I don't know Delano Seiveright; I think I spoke to him once a few months ago and then it was only a couple of words. I know now that I don't like the man and what he represents.

This week, Seiveright, the leader of G2K, the youth arm of the Jamaica Labour Party, declared that the G2K would be going on an all-out attack against the media, especially those members who criticise the party under the guise of being neutral.

When I heard the comments, and I didn't read them, I saw the video; my first thought is that this man has lost his mind. What does he mean by people pretending to be neutral? My other question is; are people not within their rights to question the JLP? The JLP is not as popular as they should be, given that truly neutral observers like myself, don't see the PNP as an option to anything. I would rather walk on hot coals than vote for the PNP in its present form, but the JLP have many issues of their own.

The leader of the party, the prime minister, has been made out to be a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth. It's like he is two, perhaps even three different persons. If he were Pinocchio his nose would be so long not even Clifton Brown could cross it.

His handling of the Mannatt/Dudus affair was a disaster and it eventually led to the nightmare that occurred last year May in Tivoli Gardens. His statements on the BBC about no gays in his cabinet, was also a public relations disaster for Jamaica. The economy is in the tank, jobs are hard to come by - even Christopher Tufton has admitted that - and people are suffering. To be fair, with regards to the economy, the PNP, who literally destroyed the country during their 18-long and arduous years in office, are as much to blame. But, the JLP are in power now and as such have become the face of the nation's economic woes. In short, things are not so great, so people are going to blame the Government.

no cause to be angry

But if you listen to Seiveright, one would believe that there is no cause to complain, no cause to be angry at the JLP, no cause to be critical. In fact, we should all be dancing in the streets because things are so great. Wow, it has never been this good. Yippee!!

So because of the criticism his party faces, maybe 14 months away from the next general election, Seiveright believes the only way to protect his party is by attacking the media, threatening to muzzle those who would speak ill of the party, calling for a media council as a watchdog (which admittedly is not a bad idea but not in the way he would want to use it). This is in an environment where many of the die-hards lack the ability to think for themselves and are prone to acting on instinct, hence exposing innocent people to unnecessary danger.

freedom of expression

What is even more troubling about his statements is that it seems as if he is saying that if one doesn't have anything good to say about the JLP then they shouldn't be allowed to speak at all. I really wasn't aware that I wasn't living in a democratic state where my freedom of expression isn't a God-given right.

Here is an idea. Instead of complaining, why doesn't Seiveright make himself more useful and find some spin doctors who are sympathetic to the JLP and get them speaking to the media? I guess that concept is lost on him and those who support his asinine arguments.

I am wondering if Seiveright understands the gravity of those statements he made, and how absolutely ignorant he sounds. I am also thinking that if it is people like him who are the next generation of the JLP and with the PNP going downhill like a 10-ton ball on a slippery slope, maybe Canada is not too cold for me to start thinking about as my next place of residence.

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