Discipline going forward

By Peter Espeut

As we reflect this week on 50 years of political Independence, it is not only the performance of our politicians that we should evaluate, but our own as citizens, and as men and women.

If we are honest, we will have to admit that we Jamaicans have not earned a universally good reputation for discipline and uprightness. In addition to giving reggae and Rasta 'to de worl', we have also given tons of ganja and gangs and posses.

Since our Independence, most countries in the world have placed visa restrictions on the entry of Jamaicans, and have made the costs of those visas quite expensive to discourage Jamaicans from travelling there. This comes home to me personally quite often, as my wife is Trinidadian, and passport-holders from that country do not need as many visas as we do.

At home, we Jamaicans are not much better. Discipline is not a national trait. Certainly, we are not known for good time management; rather than being prompt, we keep 'Jamaica Time', and 'soon come' can mean never!

Children learn their values from different places, but home and school are major early sources, which means it is a vicious cycle, because so many Jamaican parents and teachers are themselves undisciplined, and it is not surprising that children turn out not to value and practise punctuality and consistency.

We fly off the handle and resort to violence over trifles. People chop up and stab each other over 'truppance' and bulla and domino games, and even though some readily enough share the bed of passion, later on, crimes of passion seem to follow all too frequently.

We Jamaicans are not disciplined when it comes to eating, and I speak to myself here as much as to anybody else. Nationally, we suffer from lifestyle disorders such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, which can be curbed by proper diet and exercise. But we seem to have difficulty controlling ourselves.

But we Jamaicans sometimes project a better image to ourselves and the world.

EXEMPLARS OF DISCIPLINE

During the 100m women's final last week, for a few seconds there was a side-view camera angle showing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Carmelita Jeter and Veronica Campbell-Brown barrelling along all in a row, and there was an incredible look of focused determination on Shelly-Ann's face that has made a big impression on me. She surged ahead of Jeter and went on to win the gold, with VCB getting the bronze.

Two days ago, Fraser-Pryce won the silver in the 200m women's final, just being beaten by Allyson Felix of the USA. Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake have also won medals in the men's sprints.

These Jamaicans are exemplars of personal discipline and self-control. You cannot win at this level as an athlete without tremendous self-discipline in eating, in time management, in physical training, even in the midst of pain and exhaustion, and in obedience to the instructions of the coach. There are hundreds of athletes and would-be athletes in Jamaica who, at least in their early years, live very disciplined lives; but in too many cases, it dissipates through lack of motivation, and widespread poor example - especially from the top.

I remain convinced that the future of Jamaica is in the hands of our women and men who aspire to be as disciplined as Fraser-Pryce, VCB, Bolt and Blake.

Those who would wish us to adopt positive values and attitudes should use the opportunity of the hype surrounding the 2012 Olympics and the 50th anniversary of Independence to inspire and motivate us - young and old - to put a little more discipline in our lives.

Only then will we truly develop and progress as a nation, and the immigration officers of the world more readily welcome us into their countries.

A GREAT LOSS

Catholic priest, the Rev Fr Jim Webb, SJ, formerly of St Peter Claver Church on Waltham Park Road and of St Theresa's Church, Annotto Bay, passed away yesterday in Canada.

A Canadian by birth, he came to Jamaica to serve the urban and rural poor, and did so in an exemplary manner. The women's housing cooperative he midwifed in the Waltham area, and the agricultural cooperative he fostered in St Mary, gave hope to many.

As board chairman, he led the transformation of St Peter Claver Primary into a top-notch educational institution, proving that inner-city schools do not have to underperform.

Along the way, he became a Jamaican citizen to fully share our future, and we are the better for his having been here.

Peter Espeut is a sociologist and Roman Catholic deacon. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.