Kudos to Raymond Pryce
Published:Thursday | June 19, 2014 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
It is often said that we must give Caesar his due. In this case, credit belongs to Raymond Pryce, the member of parliament for North East St Elizabeth. Though he draws controversy from time to time, it is becoming increasingly obvious that he is a force to be reckoned with.
First, there is the major turnaround by people in society on ganja. When Pryce restarted the discussion on this topic, he had many opponents, including his colleague Dayton Campbell. Now people are racing to support its decriminalisation. In fact, Campbell recently declared that he wants a ganja agro park in his constituency!
Second, last year, when Pryce called for a system to better monitor civil-society groups, their sources of funding, their operation and their agendas, many rushed to heap coals on his head. Some accused him of trying to attack freedom of expression. Then came the revelation and subsequent apologies and resignation with respect to controversial and inappropriate material being disseminated to minors by Jamaicans for Justice.
Maybe this most regrettable breach by Jamaicans for Justice will teach us to stop shooting the messenger. On both these topical issues, MP Pryce has shown that he has the mettle for leadership that this country needs. Perhaps it is time he ends his apprenticeship on the backbenches and get some serious work to do within the Government.
OSWALD CAMERON