November marks 20 years since I began writing opinion pieces. It began when Franklyn McKnight, then editor of The Herald, asked me to write one article for publication each Sunday. Either he appreciated the article or he got a good feedback, but he requested that I continue - which I did - and the rest is history. Twenty years on, I am still writing a column, albeit now for The Gleaner.
The person who has had the greatest influence on me as a columnist is Billy Hall, a veteran journalist. He reinforced to me that my articles should be opinion pieces. Hence my articles usually state a position. After reading my column, my readers should know what my position is on a current issue. An example of an opinion article is 'Let Dudus have his day in court' (October 15, 2009). This was seven months before the government acted, and months before civil society saw the wisdom of my column.
Solution oriented
Most columns are also solution oriented. It is a habit I developed from my student days at United Theological College where we were schooled at student meetings to make a suggestion after we have criticised. Hence I am not afraid to criticise, but after the criticism I offer solutions. Therefore, when I criticised the government taxation package ('Where the taxes to come from?' - May 9, 2009), I also proposed getting the revenues from instituting a Jamaican visa and taxing luxury items.
My columns are researched based. Hence I read the extradition treaty, Hansard, and visited website of the Office of the Contractor General, etc. So when I made a call that either the contractor general or director of public prosecutions should go over the investigation into certain contracts issued by Jamaica Urban Transit Company to Simber productions, there was first an attempt at examining source documents.
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I also try to be the voice of the voiceless and powerless. So I have agitated for a reasonable minimum wage and spoke out against prayer charlatans. I have argued for Christianity to be given the respect it is due, and not be marginalised in media coverage through the activities of the church.
I have commended good performers, even if they happen to be politicians. Edmund Bartlett was commended as a five-star minister because Jamaica's tourist arrivals grew by four per cent while world tourism was declining (July 9, 2009).
My interests are wide. I have argued that the Duckworth/Lewis cricket scoring system is an unknown, unworkable and unnecessary attempt to determine equivalency in cricket scores by a mathematical route in order to contrive a result (April 2, 2009), which is not cricket.
Greatest discomfort
The article that caused greatest discomfort for some members of Boulevard Baptist Church where I serve as pastor, was when I advocated for obeah to be decriminalised. I stated that Jamaican law should not criminalise a belief system. However, if a practitioner of obeah breaks the laws of Jamaica, then the person should face the consequences.No legislator will discuss this subject or repeal the law. They are under a spell!
I have expressed disappointment that CXC students are still taught that the Lord Mansfield ruling in England concerning the Somerset case in 1772 made slavery illegal in England.
This is after Eric Williams, former Trinidad and Tobago prime minister and historian, wrote from sometime in the 1940s that this is not so, and when an examination of the words of the judgment confirms Williams' assertion.
And finally, my major motivation for writing opinion pieces these 20 years is a belief that God is interested in the affairs of humans.
Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'The Cross and the Machete: Native Baptists of Jamaica - Identity, Ministry and Legacy'. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com
