Commentary

She sat before me, a picture of panic. Eleven years before I saw her, she almost died during her last pregnancy because her blood pressure skyrocketed during the last trimester. When I saw her, she was significantly overweight, diabetic,...

The Prime minister gets an ‘A’ for honesty with his somewhat jarring admission that crime is beyond his administration’s capacity to handle, but that won’t give much solace to the citizenry cowering under the growing threats. I have no intention of...

My arms are thrown up, but not in despair. It is a mark or defiance because I do not accept that crime in Jamaica has “evolved currently, over and above our established capacity to address it”. Our Prime Minister the Right Hon Andrew ‘Brogad’...

With the naming of the review tribunal for persons detained or restricted under emergency powers in east Kingston, it is opportune that we again urge greater transparency by the authorities in how they assess the efficacy in these enhanced powers...

In Guyana, they call it “blow”. In Barbados, St Lucia, and Trinidad, it is ‘horn’ or ‘butt’, but St Lucians add the Kwéyòl or patois word ‘kòné’. In Jamaica, you get “bun”, a word with several different meanings, at least one of which is identical...

This week’s confirmation by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) of the continued softening of gross domestic product (GDP) output poses two significant challenges to the government, one economic and the other political. The most immediate, and...

Not everyone supported Project Jamaica when it launched in 1962. As I recall, residents at the time could choose whether to become nationals of the new nation, or remain British citizens. Our family discussed it and we decided to be Jamaican, but...

The world order today is vastly different from that which prevailed 50 years ago. Attitudes have shifted significantly on issues which were taboo back then, the least of which is sexual orientation. Today, homosexuality, having broken down the...

To say that we rely heavily on our devices and information technology systems to function effectively is an understatement. This is the digital era! Almost every task is aided through the use of a device connected to the Internet. It is for this...

Justice Seymour Panton was the guest speaker at the launch of my recent book A Controversial Clergyman. He was a clerk of courts during my time working in the RM Courts in Montego Bay, straight out of high school (1968-1974). In passing during his...

In my article last week, I addressed some of the trade and economic issues on the agenda or which should have been discussed at the 31st Intersessional Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados, February 18-19. With Jamaica’s prime...

In light of the increasing incidents of physical altercations in our schools, it is important that we consider teaching our children empathy. Such instruction must be explicit and consistent. For one hour per week, guidance counsellors and other...