country with no beliefs, with no centrality of established values, is a body without a brain, a computer without an operating system, and no amount of hasty, inappropriately adopted legislation will change that.” From his PSOJ pulpit, the honouree calls for a national change of our individual behaviour, as well as changes in our civil institutions and true restructuring of our Constitution. What a shame that the contents of this truly inspirational speech cannot be the jumping-off point of a truly non-partisan, political think tank fuelled by altruistic and patriotic minds similar to that of Mr Mitchell’s!

Just imagine the possibility! The Government of the day that is seriously concerned about advancing our blessed nation, through correct attitudes and values, could humbly consult such a group, rather than remaining captives of the few well-placed pullers of partisan political strings whose objective might not be truly patriotic nation-building.

Is such a think tank possible?

DONALD REECE

Archbishop of Kingston

(Emeritus)