Letter of the Day | Who is speaking on behalf of the people?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As we approach the commemorations of Emancipation and Independence, it is difficult not to reflect on the stark contrast between the ideals these celebrations represent and the lived experiences of many Jamaicans today. Despite the promises of freedom and national sovereignty, the systems that govern us too often perpetuate a sense of oppression – particularly for ordinary citizens.

I am compelled to ask: Why is it that the average Jamaican seems so frequently targeted and scrutinised by the police? There appears to be a troubling pattern in which some officers find satisfaction in profiling civilians – running licence plates without cause, making assumptions based on attire, and engaging in actions that leave citizens feeling disrespected, harassed, and disempowered.

Yesterday, while assisting an elderly woman and her daughter to the airport in Montego Bay – they were en route to their granddaughter’s and niece’s graduation in America– I had an encounter with the police that left me deeply disturbed. I had briefly stepped inside the airport terminal to help with luggage, leaving my vehicle in the care of a colleague, also an educator. Because we know of the rules at the airport, he took the car and drove around until I had returned. While exiting, a black vehicle suddenly cut in front of my colleague, forcing him to brake abruptly and unintentionally stop on a pedestrian crossing. Though he was attempting to move off promptly, he was intercepted by a police officer who approached the vehicle without offering a proper greeting, demanded the driver’s licence, and issued a ticket without consideration or dialogue.

As if that weren’t enough, a second officer falsely claimed that our vehicle was uninsured. I immediately presented the required documentation, yet still appealed for leniency, given the circumstances and the attempt to avoid a collision. Nonetheless, a $10,000 ticket was issued and four demerit points applied – no conversation, no explanation, just a cold transaction that underscored the imbalance of power between citizen and state.

SYSTEMATICALLY MISTREATED

I am being told that if I wish to contest this ticket, I must return to the Montego Bay Traffic Court in person. As a teacher, the cost of this journey – both financially and professionally – is considerable. Losing a day of work, paying for fuel and tolls, and subjecting myself to a court system that may well operate in lock step with the same officers I am challenging, seems an insurmountable price for simply doing what is right.

In this 63rd year of Independence, I ask: Who is speaking on behalf of the people? The ordinary Jamaican – those of us who don’t possess clout or influence – are often subjected to systems that silence us rather than serve us. I can only imagine how many more citizens have suffered similar injustices at the hands of police officers, doctors, judges, and other state actors, with no recourse and no voice.

At times, I have contemplated writing to the relevant authorities to relinquish my role as a Justice of the Peace, so deeply have I felt betrayed by the very system I strive to uphold. We must ask ourselves: Are we truly progressing as a nation when our people feel unheard, unsupported, and systematically mistreated?

I use this platform to make a public appeal to those in authority: listen to the people. Restore trust. Ensure fairness. Uphold the principles on which this nation was built. Because if the cries of ordinary Jamaicans continue to go unanswered, then we are not celebrating independence – we are simply preserving a new kind of captivity.

DWIGHT DAWKINS