Home Again: August 4, 2013

Well, the Petchary is a migratory bird, and I am back from the eastern side of the Caribbean, where I observed the gentler side of life. But more on that in another post… Meanwhile this weekend is wedged between the Emancipation Day (August 1) and Independence Day (August 6) holidays, always accompanied by the platitudes from our leaders. This year, we are apparently “Celebrating Jamaica: Triumphant, Proud and Free.”

Here are a few bits and pieces. I only got home last night, so have not caught up with things…

The cruel death of a teen: Almost as soon as I arrived, I caught a glimpse of news about the horrific mob killing of seventeen-year-old Dwayne Jones (“Gully Queen”), a gender non-conforming resident of Montego Bay, following a party in the town. Daniel Thwaites asked in his Sunday Gleaner column today (putting his flippancy aside, which can sometimes be quite insensitive), “something that at worst ought to cause embarrassment instead occasioned murder…Why are so many of us permanently ill-tempered and angry? The sad fact is that statistically the attackers of the unfortunate boy or girl have little to worry about from the police or the director of public prosecutions, even if the incident was caught on video.” (And by the way, this was news in Grenada, too). I understand that the Minister of Justice did issue a statement condemning the killing. But I wonder if there will be any justice for young Dwayne.

…and senseless death on the roads: I guess it is because people just drink too much at holiday time, but in the past couple of days there have been several horrendous car crashes, causing great loss of life. This evening there were pictures of cars that hardly looked like cars any more, just tangled masses of metal. How fast were they driving? I feel sad for the National Road Safety Council, who enjoyed great success in reducing road deaths last year. This year, for some reason, the fatalities have increased by some 20 per cent. Do support their efforts (http://www.nationalroadsafetycouncil.org.jm/)

The JSPCA needs a home – urgently! It appears that the government is kicking the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) out of their premises in Kingston, and they have nowhere to go. I noted this some weeks ago. The JSPCA does incredible work (sick/injured animals are simply thrown over their fence) for hundreds of animals every week; and Kingston already has a huge problem with stray dogs and sheer neglect and cruelty to animals. Many Jamaicans do not or cannot pay for their services, and they cannot afford Kingston real estate prices. Can’t someone help – there is so much land around?

Shooting birds: And talking about cruelty to animals, our wild birds are not immune. The bird shooting season begins on August 24. I have just returned from a bird/conservation conference in Grenada, where I learnt from Cuban participants that bird shooting there was completely banned two years ago. Nuff said.

Some “big ups”:

President Barack Obama celebrated his 52nd birthday today. His hair has silvered somewhat, but he is still as handsome as ever to me. I was once within a few yards of him when he gave a press conference at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad some years ago. His second term has been particularly challenging so far, but I am still in his corner. For what it’s worth! I found a quote from the President on Twitter: “We don’t ask you to believe in our ability to bring change, rather, we ask you to believe in yours.” For a brilliant photo gallery by White House official photographer Pete Souza, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/president-obama-turns-52

The National Health Fund has made a difference to the lives of many Jamaicans who, like me, take medications regularly that would otherwise cost far more. I think they do an excellent job and what is more, they are efficient in the way they go about things. Thanks to them, also, the dialysis unit at Montego Bay’s Cornwall Regional Hospital is getting a needed boost.

Claudia Gordon is Jamaican-born and has been appointed Public Engagement Advisor for the Disability Community at the White House. She is the first African American deaf female attorney in the United States, I understand. Wonderful.

To all those in the private sector, including the RJR Group, who are involved in the rehabilitation of the Annotto Bay Hospital in St. Mary, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy last year. St. Mary has many challenges. I am glad the parish hospital is getting support.

Mr. Eric Donaldson sang the patriotic-yet-chirpy song “This is the Land of My Birth” in 1978, and this week Jamaicans chose the song as winner of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s “All Time Best” Festival Song Competition. I did love his other, equally chirpy song “Cherry Oh Baby” which came seventh… Congratulations, Mr. Donaldson!

In memoriam: Here are some of the names I have gleaned, of those Jamaicans whose lives have been violently torn from them in the past two or three weeks. May they rest in peace, and may their grieving families and friends somehow find consolation:

Tashanique James, 11, Denham Town, Kingston

Antana Allen, Half Way Tree, Kingston

Unidentified man, downtown Kingston

Hector Wilson, 50, downtown Kingston

Mark South, Millsborough, Kingston

Lancelot Hall, 42, Hagley Park Road, Kingston

Father Charles Brown, Plantation Heights, St. Andrew

Chad Telfair, 28, Seven Miles/Bull Bay, St. Andrew

Mark McLarty, 29, Gordon Town, St. Andrew

Dwayne Jones, 17, Montego Bay, St. James

Kemar Murray, 23, Mount Salem, St. James

Paul Ricketts, 21, Mount Salem, St. James

Tyrone Murray, 28, Banbury, St. Catherine

Garth Parkes, 42, Banbury, St. Catherine

Omar Abrahams, 24, Newlands, St. Catherine

Keron Thompson, Spanish Town, St. Catherine

Stephen Stewart, 19, Lakes Pen, St. Catherine

Derrick Bailey, 47, Sligoville, St. Catherine

Lance McCarthy, 41, Portmore, St. Catherine

Ian Francis, 35, Bucks Common, Clarendon

Christopher Edmond, 45, Chapelton, Clarendon

“Frog Head,” Sanguinetti, Clarendon

Kevin Whyte, Negril, Westmoreland

Delroy Whyte, 41, Darliston, Westmoreland

Donovan Boothe, Prospect, St. Thomas

Damion Anderson, 22, Top Hill, Manchester

Collin Stephenson, 39, Ramble, Hanover

Ishmael Perez, 48, Lucea, Hanover

Lee McFarlane, 31, Lucea, Hanover

Killed by police:

Orlando Sammond, 43, Molynes Road, Kingston

Nicholas Gordon, 24, Spanish Town Road, Kingston

Omar Young, 38, McGregor Gully, Kingston

Unidentified man, Negril, Westmoreland

Unidentified man, De La Vega City, St. Catherine

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/cleisure/cleisure3.html Dressed for murder: Carolyn Cooper column/Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/cleisure/cleisure5.html From daggering to daggered: Daniel Thwaites column/Sunday Gleaner

http://www.jflag.org/2013/07/remembering-dwayne-jones-gully-queen/ Remembering Dwayne Jones, Gully Queen: J-FLAG website

http://www.jflag.org/2013/07/violence-against-lgbt-people-is-an-affront-to-democracy/ Violence against LGBT people is an affront to democracy: J-FLAG website

http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/businessman-killed-in-downtown-kingston Businessman killed in downtown Kingston: RJR News

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Productivity-remains-Jamaica-s-main-problem_14800993 Productivity remains Jamaica’s main problem: Dennis Chung column/Jamaica Observer

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/For-our-own-good_14804163 For our own good: Jamaica Observer editorial

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/lead/lead21.html Oh, for an “ark”! Sunday Gleaner

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Project-to-make-children-safe_14716542 Project to make children safe: Sunday Observer

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/world/americas/as-cost-of-importing-food-soars-jamaica-turns-to-the-earth.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130804&_r=0 As cost of importing food soars, Jamaica turns to the earth: New York Times

http://www.nad.org/news/2013/7/nad-applauds-appointment-claudia-gordon-public-engagement-advisor-white-house National Association for the Deaf applauds appointment of Claudia Gordon as Public Engagement Advisor at the White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/30/meet-women-administration-claudia-gordon Meet the women of the Administration: Claudia Gordon: White House

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/-p-When-Emancipation-came–p—_14803216 When Emancipation came: Barbara Gloudon column/Jamaica Observer

http://theyoungadvocate.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/a-promise-is-comfort-to-a-fool-the-jamaican-governments-brutish-response-to-demand-for-the-protection-of-children-in-its-care/ A promise is a comfort to a fool: The Young Advocate

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/arts/arts1.html Creating marketable art: Sunday Gleaner

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130804/ent/ent1.html “This is the Land of my Birth”: Sunday Gleaner

Dwayne Jones, also known as “Gully Queen.” He was chased, chopped and shot to death by a mob in Montego Bay on July 22. (Photo courtesy of Minority-Insight)

There has been a stream of car wrecks, with many lives lost and many injured, over the past few days. It is complete madness. (Photo: Gleaner)

James Wemyss-Gorman shows off one of the several rabbits now being housed at the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (Photo: Rudolph Brown/Gleaner)

The splendid White-Crowned Pigeon, or Baldpate, is still being shot in Jamaica. (Photo: Paula Cannon)

President Barack Obama talks with will.i.am, following an event at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 9, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The beautiful Jamaican-born Claudia Gordon has just been appointed to an important position at the White House engaging the public on disability issues. Ms. Gordon is hearing-impaired.

A silver-suited Mr. Eric Donaldson, who won the best Festival song with “This is the Land of my Birth.” (Photo: Gleaner)