The power of one

Dennie Quill, Columnist

THERE WAS Michael Moore on my television screen - bullhorn in hand, urging employees of the New York Stock Exchange to come out of their building with hands in the air.

Around the building, one could see the ubiquitous scene-of-crime yellow tape. Mr Moore, the outspoken American film-maker and social critic, said he was at the exchange to make a citizen's arrest.

Onlookers may shrug him off as a mad man, but Moore has, through his work, established his abhorrence of corporate greed and has continually railed against Wall Street and the rich. And this past weekend, many ordinary citizens decided to enter the political fray and stage a demonstration in New York City against corporate greed and economic hardships, which have picked their pockets and made them miserable.

I have to admit that I found his protest a bit funny. But then, I started thinking about the power of one - how throughout history men and women with grit have demonstrated that they can make a tremendous difference. Michael Moore's action affirmed something that we already knew: one man's action can have a profound effect on many.

What if?

The protest struck a chord with me and sent me into the magical land of what if? What if Michael Moore were a Jamaican, which institutions would he have targeted? I can just see him placing yellow tape around the nation's parliament to encourage our parliamentarians to focus their energies on national security and quality-of-life issues. He would call for less squabbling and keener focus on key development issues. For sure, he would be railing against corruption and in a "name and shame" campaign.

He would urge our leaders to lead by principle and not by expediency. He would demand a value-based society in which leaders make decisions that are best for the majority of its citizens and not simply short-term fixes that will guarantee a win at the next elections.

The dramatic Michael Moore known for his controversial yet incisive documentaries could, no doubt, put a spin on how the tentacles of criminals had reached deep into the hearts of our local political parties and how their violent activities had permeated the lives of thousands of Jamaicans causing them grief and sorrow.

This is not to suggest that all Jamaicans are cowering and afraid to speak out. But many of us are far too timid to be civic stakeholders at a time when we so desperately need the people power and independent voices that will check and balance economic and political power from the outside.

After nearly 50 years of nationhood, the trickle-down theory has remained just that - a theory, with a sizeable portion of the population still living in abject poverty. I believe if politicians took their own promises more sincerely we would have much more to show for 50 years of Independence.

As I am writing this column, I see that the gathering political storms have swept Prime Minister Bruce Golding off his feet - the next few months are going to be very interesting ones in Jamaica. There is a profound lesson to be learnt by those who will follow.

Dennie Quill is a veteran media practitioner. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and denniequill@hotmail.com.