Five living Jamaican Prime Ministers: Left to Right – Hon. Edward Seaga , Hon. Andrew Holness, Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, Hon. Percival Noel James Patterson, Hon. Bruce Golding,
“Eternal Father bless our land, Guard us with Thy Mighty Hand, Keep us free from evil powers, Be our light through countless hours. To our Leaders, Great Defender, Grant true wisdom from above.
Justice, Truth be ours forever, Jamaica, Land we love. Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love.
Teach us true respect for all, Stir response to duty’s call, strengthen us the weak to cherish, Give us vision lest we perish. Knowledge send us Heavenly Father, Grant true wisdom from above. Justice, Truth be ours forever, Jamaica, land we love. Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love.”
By ANTONIO MCKOY
In all that our “likkle but talawa”county has experienced over the years, and with all the misconception and misunderstanding that Jamaican’s face day-in and day-out; we still stand tall as a nation. We have the bloodline of the strength that our forefathers left us – strong African men and women who fought for our now freedom.
Sometimes I don’t know if we are truly a free people, after all the fighting we, all of us, from Momma Nanny, Poppa’s Paul Bogle, and Sam Sharp, Hon. Bustamante, the Manleys, Hon. Hugh Shearer and all our Out-of-Many-One-People have gone through. Maybe it is no longer physical slavery that is our issue. Do you think we may need a major emancipation from slavery of the mind? Whatever that means to anyone, one thing for sure is that our National Anthem, which is really a prayer to our Eternal Father, stands as a covering for our leaders, asking God to Grant them “true wisdom from above.”
As a boy, a few year ago...okay, more than a few years ago. Jamaican kids were grounded in the pride of Jamaica. Her beauty, our love and loyalty was preached at home, in school, in church, and among community leaders. We would stand at attention like soldiers and repeat the national pledge. We took it serious, we were pledging like army soldiers – all for Jamaica, with our right hand across our left breast, clutching our “hearts.”
We repeated, with bright little eyes: “Before God and all mankind, I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart, the wisdom and courage of my mind, the strength and vigour of my body in the service of my fellow citizens; I promise to stand up for Justice, Brotherhood and Peace, to work diligently and creatively, to think generously and honestly, so that Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity, and play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race.”
But I am now unsure where is this pledge in our lives today. I would like with speak to the five living Jamaican Prime Ministers – Sirs and Madam – did you lead with true wisdom from “Above,” did you even make this kind of wisdom a priority to ask for? Or maybe it wasn’t granted – Jamaica’s National Anthem implies that this kind of wisdom must be granted from the Great Defender.
Is there Brotherhood, or Peace in Jamaica land we love?
Can we keep our pledge to “work” when there is hardly any jobs hiring our youths. Where should they express their diligence and creativity? Is Jamaica increasing in fellowship, and PROSPERITY? Under God? I challenge the five living Jamaican Prime Ministers to demonstrate how they have contributed to the nation keeping this pledge which all children must make – before God and mankind. Isn’t it said that when one makes a pledge to God and then break it, that is a serious infarction? And every child in Jamaica is commanded to make this pledge from the grade one (first grade) upwards, yet only a few people keep our National Pledge after they say it over and over in school. That’s a whole heap of serious infarction for a likkle island – Sirs and Madam Prime Ministers of Jamaica, what do you think – are we manufacturing trouble on our island by making a pledge to God, that we really can’t keep?
Maybe Jamaican’s should not make our children under the age of consent make such a pledge before God and man. I am sure most young children don’t understand the responsibility of a pledge…they just know that the national pledge is something you stand still to and strike up your shoulders before saying it. Prime Ministers I think we should take the National Pledge more serious, teach the children about what a pledge is and allow them to elect to take this pledge at the Junior High School level and above, if they choose to.
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As much as we are a bit untidy as a nations, we are also tidy, compared to some countries and island out there. Jamaica has come a long way in technology, and government, we are third world, but we have some competitive first world structures – I admit! And that is thanks to the five living Jamaican Prime Ministers.
I have spoken to some very bright young men and women, who are still in school and have their eyes on the office of the Prime Minster – They want the opportunity in a few years to lead the Jamaica, and I, Antonio Mckoy encourage them to hail to lead us! It is a hard job to lead a county, but Jamaica has the resources to foster men and women of great resilience, who can keep our National Pledge and lead by praying our national anthem!
We are not just beautiful but we are brains. I am proud to be a Jamaican. Hardship there are but our land remains green and people come here just for the sunshine. I am concerned though with what the country will be years from now if our Prime Ministers do not seriously unite to protect our tourism; so that people, even our own Jamaicans abroad can feel safe coming here. When I talk with Jamaicans or people of Jamaican birth or heritage, they don’t want to return home – and certainly not to the supposedly tourist haven, “Montego Bay,” they are afraid of the violence, they are afraid of dying here! And who can blame them?
I remember when extreme crime and violence was another Caribbean island’s problem. This island has suffered irreparable earthquakes, hurricanes, landslides, starvation, political uprising and mass deaths – hopefully Jamaica will keep being protected from disasters – I can only think though that our the National Anthem, aka “national prayer” that we sing and Jamaica’s National Pledge that some of us keep, are what’s keeping us safe.
Long story, short – to the five living Jamaican Prime Ministers – Jamaica needs you. We need you to make our home “increase in beauty” like you pledged. And I am not talking about planting flowers.
Maybe if the five living Jamaican Prime Ministers get together and ask God, “Give us vision lest we perish;” knowledge will be sent to us from our Heavenly Father, then we won’t have to worry about the future of Jamaica, land we love… Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica land we love.
Thank you for reading,
I would like to hear feedback, please comment below. You can also reach me at @mckoysnews, mckoysews@gmail.com, mobile and Whatsapp me at 1876-353-1589.
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