Holness must collar Warmy

Ian Boyne

The name Everald Warmington has become a metaphor for crudeness, crassness, boorishness and philistinism. He wears his incivility as a badge of honour, and he seems to be in competition with himself to see how more repulsive he can be.

All that would be obnoxious enough. But his brazen and sickening elevation to principle of the victimisation of non-voters must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. And people must not dignify those utterly indefensible comments by praising him for frankness and honesty. Those who say, "At least Warmy not afraid to talk the truth and how him feel", have totally missed the point. Those incensed about non-voters who "have the most chat" about what's wrong with the country are confusing the issue.

And those giving him some credit for at least raising the issue of compulsory voting are also obscuring the matter. And, most regrettably, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness smiling it off on television news while dissociating himself from Warmington's discriminatory statements misses by miles the gravity of the issue.

It is not enough for Mr Holness to state what the party's position is and to assure us that Warmington, on reflection, would have said it differently (when, in his usual arrogant style, Warmington has stubbornly clung to his reprehensible statements.)

One thing we know about Warmington is, he means what he says. He does not speak impulsively. What you get, with all its coarseness, is what is really inside the man.

Those persons giving any substance to Warmington have missed some crucial points. One, even if it is true that the time has come for non-voters to stop being 'freeloaders'; even if they should "shut their mouths about what's going on in the country"; even if we should now join those countries which have compulsory voting, applying sanctions, too, the fact is we are not there yet.

Warmington is not serving in any such jurisdiction. Therefore, he is not at liberty to decide unilaterally that he is "not dealing wid" even an old lady who is sick and in need of help because she is a Jehovah's Witness and did not vote. Or she is someone who believes that no party can really help Jamaica.

People saying that Warmington is "free to express his opinions honestly" are speaking irrelevantly. It is not about Warmington's freedom of speech or honesty. We can express any opinion we want, no matter how offensive or jarring. But when you are, like Warmington, in a position to distribute benefits, you cannot decide that you are going to discriminate against people and be free to do so.

DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE

That is why Andrew Holness has to do more than simply say Warmington is wrong, this is not official party position. No, Warmington - and the country - must be told that he will not be allowed to go on another JLP ticket if he practises what he preached last Sunday. He must be prevailed upon not to carry out his discriminatory practice.

And the Government must make it clear to him that state funds must be distributed to all, voters and non-voters. Derrick Kellier announced that $75 million would be made available to members of parliament to help poor people. Warmington must recant his discriminatory policy to get these funds.

The Government can't just be concerned that People's National Party (PNP) people are not discriminated against. They must also protect non-voting Jamaicans.

We are happy that Warmington, in his usual hubris, bragged about his discrimination, so something can be done about it. Can you imagine how many old ladies, sick and in need of help; how many old men in need of a little assistance but because they can't show that they have voted have to go without money provided by the State for them because this MP elects to victimise them?

And the party leader merely dissociates himself and the party? And he was right there on the platform while that old-style, vulgar politics was being displayed before him.

PUBLIC CONDEMNATION

Warmington should have been immediately reprimanded. If the leader did not hear him, when the reports hit, Warmington should have been publicly condemned and we should have been told that Warmington had been instructed to play by the rules, rather than erecting his own. I have described him before as a loose cannon who is a liability to the JLP, and I reiterate that now.

Let's not obscure the issue by talking about using this occasion of Warmington's announcement of his discrimination policy to talk about compulsory voting, low voter turnout, and democracy and political apathy. Let's not dilute our revulsion to Warmington's scandalous statement that, "if you don't vote, you don't count". Only voters count.

The Warmington Doctrine is that 'you can't ask for government benefits when you refuse to participate in the governance of your country'. And he was forward enough to say, "I don't know how others perform, but in South West St Catherine, dem have to vote to talk to me." If you even sick and old and need that assistance, if this man checks his computer and you are not on his 'mark of the beast' instrument, you can't buy or sell!

And don't cloud the issue by noting that he was not saying voters had to vote for him. That does not lessen the obnoxiousness of his position. Everald Warmington has got away with a lot of crudeness and vulgarity in the past. This one goes deeper than that.

He can continue to be the boor that he is. But when he steps over the line and boldly announces his policy of discrimination against even the poor and infirm, his party leader can't sit by and make it business as usual because Warmington is a loudmouth who helped him (Holness) to retain his leadership.

Your leadership is worth nothing, Mr Holness, if you are nonchalant about the Warmington Doctrine to victimise even sick non-voters. And the State, too, must intervene and fellow parliamentarians must this Tuesday condemn the Warmington Doctrine.

It is still legal in Jamaica not to vote. And taxpayers should not be victimised for exercising that right.

Ian Boyne is a veteran journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and ianboyne1@yahoo.com.