Forward march, Dr Alexis

ITHE EDITOR, Sir: HOPE that by now we would have realised that like Dr Shane Alexis, there are many committed Jamaicans who have lived here or are living here who 1) don’t have a Jamaican passport, or 2) are not Jamaican citizens but have contributed and continue to contribute immensely to the Jamaican state more than some of the babblers.

In Dr Alexis’ case, moreover, we understand that although he holds a Grenadian passport it is not current, which implies that this dedicated medical doctor seems not to be in a hurry to renew same.

So then, we are aware of the political expediency with which Daryl Vaz, et al have been “pains-in-the-butt” towards the goodly doctor who, no doubt, saw the need for active political representation, an observation that he would have gained first-hand from his tenure at the Annotto Bay Hospital, and throw his hat into the ring.

My greatest wish for him as he goes forward is that the JLP-led Government will not victimise his efforts, perchance he wins on October 30, as intimated, I believe, by Mr Warmington, who has told voters that it is “difficult for Alexis to survive in a JLP-led administration”. It is sad that modern politics is not devoid of that type of corruption which is only debilitating to our social and spiritual progress. What is even more frightening is that such a statement would not be immediately condemned by the prime minister. It’s a pity that the spritely doctor has to face such backward behaviour, even though he has been appointed on several boards by the same JLP-led Government.

Another point of note is the blind-folded crassness with which the political practice in Jamaica can directly or indirectly attack systems and institutions that are important to us, just in order to make sure that our point is registered. I speak, of course, of the idea that had surfaced over the last two general elections in earnest, at the possibility of having diaspora involvement in our voting process. The Government must evaluate whether it has put its foot in its mouth on this matter. Has it not? A’LERROY BROWN llbrown00@gmail.com