Guest commentary: Democracy and the media

The news feed 'crawler' on one of the morning talk-shows had an item - 'Abu Bakr goes after Manning' and I thought, right, we've arrived, the inmates are now running the asylum.

Does this station have a head of news? What is his agenda? The station's for that matter?

Does this mean that wrong can become right depending on who's in power? Really? Are we in fact a Banana Republic?

That the item was allowed is wrong on so many points that I do not know where to start, but it appears that in their headlong rush to cement themselves in the good graces of the new Government and so benefit from state advertising, what passes for independent news media in this country is tripping over each other, trying to elbow itself to the front of the class to give the new teacher its apple.

Really? And what of the people? Are they even on the people's business?

What is the accepted view on Abu Bakr now? What is this Government's view? Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar's view? Winston Dookeran's view?

Is he (Bakr) a treacherous villain who escaped the noose by shrewd acts of legal gymnastics and threats of violence and other terrorism, or is he now a champion of the people?

Candidate Kamla Persad Bissessar went for the anointing and blessing of ex PM and ex President, His Excellency Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, who, among other abuses, was shot by agents of that 'champion' when he (Bakr) assaulted our democracy, defiled our Parliament and terrorized our nation in retaliation for the then Government (under the same Mr. Robinson) trying to enforce the law.

If history is allowed to be rewritten for this matter, I fear that future Governments may be loathe to go after 'Strong Men' deviants who flout the law and, well, what is down that road recently played itself out in Jamaica for us all to see.

What's my rant about?

Democracy is a fragile thing, held in place by the will of the people to resist those who would topple it for their own gain, and an independent media is the strongest tool in the people's arsenal.

Nothing galvanized the nation to remove Patrick Manning from Government more than the fear that he was galloping towards dictatorship with the removal of our rights and freedoms as his government's final goal.

That Ministers Taylor, Imbert and Teshiera demonstrated open contempt for those same rights in Parliament all but united us against that regime.

Conversely, in her rush to rewrite history for sound-bites and PR, candidate Kamla Persad Bissessar referred to Makandal Daaga as a hero of the people.

Which people might I ask?

In my view, the fact that Mr. Daaga was prepared to stand up against the forces and fight for the issues he fought for was heroic, but the way he went about it doesn't make him a hero.

Might 'does not' make right, nor should it be allowed to, if things like Democracy, Constitution, Rule of Law, Law & Order, and Human Rights are to have any real value in this place.

Martin Luther King fought the very same struggle in a non violent way, Rosa Parks, Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi all espoused non violence in the face of violence to bring society as a whole to a higher level, even the vanquished. Nelson Mandela was dehumanized and still he rose above his circumstances.

Look, we can't have it both ways. We are either a Democratic Republic - a Nation governed by Law, with the power vested in the People, or we're not.

If we are, we can't keep changing the rules to get our own way, or we're really little children playing dress up games.

We the People need to demand much, mush more from our media.

We need to hold this and every Government to the Principles of good Governance, respect for the rights of the People and the Rule of Law, or discard and replace them until we get it right.

In civilized countries what you say is taken to be what you believe, and so you are careful with what you say, as the media will hold you to it and force you to stand by and defend it, even if it leads to your detriment and personal loss.

The Media have a responsibility, and that is to challenge those who lead us when they deviate from what is right, moral, ethical and legal.

To do otherwise is to capitulate to power for selfish gain, and to bring shame and disrepute to your profession.

Something to think about...

Phillip Edward Alexander