Trivialising Beckles' remarks
Published:Saturday | May 21, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I could not help noticing the letter by Norman Thompson who proceeded to enlighten us on the various meanings of the word 'don' and to suggest that the uproar over Professor Beckles' recent comments about Chris Gayle were but a storm in a teacup.
But the uproar was not caused simply because Professor Beckles referred to Gayle as a don. What people were reacting to was the fact that Beckles drew a parallel between Gayle and Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, suggesting that in the same way that Jamaica was trying to uproot Dudus from the Jamaican society, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was also trying to uproot donmanship from West Indies cricket.
Now one does not try to uproot something unless it is undesirable, like a bad tooth.
what is Gayle guilty of?
It should also be noted that Gayle had previously expressed the view that the board was trying to get rid of him, a view which was denied by the WICB, and now we have a director basically confirming the view expressed by Gayle. Beckles also stated that the current crop of cricketers at the High Performance Centre were not interested in emulating the likes of either Chris Gayle or Marlon Samuels, thus bringing another Jamaican player into disrepute.
Finally, what really is Gayle guilty of besides seeking to ensure that he earns remuneration commensurate with what he thinks he is worth, an act which was also demonstrated by no less a person than Frank Worrell when he refused to tour in 1948 because he wanted to be paid as a professional.
The speech, however, failed to mention the Clive Lloyd-led revolt to join the Kerry Packer World Series Cricket, an act of donmanship far surpassing anything Chris Gayle has yet accomplished.
It is within this context, Mr Thompson, that there has been an uproar. One thing that we do not need in public discourse is simplistic analysis and attempts to trivialise serious issues that should be left to our Facebook page, not a national newspaper.
I am, etc.,
STEWART SPENCER
Kingston 6