Garth Rattray | What would our National Heroes think of us today?

Since 1969 when National Heroes’ Day was officially established, and commemorated on the third Monday in October, Jamaicans remember, honour, and celebrate national heroes. We do this to keep their individual sacrifice, bravery, and love of Jamaica foremost in our minds. We do this to help us emulate their role in building this nation of ours. The determination and forthrightness of our national heroes gave us our identity, and their legacy is Jamaica, land we love.

A national hero is a citizen of Jamaica who “rendered service of the most distinguished nature” to the country. It is the highest order of Jamaican honours. Nanny of the Maroons was honoured for her “leadership in uniting the Windward Maroons and fighting for their freedom against British colonial forces, primarily through her military and strategic genius”. Paul Bogle was honoured for “his leadership in the Morant Bay Rebellion of 1865, where he and his followers marched for justice, equality, and fair treatment for the poor, leading to significant social and economic reforms in the country. His courage in the face of oppression and ultimate execution made him an enduring symbol of resistance”.

George William Gordon (a ‘free coloured’ in his time) was honoured for championing the cause of poor blacks. He was an outspoken and frequent critic of the Jamaica Assembly, of which he was a member. He was accused of being involved in the Morant Bay Rebellion and summarily executed.

Marcus Garvey was made a national hero because of his promotion of racial pride, economic self-reliance, and the worldwide unification of people of African descent. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and backed the Black Star Line shipping company (to facilitate trade and a return to Africa). Garvey’s actions inspired civil rights movements.

Baptist deacon Sam Sharpe became a national hero for his leadership in the 1831 [Christmas] Rebellion. That expansive slave revolt catalysed the 1833 Abolition Bill and emancipation in 1838.

Norman Manley was made a national hero because of his essential role in Jamaica’s self-governance and independence. He was our first chief minister and premier. Norman Manley formed the People’s National Party and fronted the effort for universal adult suffrage.

Mr Manley’s cousin, Sir Alexander Bustamante, was an activist against colonial rule. In his role as a trade unionist, he stood bravely against the establishment on behalf of the workers of Jamaica. He founded the Jamaica Labour Party. Together with Norman Manley, Bustamante is considered to be the father of our nation. They shaped the “moral, spiritual, and political foundation of the nation”.

STRONG PEOPLE

Our national heroes, the people that we emulate to make us a better nation, wanted and expected us to be a strong people with a rich, varied, and vibrant cultural identity. They expected us to be grateful for our freedom and to cherish it by allowing everyone the freedom to enjoy safety, [physical and financial] and security. We were to be a nation of people who look out for each other.

Our leaders, at various levels, were to be upstanding, above reproach, people to be emulated and respected, and public servants who put country above all else … especially above ‘politics’. Instead, over the past 40 years, Jamaica has been plagued by over a dozen major scandals involving our leaders. If our national heroes were being truly honoured, and not only the subjects of lip service, any public official whose actions gave any appearance of impropriety would resign and not cling to the power inherent in whatever position they occupy in public service. They would put country above politics.

Corruption is rampant in many government institutions. So, too, are inefficiency and (of course) unaccountability. Innumerable civil servants grossly unreport multiples of millions every year through corrupt practices using their government offices as the base for their activities. Research by Professor Trevor Munroe discovered that three out of every four Jamaican citizens believe that half of our politicians are corrupt. The increase in corruption has led to a decline of confidence in democratic institutions. It is so bad that corrupt elected officials are seen as the number one threat to national security. Billions of dollars are lost annually to crime and corruption.

Our national heroes dedicated and sacrificed their lives for our most democratic practice – voting – yet it has been compromised by politicians.

Thanks to the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (activated on December 1, 2006), for the most part, we have free and fair elections. However, some political activists are [allegedly] buying votes, and others are [allegedly] engaging in illegally diverting funds to finance elections. Many politicians will move mountains to remain in power. Sadly, politics has superseded nationhood.

Because of lax management and incompetence, underserved inner-city communities are deteriorating. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening annually. The public-health system remains overcrowded, underequipped, understaffed, and nightmarish for most citizens. A consistent and reliable social-protection system (safety net) for needy citizens is wanting. We have become too impatient, undisciplined, crass, and mendacious. Although there is some reduction in serious crime, Jamaicans express aggression towards one another far too easily.

Our national heroes were principled people who toiled selflessly for the betterment of our nation. They put our country above all else. I wonder what they would think of today’s Jamaica. Let us all strive to live our lives in such a way that we would make them proud of what we have become.

Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, and author of ‘The Long and Short of Thick and Thin’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.