Wilfred Rattigan and his band of merrymen in New York are bringing to attention the ousting of UWI from the offices of the Jamaican Consulate in New York.
This rag-tag Diaspora band of brothers maintain UWI was kicked out of the building because the university refused to confer on Jamaica’s prime minister a doctorate degree.
In other words, it was politically motivated and punitive in nature.
The impression spun is that both UWI and the Jamaican Consulate office have shared the space for a long time now and the Consular-General of New York, Alsion Roach Wilson, at the behest of the Jamaican government has now given UWI the boot.
Wil Rattigan and Wayne Lonesome are on a sustained campaign to both belittle and oust the government, doing so from the Diaspora. They are hell-bent on stirring resentment and dissatisfaction.
This narrative surrounding why UWI can no longer occupy that space has to be more than what the Diaspora foghorns are purporting.
They maintain that Andrew Holness is so thin-skinned that he, Kamina Johnson Smith and Audrey Marks conspired to leave UWI out in the New York cold.
Unbelievable!
This could come straight out of a John Grisham novel.
The Diaspora disgruntle-heads claim that the Jamaican Government does not care about the students and UWI and that there is a black hand behind this move.
They point the finger at Alsion Roach Wilson, Jamaica’s Consul-General to New York, insisting she was aided and abetted in this.
Now Alsion is a sharp cookie who is also Chair of the Caricom Consular Corps, not one easily manipulated and utilised.
All this Diaspora mafia see here is a political hit job. They are also looking to drag Jamaica’s Ambassador to the U.S,. Audrey Marks into this and besmirch her reputation.
It may have escaped their attention that UWI may now need its own space and that the time has come to part ways. There comes a time when you have to leave the nest and go off on your own. You can’t mooch off the Government forever.
All this is brought up just in time for their much heralded protest march in New York on Friday, where you can buy a T-shirt and enjoy light refreshments.
Rattigan and his crew say Jamaica is a mess, riven with corruption and mismanagement. The crime levels are out of control, the young have no hope, the prime minister is enriching himself, Jamaica has made no progress. Tale after tale of woe with nothing positive to report.
They are going to protest notwithstanding the only thing they will accomplish is place Jamaica in a bad light before the world, all the while, loving the media attention. Their contribution to the country they claim to love—tarnish Brand Jamaica.
All they will end up doing is serve to confirm the misconception that Jamaica is not progressive and is a third-world banana republic beyond governance, incapable of taking care of its citizens.
Rather than take their concerns to the government in meaningfull dialogue, they chose to embarrass the country and its shortcomings before the world.
Then they can gloat while a few disgruntled old timers wave placards and munch on American-made patties as they shuffle in protest in spring time New York.
This Diaspora posse gripe that you can’t give an honoree degree to a Prime Minister who has not made his statutory declarations, whose government engages in corrupt practices, whose wife is allowed to preside over the legislature, allows aliens to break Jamaican airspace protocols, and on and on and on.
The way they see it, there is nothing good or edifying about Andrew Holness, his government and Jamaica today.
The intent is to pillory and demean the prime minister, live and direct from New York.
What these malcontents have to come to terms with, is they chose to make their lives in the Diaspora. They reside there and make their living there. They opted for American citizenship.
Focus on your life in America and allow Jamaicans to manage and govern Jamaica.
You are truly in the wilderness, so make your life there. You decided to give up on Jamaica on your own volition, so live with your decision. Do not hold Jamaica to ransom. Do not invoke the names of Audrey Marks and Kamina Johnson Smith.
Those in the Diaspora have no right and should never sit in a Jamaican parliament. No American living outside the United States who has taken another citizenship sits in Congress, likewise, no English person who resides outside of the UK sits in Westminster. It is obvious why this is so.
With this bunch of troublemakers coming from outside the country, there’s even more reason to keep this lot at bay.
You can’t serve two countries – either you are a Jamaican or you are an American. You can’t suck on two teats at the same time.
If you didn’t make the cut for the top cop job, you shouldn’t spend the bulk of your time wallowing in acrimony and resentment.
Be productive, do something you can take pride in.
As you protest today ponder on this line from President John Fitzgerald Kennedy: “ Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”.
Ask yourself what country do you really serve then take a look in the mirror.
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