Author Archives: Mike
JCF Begins Special Operation To Restore Order In Townships
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) today began a special initiative to restore order in public spaces, with special emphasis on May Pen in Clarendon, and Linstead and Spanish Town in St Catherine.
In a release a short while ago, the police say the operations being conducted will focus on markets and bus parks and aim to: target people involved in extortion, restore order, reduce congestion caused by illegal vending, illegal parking and provide a reassuring presence in the public spaces. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/JCF-begins-special-operation-to-restore-order-in-townships
Holness Quickly Running Out Of Political Capital To Deal Effectively With Crime…

Jamaica hab enuff law, wi nu need nu more law .
That’s a view many Jamaicans have when the question of crime comes up.
There is not much truth to that however. Most of our nation’s laws were written before the Island gained Independence from Britain.
Those laws were written to deal effectively with the issues of the day.
The punitive components in those laws, both custodial and otherwise, reflected the value placed on things and money and the values of the time.
Over the years the lack of teeth has fostered a disrespect for our laws , a process which was bound to result an increase in crime.
And it has.
Times change , back in the 70’s there was no internet so there was no need to have laws governing the internet.
There were not many reports of child trafficking, now there are, so there is a need for laws to deal with those.
That is not to say that the lack of teeth in our laws is solely responsible for the dramatic escalation of criminality since 1962 to today.
The list of factors which forms that perfect storm is well know and has been described and debated ad nauseam
The problem is not that Jamaicans cannot obey laws. It’s nonsensical to assume or suggest also that Jamaicans have a propensity or a predisposition toward committing crimes.
Despite the large amounts of Jamaicans sent back to the Island through the deportation process, the vast majority of our people who immigrate to other countries are law abiding. So we have established that as a people we can obey laws.
We have demonstrated arguably, that we do not have any gene in us which makes us commit crimes over and above any other grouping of people.

Excess of the worst order which has been fueling the Island murder rate…
SO WHAT IS IT ABOUT US ?
Before we get to the answer to that question , lets toss out poverty as a deciding factor .
Many impoverished nations have far less crime than Jamaica per capita . Cuba,one such country ‚is located just 90 miles off our shore.
All across Asia and Africa people live in far greater poverty than most Jamaicans are exposed to.
Yet they record significantly less homicide that Jamaica does . Even countries which are far larger and much more populous record significantly less crime.
The notion that we can close down the prisons and simply provide jobs for everyone and we will somehow be able to sleep with our doors unlocked, or as in Jamaica’s case leave some of the grill fortifications unlocked is simply stupid.
Would there be a lessening of crime if everyone has a job?
Probably?
But not as much as some would like to have you believe.
Which brings us to why , why is there so much crime in Jamaica?
GREED, ENVY, WANTING TO LIVE ABOVE THEIR MEANS , AND SYSTEM WHICH DOES NOT PUNISH CRIMINALS !!!
A people who promote gangsters , demonizes police officers, and nurture and give aid and comfort to criminals have no business expecting to live free from crime.
Post a comment to social media which dogs police officers, or glorifies gangsters , sit back and watch.
Like flies to feces they converge dissing the cops and glorifying the gangsters.
Is our country now a country of majority criminals then?
Hard to tell, but if Transparency International is to be believed, we may have passed that tipping point long ago.
According to Transparency International Jamaica is ranked 83 out of 176 countries; falling 14 places in the country rankings.
In 2015, Jamaica ranked 69 out of 168 countries. Jamaica’s CPI score is 39 out of 100… falling two points from its 2015 score of 41.
The Corruption Prevention Index ranks 176 countries on a scale of 0 to 100.
Zero represents ‘Highly Corrupt’ while 100 represents ‘Very Clean’.
After an unprecedented 14 1⁄2 years in office the PNP established a course for Jamaica.
That course was set and maintained by Percival James Patterson and continued by Portia Simpson Miller. That is not to say these two miscreants who served as Prime Minister, during that period were the only ones responsible for the Nations path as a crime state.
Edward Seaga and literally every other politicians who entered the Parliament have contributed immensely to the present situation.
There is however, a more serious component to whats happening in Jamaica. The human rights lobby has gained incredible traction over the way things gets done to the point neither party has the balls to deal seriously with crime out of fear of their wrath.
The problem for whatever law abiding Jamaicans who still remain is that crime works for the multi national corporations which keeps the economy afloat.
It also work for the local economy . Just look at the economic activity which has emerged from the kill culture.
Security companies. Funeral parlors. Grave diggers. Musical bands. Masons. Sound systems. Carpenters and coffin makers are just of few which are experiencing economic boon from the murder mayhem.

Nevertheless it’s the Multi National Corporations which lend money to countries like Jamaica with stringent economic caveats and Usury type interest rates which dictates our policies.
They are also the ones who fund the human rights groups ‚which by the way are little more than treasonous agitators in many regards.
In the large western nations ‚the homes countries of the human rights agitators, the US, Canada and Britain these agencies absolutely no power.
Lenders like the IMF the Paris Club and other agencies which loan money to Jamaica and other developing countries like our know darn well that the economic policies they demand we adhere to inevitably lead to social unrest.
If we are able to get out act together and become economic sustainable why would we need them?
Who would they lend to?
So now you begin to understand why the Inter American commission for human rights is very powerful and influential in small debtor nations like Jamaica, but never sees a problem with police killing unharmed people of color for no reason in America?
The sooner we begin to understand that our problems are ours to fix the way we see fit and not as some foreign entity dictates the better off we will be.

As a country we must start by repealing the indecom act, the Bruce Golding Trojan horse to the country. Begin the process of changing the laws to reflect the times.
For the short term a simple ban and an order to remove all zinc fences withing a certain time, failing which the Government removes them, is a start toward reducing crime.
Any replacement wall should not be more than five feet high but may be enhanced with barbed wire or or other partition material through which the police can see.
These are simple yet effective methods Government can take right now toward reducing crime in the short run while laying the groundwork toward serious and sustainable crime reduction/elimination which must begin now.
Human Rights Is About Protecting Innocent Victims:not About Securing The Safety Of Murderers.…

“It is not merely enough to be outraged. It is not merely enough to be saddened at what is happening. It is not merely enough even to weep over what is happening. Outrage calls for action! You gotta do something about it if you’re outraged.”(Fellowship Tabernacle Pastor Merrick Al Miller.)

The occasion was the funeral service for 17-year-old Calabar High School student Stephan McLaren who was stabbed to death on New Year’s Day on Hagley Park Road in St Andrew, after leaving a party.
It was reported that while walking with a group of friends, McLaren stopped along the way indicating that he wanted to urinate.
One of his friends said soon after he rushed to them saying he was stabbed.
It becomes almost curious to talk about a single murder in Jamaica withing the context of the daily multiple killings.
The killings are so frequent , so fast, and in such numbers that talking about an individual case makes one seem almost silly.
I am just blown away at the idea that a kid on his way from a party who stopped to urinate could be stabbed because someone believed he had something they wanted to rob.
Having served a decade in upholding the law on the Island, having been a voice speaking out against the unchecked epidemic of crime since I left in 91, I am exasperated as I know many people are, about whats happening.
In a no holes barred article, local journalist Ian Boyne expressed similar exasperation.
Of course Boyne’s biting narrative seemed more directed at the pretentious know nothings and the human rights crowd, than at the killers themselves.
Social media is replete with raw emotional responses from Jamaicans living, both in the diaspora and at home.
Much of what has changed and has become clearer, is a distinct thread of anger at the burgeoning cabal of individuals and Organizations which has sprung up in the country purporting to be defenders of human rights.
I am all for human rights , but if I wanted to be credible when I lend my voice to the cause, I believe my preoccupation would be with the indiscriminate loss of innocent lives .
Not about the rights and security of the killers.
Nevertheless, as is the case with much of what ails Jamaica, bullshit carries the day over commonsense.
Human rights advocacy in Jamaica is just another eat a food gravy train and a place to have a megaphone, consequences be damned.

Hearing the Reverend Al Miller’s statements made me cringe however.
It is not merely enough to be outraged. It is not merely enough to be saddened at what is happening. It is not merely enough even to weep over what is happening. Outrage calls for action! You gotta do something about it if you’re outraged.”
If only we would follow our own advice, take due care about our associations and motives.
Being good citizens in our individual capacities when no one is looking.
Then when we speak to special circumstances our words would have greater resonance.
Jamaicans have fallen in love with murder, like much of the world wrong is right and right is wrong.
It should surprise no one that sympathies are with and for the welfare of the killers and not with the victims.
A people blind with ignorance will forever reap the whirlwind of their actions.
America is about to find that out.
The Only Issue Which Would See Jamaicans Criticize Ninja And Bounty Is That They Offered Some Support To Law Enforcement.…

Two of the Islands most popular dance-hall luminaries Rodney Pryce o/c Bounty-killa and Desmond Ballentine o/c Ninjaman teamed up in an event designed to lift the morale and pay a little compliment to the Island’s law-enforcement officers recently.
In a session organized to lift the spirits of the cops the two, whom many believe are unlikely supporters of law enforcement ‚declared that fighting crime was everybody’s business.
Speaking at the Jamaican conference center both disc jockeys paid tribute to the police , labeling them “slaves”, because they did not receive the remunerations they deserve for their work.,
Most importantly Ninjaman blasted the agency “indecom“for it’s aggressive persecution of police officers when they go after killers.

Said Ninjaman:
“I’m coming from a bad man point of view. No bad man nuh inna Jamaica again; unuh have a set of criminals and murderers dealing with. Some people just tek up gun and turn it on anyone they feel, and if the police catch one of dem and deal wid dem, INDECOM charge dem for it,”.
Said Bounty: “Fighting crime is everybody’s business and not just the business of those with direct responsibility”.

Neither of these two men are without sin.
In fact Ninjaman recently did time in prison ‚and Bountykilla have been arrested I believe more than once for domestic abuse of one live in lover or another.
What I find instructive is that these two men, both of whom have contributed immensely to the popular culture, now have the vision and insight to see that the culture is badly flawed.
Dance-hall lyrics are not the reason there are so many homicides on the Island but they do contribute to the so called bad-man culture.
That these two are able to recognize that law-enforcement deserves the support of every single Jamaican elevates them exponentially in my view over many who purport to be educated.
The backlash against the two by trolls on social media, depicts in real ways the mindset of Jamaicans when it comes to crime in our country.
Lets be clear, there is nothing that these two men could have said, outside their support for law enforcement of course,which would not have elicited tens of thousands of blanket likes and raves.
But the minute they decide to become good responsible citizens , using their platforms to save lives, the village lawyer cockroaches are out with smart ass dissent.


What bothers me is that these trolls had no problem when Carolyn Cooper had Adijia Palmer (Vybs Kartel )at the University of the West Indies lecturing students on the merits of dance-hall in our popular culture.
Might I remind them that Kartel is now doing a life sentence for capital murder.
By the strangest reality Kartel is allowed to continue to perpetuate on the pop culture, the same putrid murder music for which he is heavily responsible.
Lets understand something here.
There was a strong argument to be made that the poor boys in the ghetto are unable to afford the high powered weapons, and un-ending supply of ammunition they have in their possessions.
That was in the past, Here’s how they make money today
Murder for hire.
Extortion.
South American cocaine and guns coming into Jamaica, a transshipment hub .
The Haitian connection which exchanges Ganja and stolen meat for guns.
The huge amounts of cash coming into the Island as a result of the scamming trade.
Jamaicans living in the diaspora sending back money to purchase guns and ammunition.
Jamaicans sending back guns in barrels and every other receptacle rivals only the ingenious methods they employ in trying to get marijuana into the United States and other countries.
These boys have cash.
Those of us who have ever had anything to do with law enforcement are clear-eyed about the various ways guns enter into our country.
So when we ask that there be a mindset among all of our reasonable citizens regarding the crime monster , we must commend these dance hall artiste when they step forward to lend their voices toward the cause of saving lives and our country in the long run.
At the same time we should never lose our focus as it relates to those who actively encourage, fund, and otherwise support criminality in Jamaica even as they live as decent law abiding citizens in other countries.
Their bellicose rhetoric and hamster-wheel arguments are the same as those who do live in Jamaica who essentially encourage, fund, and otherwise support criminality, but are shielded from it’s consequences by virtue of their positions in society.
The other mongrels only yelp because those in power tell them when to yelp.
Ignore those !!!
Two Cops Shot, Injured In St James
Jamaican Media is reporting that two officers were shot early this morning.
ST JAMES, Jamaica — Two police officers were shot and injured this morning in St James.
The police confirmed the incident, which took place about 12:45 am, but declined to give any details, saying they have not received any “comprehensive report” on the matter.
The two officers are said to be in stable condition. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Two-cops-shot – injured-in-St-James
HANOVER, Jamaica — A man and two children were last night shot dead in Williamsfield, Hanover while three other people were injured in the attack. Dead are 34-year-old Hopeton Lee, five-year-old Kimani Johnson and one-year-old Daquan Davidson, all of Williamsfield addresses in Hanover. Police reports are that about 10:45 pm, Lee was at home with his relatives when armed men entered the premises and opened fire hitting him. The assailants fled the scene and about 10:50 pm, opened fire on another house in the community, where Kimani, Daquan and three others were shot.
The police were summoned and on their arrival, all six were taken to hospital where Lee, Kimani and Daquan were pronounced dead, while the other three were admitted in serious condition. The police said no motive has been established for the incident.
Now Even Dance-hall Is Saying (indecom) Is Bad: Hmm..

Well you can’t make this up!!!
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
I was always of the view that if you keep chipping away at a mountain long enough, given enough time you can chisel out a tunnel .
A tunnel leads to light.
For years I have made it a personal campaign to speak out using every medium I can to bring attention to the serious and existential problem of crime in our country.
I have received much blow-back over the years for standing with the police.
Many dismissed my unshaken support for the police as simple loyalty borne out of the fact that I served.
To those I have said repeatedly ‚” No“It’s not about the fact that I served, it’s because I understand that there is no other situation in which we can have a livable country without the rue of law.
Which means no matter how flawed our law enforcement agencies are we stick with them and fix the problems.

Desmond Ballentine (Ninjaman) and Rodney Price (Bounty Killer) are two foundation dance-hall artiste who came up through the gritty streets of Kingston .I do not know Bounty Killa but Ninjaman a product of the beautiful parish of saint Mary came to Kingston and resided in the Marl Road community where I lived.
As a Young police officer I met Ninja, I had a small bar on Plantain avenue behind the Old New Yorker factory off Waltham Park and Bay Farm Roads.
Every Friday and Saturday I had a little sound system playing at my little spot . The sound system was owned by a Rastafarian gentleman from the area. That is where Ninja cut his teeth as a disc jockey long before he became the don-gorgon.
There is an old Jamaican proverb which says, if fish comes from the bottom of the ocean and tell you there are sharks down there you better believe the fish.,
On the issue of crime and how we deal with it effectively Ballentine and Pryce are babies , though they are from the streets, and knows what goes on, these generally aren’t the people as per conventional wisdom, we would look to for advice, hence my “little child shall lead them scripture verse..
Notwithstanding when people like the aforementioned two tell us whats going on it behoove us to listen.
At a session organised to motivate members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) yesterday received crime-fighting instructions from two of the most unlikely individuals that one would expect to see addressing cops — dancehall deejays Bounty Killer and Ninjaman.(source JamaicaObserver)
Ballentine, in his address, chided the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) for putting what he described as unwarranted pressure on police seeking to uphold the law.

“I’m coming from a bad man point of view. No bad man nuh inna Jamaica again; unuh have a set of criminals and murderers dealing with.
Some people just tek up gun and turn it on anyone they feel, and if the police catch one of dem and deal wid dem, INDECOM charge dem for it,” the artiste, who served three-and-a-half years behind bars, said before turning on the Government.
He called for more resources for JCF members, whom he described as the country’s “slaves”, arguing that they are not adequately paid for the work they do.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Bounty – Ninja-lecture-cops_86875
Let’s start making the village raise the child again. Last year was a gruesome year with killings. The police, the soldiers, the security forces, they are playing their part; we as society have to play our part as well,” Pryce said.
I rest my case !
Dance-hall artiste are not fools, they know whats going on, they have their ears to the ground. The powers that be in Kingston know that indecom is bad for the country, many people have come out and said so.
As someone who has been hammering this home since I first saw the minutia of the law, I understood it was going to increase crime.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record I say again . The( indecom )act serves the interest of a small cabal of powerful people on the Island.
It was a gift given to them by Bruce Golding.
The act has many supporters, those supporters may be found in two groups. (1) Those who benefit from it and I have named them in multiple previous articles.(2) And a bunch of know nothing village lawyers who cannot see beyond what they are told.
The ability to critical think was not given to everyone .
Some swallow everything they are told without the ability to think things through for themselves.
Those sheeple[sic] have to be led , decisions have to be made for and despite them , not with them.
The harm the indecom act continue to do is being measured in the blood of too many Jamaicans, some of them innocent and undeserving.
It’s time that this law and this creep who head the agency be shown the door.
Incessant Second Guessing And Lack Of Support Has Severely Traumatized Our Police Department..

In response to the killing of six gangland figures recently by the security forces I commended the police and soldiers who valiantly took it to gangsters.
At the same time I questioned comments coming out of the police high command lamenting the loss of the gangsters lives.

Now all life was created by God Almighty , subsequently all life is to be respected.
However ‚when someone(1) takes the life of another human being, or (2) embark upon a daily life of crime .
That person of their own volition, make the decision to place their life in danger.
Lets make it real simple.……
A person who decides to jump over Niagara Falls does so on their own volition.
We do not blame the Falls for the death of that individual right? The falls is the falls , you jump you die !!
At the same time there is no need to lament the deceased, he or she made their own choice, and in that case “died with their choice”.
Me, I lament the loss of life of people who did not make a decision to give up their lives.
That is at the heart of why I became a police officer as a young man in 82.
It is why I continue to speak out on behalf of victims of crime, regardless of who they are.
What are you babbling about Mike?…
Well lets get back to the police and their apologizing for the loss of life>
Is it just me or does it seem like the men and women of the force have a new pep in their steps at the installation of a real leader, DCP Novelette Grant, albeit temporarily?
Okay it’s probably just me and my excitement at Novelette getting a shot, no matter how short, to show that she can do the job as well as others before her if not better.
Nevertheless the Police high command have found it necessary to keep up the apology tour after the appropriate demise of the six thugs in St James.
In a release the high command asked people wanted by police to avoid violent confrontation with the police.
Acting police commissioner Novelette Grant said that “had the deceased peacefully surrendered, they would have been arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition”.
“Regrettably, they chose to violently confront the security forces,” Grant said.

According to Grant, there is an increasing pattern of violent attacks on the police and military by criminal suspects who, on many occasions, have eluded capture. Unfortunately, on this occasion, those who were emboldened by these previous instances confronted the security forces and met their demise. http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Surrender-peacefully – police-urge-suspects-after-gangsters-killed-in-gun-battle.
The Police are absolutely traumatized by the constant and incessant haranguing .
The incessant barrage of criticisms is surely having an effect on even the highest levels of the force. Even though officers at the highest levels are not exposed to the daily dangers of policing in Jamaica the way street cops are.
The fact that the police high command see it necessary to continue on what I call an “apology tour” , for doing exactly what the JCF Act empowers them to do , is testament to the level of trauma the department has been exposed to, for carrying out it’s sworn mandate.
Here’s where I differ from Novelette Grant.…
Said Grant.“had the deceased peacefully surrendered, they would have been arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition”.
“Regrettably, they chose to violently confront the security forces.”
My dear acting commissioner, every person on this planet knows what the functions of the police are.
There are no ambiguities inherent or otherwise, which would regularize or legalize, not complying with authorized agents of the law, much less threatening their lives.

On that basis alone, there need be no apology!!
If we are to have a country . If we are to have a democracy. If we are to have the rule of law. The foundations of that society, our society must respect the rule of law and those who enforce said laws.
You jump over Niagara Falls you die.
You attack the police in the lawful execution of their duties, much less with weapons of death you die.
The police should never find itself apologizing for doing exactly what they are tasked with, and empowered to do.
We begin to take back our country street by street, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Being a tough and professional police department has nothing to do with being disrespectful and abusive.
It’s a straw-man lie being fed the public by the elites who are living off the proceeds of crime. They are in the media, and these Trolls are intent on using those perches to shape the narrative to suit their end.

We know who they are.
The trial liars, I mean lawyers. The Media elites. The political elites, some of whom cannot get on an airplane to travel abroad because the Americans have yanked their visas,.
I recall being a very tough cop.
I also remember young and old coming out to thank me for my work in the Grant’s Pen Gully, Shortwood gully ‚White Hall, and Red Hills slums.
Yup the kisses from those old ladies will forever be in my heart as long as I live, as they thanked me for ensuri ng that they could go about their business peaceably.
That kind of policing , tough though I was, does not seem to me to have been abusive policing, not to those law-abiding residents.
Those who wanted me moved away to another station or dead were the people who were a danger to those communities.

Nowadays there is no shortage of bleeding heart charlatans who come as saviors of the people..
The only lives they care about are the lives of those whom have taken multiple innocent lives.
So to hell with Terrence Williams and indecom.
Tell that little leech Horace Levy at Jamaicans for Justice to go get a damn job and stop prostituting as a defender as of the poor, we know he is merely eating a food.

This state funded office is a total duplication of efforts and a taxpayer funded assault on law enforcement…
Tell the entire bunch of Parasites who sit around and criticize the police but does nothing to help to secure the country.
Words are words , actions are what’s important.
Those at the public defender’s office as well , what a waste of tax-payers dollars.
We have a Director of Public Prosecution, that’s the public defender. Any other office which operates as a defender of the public is a duplication which should be disbanded and the funds redirected to the real defender of the public the office of the DPP.
If our country is to be better there need be a full repeal of the indecom act and the law reauthorized.
As it is it is a crime enhancement law which is costing Jamaicans their lives, it must go and so should Terrence Williams.
Lets begin the process of taking back the streets of our cities , towns and villages .
Lets do it the right way.….
Used Like A Prop..
How often have I spoken to the issue of visible black people allowing themselves to be used by enemies of their communities as props to solidify their racist narrative?


Cry me a river Steve..
Steve Harvey comedian, television-star, host of family feud, entrepreneur and radio personality became the most recent victim of this strategy,.
He is stunned, and says he is badly hurt at the blow-back he is receiving. But Steve is not a total fool .….…or is he?
donald trump[sic] ignored requests to attend an event honoring black journalists . He ignored invites from the NAACP. He refused to have dialogue with the Congressional Black Caucus. He has not met with the Urban League. He has not met with a single African-American Mayor.
He has not even met with a recognized body of African-American Clergy.
Steve Harvey said he met with trump because he really wants to help the inner cities !
Question : Steve you are not an elected mayor , Governor , not even dog-catcher, please explain in what way you envisaged a meeting between yourself and trump would help inner cities?
You see Steve you got played.
You are on television daily dishing out relationship advice .
You are reaching millions of viewers daily , that is what donald trump found useful.
He really has no need for you Steve, but he knows you are well know. Having a photo-op with you immediately reaches millions of viewers .
That allows him to somehow shake the fact that he is a dangerous racial demagogue.
You Steve, walked right into that trap because you got carried away with your own sense of importance.
Oh to be a fly on the wall Steve when they devised that strategy to meet with you.
You greatly diminished yourself Steve and for that I am really sorry.
UPDATE TO THIS STORY.
January 16th Martin Luther Kings birthday, the ever scheming donald trump had someone over to the gilded tower in midtown .
It’s not too difficult to imagine who trump and his people thought up, to have a photo-op with on the birthday of Dr King.
This of course after he earlier tweeted the following.…
Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and all of the many wonderful things that he stood for. Honor him for being the great man that he was!

Oh Malcolm,Malcolm, Malcolm.…
In all fairness to Steve, he deserve a chance to explain himself.
Now Steve explained himself , do you agree with him, and even if you do , does that release Steve from the accusation he was used as a prop?

The Silent Majority Wants An End To Crime: The Elites In Kingston Are Fueling The Crime Wave.…
The following is a snippet of the way real Jamaicans are feeling about their communities and their country in general.
It is important that as you watch and listen you appreciate the palpable fear these ordinary Jamaicans feel, and the genuine concern they have about not even appearing on camera out of fear of reprisal from cronies of the six urban terrorists who were extinguished by the security forces two nights ago.
(courtesy of cvm television.)
The Jamaican people are a decent law abiding people.
This writer has spoken to this for years, about the goodness and kindness of these people.
I understood fundamentally that the elites who define and dominate our culture are totally unconcerned about the people like the folks in this video.
Ordinary people are the one’s who allow their sons and daughters to place their lives on the line as police officers and soldiers.
Outside the elitist bubble , these people are ordinary people whom have contributed much toward the development of our country.
More than anything else they have sent their sons and daughters to put themselves in harms way for all Jamaicans , none more so than their greatest enemies who walk the halls of academia, sit in the media houses and the other places where elitism grow and thrive.
These, the above Cross Roads crowd, receive much from our country without risking anything.
They are given powerful positions in Government and the diplomatic services, they receive national honors they do not deserve, and haven’t earned.
The elitist media and their friends above Cross Roads have systematically used the story line of these, the least productive, most criminally complicit elements in our country to shape national security policy.
The people who give the most, their sons and daughters to die receives nothing in return.
The despicable perpetuation of the victim-hood mentality has been dutifully and gleefully enhanced by the lame stream cheer-leading media which unwittingly allowed inner city allegations of abuse to determine how crime is approached.
This has not only shaped local policy but has impacted international perceptions about local law-enforcement practices.
A google search bears that out.
The time has come for real Jamaicans. Real people like the people in this video to make it known that they will not tolerate this kind of criminality in their communities.
I will say this again , the vast majority of the rural folks are decent good people.
I call on all Jamaicans in every nook and cranny of our beautiful country to stand against the elites in Kingston.
Tell them where they can go with (indecom) and Terrence Williams.

For years we warned against the lying charlatan Carolyn Gomes’ .
Many accused me of taking the side of police because I am a former police officer.
It was only after they had already bestowed a national honor on Gomes that she showed who she truly was.
And what her campaign about human rights was truly about.
We have been warning about Terrence Williams for awhile now .
The idea of an oversight Agency to look at allegations of security forces excess and abuse is a must.
In this day and age there must be safeguards , checks and balances against state power.
However that check against the power of Government must be balanced with the Government’s primary role and prerogative to provide a secure environment for the nation.

It can be done.
It must be done, the two are not mutually exclusive. and are inextricably linked.
With that said, our country must move from being a country of men, to becoming a country of laws.
This transition effectively removes the ability for little men with grandiose ideas and over inflated sense of their own importance to cause harm to many.
The silent majority of Jamaicans want a peaceful place to live and raise their families .
I call on the Administration to ignore the noise of the Kingston crowd , both those in the ghetto and those above Cross Roads who enhances, support and defend criminality in our country
The silent majority of Jamaicans do not support criminals .
The elitists do.
We Will Never Forget !!!!
Amidst the noise and hoopla which will emanate this week in and around the Nation’s capital this weekend , let us people of color, conscientious people of African ancestry ‚take a few moments to recognize the incredible sacrifice Martin Luther King made, and the high price he paid along with thousands of other unsung heroes.

Many people of color ignore momentous events like the installation of a new American President as insignificant to their lives.
This however is a mistake .
Thinking of these events in parochial terms lulls us into a false sense of ambivalence.

An American President’s policies have tremendously far reaching impact and consequences on everything across our planet ,
These policies not only determine war and peace, prosperity and poverty, but even more pressing existential issues as critical as the air we breathe and the water we drink.
We make a tragic mistake if we ignore the events happening in our world today.
Tough No Nonsense Policing And Good Investigation :do It Right.…

Soldiers in a theater of war places a lot of trust in the men who lead them into war.
They believe they will be given the kind of leadership they deserve which allows them the best shot at completing their mission.
Well so I’m told by my friends and family members who actually served in the greatest, most lethal military in the history of mankind, the United States military.
Right Chris Porter , Copelad Bedward , Haniff Brown and the many other ex-police officers who served with distinction in the US military after leaving the Jamaica Constabulary Force?
Policing in dangerous urban environments require strong leadership as well, just of a slightly different nature.
Cops who take on the dangerous job of policing dangerous Favela In Brazil do their jobs with the knowledge that their leadership stand solidly behind their efforts to bring sanity to these otherwise chaotic urban slums.
Jamaica , one of the world’s most violent country, with dangerous urban slums known as Garrisons. is no different.

Police officers go out to do good !
That is the premise from which any discussion on policing must commence.
For the cynics who line up to chat and criticize, I ask , when was the last time you placed your miserable life on the line in defense of others?
So then, if the police go out to do good, and the back up their commitment by placing their lives on the line for us.
Why would we not support them again?
Nobody wants bad cops , we want our cops accountable like everyone else .
What we should never tolerate is the demonizing of our protectors by people who are too cowardly to step up to the plate and do. yet they have everything to say.

Welcome to the Commissioner’s chair DCP Novelette Grant a leader.
A cops cop, a woman who signed up to do a job dominated by men and did it well.
My praise for the Police high command is well.…… There is never any praise for the high command from me .
However, I have great respect and trust in my former colleague Novelette Grant .
Smart as a whip, speaks her mind and is not afraid to stand up for her colleagues.
Something Dr Carl Williams forgot to do.
I knew Novelette Grant from our days at Port Royal her batch of student constables were the very first to graduate from the Police academy.
Six months later my batch, the first batch to begin training at the academy , followed .

A cops cop , Grant speaks to these challenges like none of her colleagues in the senior echelons of the force.
One of her Former female colleague and friend who entered the academy and graduated with her. had this to say about Novelette Grant.
I was a squadmate of Novelette Grant we started our initial training in Port Royal and was the first graduated batch out of Twickenham Park called the Jamaica Police Academy. Novelette was our Valedictorian and was the selected graduate, Best at Laws. She was transferred to the rural areas where she worked alongside what you would call the grass-root police.
She has always persisted in qualifying herself educationally. She was never one to suck up to the powers that be, but where she saw weakness or unfairness. Would with intelligence. Speak her mind.
I remember even in training school , her standing up to the feared ““shocking” Sgt. Brooks and our drill instructor Ruddy Bailey””. We would always worry once Novelette was. Called to the office Summoned by screw Morgan”” with Ms Frazier behind. Novelette always came back smiling. Shrugged and said” the frog is only dead when he is on his back, but as long as i can hop i will croak” Novelette has grown in the ranks.
She went onto the accelerated ranks, served as ACP under two Commissioners and as DCP. Under two Commissioner. I daresay she should be given a fair chance to utilize her skills many and varied in getting the Job done. The fight for our Forces professional and important duty to fight crime and to bring back respect for law and order, given the opportunity, tools, the vehicles and financial resources needed for their morale.
That is a ringing endorsement of a colleague if ever there was one. Well said Donna Dell.
As I have stated in this medium from time to time the JCF leadership is weak, feckless, ineffectual, cowardly, and incompetent.
Those are actually the good adjectives, the others .….….don’t ask.
Novelette Grant stands head and shoulders above all of the people in the high command, in her clarity of focus and her staunch defense of officers on the street.
Jamaica does itself a tremendous service by appointing this qualified woman to the position of chief constable.

On a side note :
I hope that the Investigative arm of the police force (whats left of it)understand the wealth of information which are on these cell phones.
They must secure warrants and go get these phone records .
The death of these gang members should never be the end of investigating them it should be the beginning .
These guys are killers who use their telephones to communicate with others. their nefarious and evil deeds.
Those instruments are treasure troves of actionable information which local law reinforcement must secure and utilize.
Breaking the backs of these gangs require tough smart policing.
Do it right !!!
Good Job Cops: What’s This About Apologizing For Their Loss ?

Jamaicans woke up to wonderful news Sunday morning January 15th. It was like back in the days when the police were allowed to go after criminals.
The fatal shooting of six men in an alleged gun battle with members of the security forces in Goodwill, St James was good news indeed.
There will be two types of responses from these killings , wild celebration by people who believe in the rule of law ‚and a load of bullshit from those who benefit from crime and thus support criminality.

These alleged members of the ski-mask gang will not be taking the lives of any other innocent person.
That’s it.
The comments going forward will be clear cut in determining the side commentators are on , no matter how they try to couch their arguments in gobbledygook.
The security Forces finally decided to say “fuck you” to Terrence Williams and his bunch of scum-bag friends who protect the criminals on the Island.
They demonstrated that what all former Jamaican Police officers already knew, cops are absolutely not afraid of any dirty filthy criminals.
They are afraid of a Government which is too chicken-shit to protect them as they go about what they are sworn to do.
This not a criticism of the Andrew Holness led Government.
Government in this context is party neutral.
As usual (indecom) is supposedly investigating the extermination of the six. My only regret is that everyone in that outfit wasn’t caught in the crossfire.
These scenarios are not the same as shootouts in other countries where a person pulls a weapon on an officer and is shot.
These scenarios have existed for decades in Jamaica and has exacerbated now with the huge proliferation of semi automatic weapons all over the Island.
In other countries the scenarios which play out in Jamaica daily elicit massive swat responses, and the shooting death of the perpetrators.
The take-away is that Jamaican cops are asked to face heavily armed killers but are not allowed to appropriately defend themselves if the elitists continue to have their way.

Jamaican Police officers are not confronting sane rational people who are willing to drop their weapons when confronted, they want to kill police officers.
These are ruthless , mindless, animals who take tremendous pleasure in killing everyone, including police.
Strike that .
Particularly police.
What I don’t want to hear from the Police is the nonsense bullshit that they are sorry for the loss of life.
Get over your damn selves already.
The special interests who support these mass murderers do not utter a word when police officers are gunned down mercilessly.
Neither of the two state sponsored anti ‑police entities, (indecom) and the public defender’s office, nor Jamaicans for Justice and the other despicable leeches who give aid and comfort to those low life garbage, ever offer a word of comfort to the families of slain officers.
These criminals made a decision not to value the lives of others . They decided not to value their own lives when they opened fire on the police and soldiers .
The security forces should not be in the business of apologizing for their loss.
Thats the remit of (indecom) (jfj) and others.
If The Past Administration Thought The Prison Deal Was Good Why Did They Not Accept It And Be Done With It?

As news broke that Jamaican authorities had rejected the $5.5 billion dollar deal from Great Britain , social Media lit up with opinions.
The deal would have seen the Former colonial power helping to fund the construction of a new prison on the Island but would also result in hundreds of prisoners being dumped on the Island as well.
According to estimates the $5,5 billion that the British proposed to contribute would have represented only 40% of the actual cost.
Which would leave the Island holding the bag on finding funding for the other 60% which would amount to just under 8 billion.
As well as taking on hundreds of prisoners somehow connected to the Island already in British prisons and accepting Jamaicans in Britain who run afoul of their laws into perpetuity.
https://mikebeckles.com/david-cameron-rules-out-slavery-reparation-during-jamaica-visit/
As astronomical as those monetary figures are for Jamaica , it is the intended British dump of over 300 prisoners on the Island which ought to shock Jamaicans everywhere.
None of those people were convicted of committing any crimes on the Island.
It’s important to recognize that accepting the deal would have opened up a conduit for Britain to dump any person vaguely connected to Jamaica who commits on offence in Britain onto the Island.
The initial deal was first offered to the previous PNP Administration led by former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller .
As far as the PNP is concerned they had made no decision on whether or not to accept the deal which was offered to the Island on the occasion of the visit of then Prime Minister David Cameron.
Nevertheless sources close to the party revealed that the Portia Simpson Administration was leaning heavily toward accepting the deal , largely because the British Government would have provided monies to care for prisoners the prisoner to be sent back for a period of about two years.
What was allegedly proposed to care for each prisoner by British authorities differed vastly from what Jamaica is able to allot to the care of a similar prisoner on the Island.
That sweetener was enough of an enticement to have the tongues of former administration officials wagging.
Now that the JLP Government has appropriately rejected this Trojan horse, members of the political opposition and the usual bleeding hearts in the criminal rights fraternity are quick to point out that the nation’s prison’s are below international standards.
Their self righteous crusade is devoid of any consideration of the existing crime statistics, and the toll murders and other serious crimes are having on the psyche of the country.
The country’s leadership should not waste a single night’s sleep worrying over the comfort level of criminals . They made conscious decisions to commit heinous crimes.
They made their beds they ought to sleep in them.
At the time of Cameron’s arrival on the Island the then leader of the Opposition and now Prime Minister Andrew Holness opined that the money being suggested for the prison would be better put to use in education.
I do not have specifics on why the offer was rejected by the government, sufficing to say that the very idea that our country would be accepting prisoners who had not been convicted of any crime in Jamaica is a non-starter.
At the same time the the Opposition leader’s statement that those funds could be better served if allocated to education missed the mark then.
If part of, or wholly the reason the deal was rejected finally, they also miss the mark now.
Conflating national security and education is reckless and a clear dereliction of responsibility to a critical and fundamental function of Government, which is to protect the nation.
We need an educated workforce.
We also need prisons to put people who are threats to societal order.
It’s not a zero sum game we need both.
We do know that educated , employed people may be less likely to commit crimes.
What we also know is that many of the crimes being committed on the Island have at their genesis some very educated and well-placed people.
We need prisons for them,..
Conflating education with national security requirements is reckless at it’s core. It plays into the misinformed idea that if only people are educated and have jobs they do not commit crimes.
That has been the narrative guiding nationals security policy for too long, a mindset which is tied to the Privy Council’s decision to prevent hanging of murderers.
The models they generally point to are (1) in Asian nations which sometimes have stringent laws which are heavy on their punitive component which they never bother to mention.
Or (2) the Scandinavian models which are largely ethnic monolithic wealthy societies in which Governments take care of much of their citizens most basic needs.
Of course there are going to be less crimes in those societies.
Jamaica is nowhere near where Scandinavia is so we must build prisons.
This deal seemed to have been just a bad one for Jamaica.

On this particular issue the Government should ignore the barking of the Political opposition. If the past PNP Administration thought it was such a great deal they would have been happy to sign Jamaica away for it.
How the Government responds to the little mongrels in the eat-a-food criminal rights fraternity is it’s problem.
You elevated them and gave them clout , deal with their haranguing…
Andrew Holness Administration Rejects UK Prison Deal
The Andrew Holness administration has rejected the $5.5 billion offer of the United Kingdom (UK) to help build a modern prison in Jamaica.
Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith made the announcement in the Senate this morning ending almost six months of wait for the answers.
She said the terms of the offer “were not beneficial to Jamaica as a whole”. She did not state exactly the unfavorable terms. She also declined to answer questions from Opposition Senator Lambert Brown, who tabled the questions, on whether negotiations are underway to get favorable terms.“The matter is closed at this time”. Leader of Opposition Business Mark Golding also could not get an answer on when the offer was rejected.
Johnson Smith said the questions, among others, were not appropriate and cited national security concerns. However, she said the questions could be sent to the security ministry. “Transparency, where is it?” Brown fired at the Government side. Johnson Smith later accused the Opposition of “grandstanding”. The issue is sensitive for the prime minister because, while leading the opposition last year, he told then British Prime, Minister David Cameron, who announced the deal, that the money would be better spent on education.
A known condition of the deal included Jamaica accepting about 300 British prisoners of Jamaican heritage to complete their sentence here. The UK’s $5.5 billion for the 1,500-bed facility would only be 40 per cent of the cost. Jamaica would have to find the rest. Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry has said current prison conditions are below minimum constitutional requirements.
Read more her: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170113/andrew-holness-administration-rejects-uk-prison-deal
Holness In Israel But.…

One of the many criticisms which dogged former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller during her two stints as PM was her many overseas trips.
Though a non-supporter of Mrs Miller and her party, at the time I stated my belief that her travels and meetings with foreign heads of states were a crucial part of her job description.
Nevertheless ‚I believed then, as I do now ‚that those overseas trips must be geared at extracting maximum benefits for the Jamaican people, as it must to be the presumption that foreign leaders are having those meetings to get maximum advantage for their nations.
As such I was constrained in my criticisms of the former Prime Minister on her foreign trips. I believed she had the right to pursue economic and other opportunities for Jamaica.
I also believe that it is the right of the new Prime Minister of Jamaica to do the very same thing as part of his duties as chief executive officer of the country.
We should never lose sight of the fact that countries do not have friendships , they have interests.
As we applaud moves aimed at securing opportunities for our people we can ill-afford to be starry-eyed politically, about the fact that foreign Leaders invite other leaders because they believe that forming, or strengthening bonds, or even the mere optics of such meetings, advances their agendas.
Benjamin Netanyahu a master of manipulation, and the art of the optics ‚was not shy about thanking Andrew Holness for not joining a UNESCO vote against Israel. (already acknowledging that Israel wants to show it has friends which support it’s policies) .
So in this particular case the interest of Israel was already served.
It would be foolhardy to believe that his Invitation to the Jamaican PM was intended to be anything more than an, “in your face” photo-op to UNESCO.
In the end Jamaica may stand to lose more than it gains from this visit.
The vote of which Netanyahu spoke, was the UNESCO’s World Heritage committee vote, it was convened in Istanbul Turkey.
According to Israel the resolution was designed to, (in their words) “erase any Jewish connection to Jerusalem”.
The following countries are on the executive: Angola, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, United Republic of Tanzania, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
For years Israel has lobbied to break the almost monolithic vote of the African continent in it’s support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against Israeli occupation and oppression.
This is of course with the exception of Tanzania, which has always voted with other non-African nations in support of the state of Israel. These include Croatia, Finland, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, or at least abstain, according to the (Jerusalem Post).
Jamaica’s vote with Israel came as a result of massive lobbying from Israel.
The Question now must be ‚what will Jamaica derive from this vote which will certainly raise eyebrows from quarters opposed to Israel on principle?

I have no problem with the PM looking at outside models which may be emulated.
As Andrew Holness said , Jamaica has long looked at Israel’s advances in agriculture, technology etc as a model which can be applied to Jamaica.
Nevertheless it is important to note that the Obama administration, for the first time in Israel’s history, pulled America’s veto protection which shielded the state of Israel from UN condemnation for it’s continued illegal land-grab , and settlement building.
Every time that Israel takes a bit more of Palestine through it’s illegal building of settlements, it automatically extends outward it’s perimeter of defense, which it states is necessary for the defense of Israel.

That is the reason the last two American Presidents, George W Bush and Barack Obama, both insisted that in order for the peace process to be enhanced Israel must stop the illegal building of settlements on Palestinan lands.
It must also be noted that Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian people and it’s treatment toward African Jews (real Hebrew people) has drawn strong condemnation from across the globe, to include former President Jimmy Carter, who contends the Israeli state is the closest thing to an Apartheid state.
As we speak many Hebrew people daring to return to Israel are spat upon and abused, many are locked up in a monster prison in the Negev desert.
It’s important that as we seek to bolster and create new relationships we do not align ourselves with interests which are antithetical to our core values.
Democracy is not what any one country say it is, democracy is an ever evolving concept.
Even in the United States the World’s second largest democracy we see now, that the cherished principle called democracy is in danger. When those not even yet in office are showing that democracy is what they say it is.
Read, comment, and share.
‘Get Your Moral Courage In Gear’
Novelette Grant strongly believes that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is ready to be led by a woman.
Though she is yet to submit her application for the post of police commissioner, advertised roughly two weeks ago, Grant, who is now acting commissioner, yesterday declared her intention to apply. The post officially became vacant last Friday, the last day of Dr Carl Williams’ tenure, after he exited the job on early retirement. Yesterday, at a JCF press conference held at the Commissioner’s Office, Grant explained why she should take leadership of the 150-year-old organisation.“What I bring is 35 years of knowledge of this organisation. I think I have an excellent understanding of its workings and I think I have an excellent understanding of its failings, too,” Grant said.
See story here :http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Grant-ready-for-the-top-job_86290
President Obama’s Farewell Speech:full Text.…
“Because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.”
Chicago! It’s good to be home! Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right, everybody sit down. We’re on live TV here. I’ve got to move. You can tell that I’m a lame duck because nobody is following instructions. Everybody have a seat.
My fellow Americans, Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that we’ve received over the past few weeks. But tonight, it’s my turn to say thanks. Whether we have seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people, in living rooms and in schools, at farms, on factory floors, at diners and on distant military outposts -– those conversations are what have kept me honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going. And every day, I have learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.
So I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s. And I was still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my life. And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
OBAMA: I can’t do that.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
OBAMA: This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.
After eight years as your President, I still believe that. And it’s not just my belief. It’s the beating heart of our American idea –- our bold experiment in self-government. It’s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been self-executing; that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.
What a radical idea. A great gift that our Founders gave to us: The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.
For 240 years, our nation’s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation. It’s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom. It’s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande. It’s what pushed women to reach for the ballot. It’s what powered workers to organize. It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan. And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well.
So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional ― not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. It’s always been contentious. Sometimes it’s been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some.
If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9⁄11 if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens, if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But that’s what we did. That’s what you did.
You were the change. You answered people’s hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.
In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy.
AUDIENCE: Nooo ―
OBAMA: No, no, no, no, no ― the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next. I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. Because it’s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.
We have what we need to do so. We have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth. Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people. Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.
That’s what I want to focus on tonight: The state of our democracy. Understand, democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders argued. They quarreled. Eventually they compromised. They expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -– the idea that for all our outward differences, we’re all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.
There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity. And the beginning of this century has been one of those times. A shrinking world, growing inequality; demographic change and the specter of terrorism -– these forces haven’t just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy, as well. And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland. In other words, it will determine our future.
To begin with, our democracy won’t work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. And the good news is that today the economy is growing again. Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are all rising again. Poverty is falling again. The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records. The unemployment rate is near a 10-year low. The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And I’ve said and I mean it ― if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system and that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it.
Because that, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take credit, but to make people’s lives better.
But for all the real progress that we’ve made, we know it’s not enough. Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class. That’s the economic argument. But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal. While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind ― the laid-off factory worker; the waitress or health care worker who’s just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills ― convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful ― that’s a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics.
But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend. I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free. But the next wave of economic dislocations won’t come from overseas. It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.
And so we’re going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need to give workers the power to unionize for better wages; to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now, and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and individuals who reap the most from this new economy don’t avoid their obligations to the country that’s made their very success possible.
We can argue about how to best achieve these goals. But we can’t be complacent about the goals themselves. For if we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.
There’s a second threat to our democracy ― and this one is as old as our nation itself. After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. And such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Now, I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. You can see it not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.
But we’re not where we need to be. And all of us have more work to do. If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves. If we’re unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don’t look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children ― because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of America’s workforce. And we have shown that our economy doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women.
So if we’re going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination ― in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system. That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require.
But laws alone won’t be enough. Hearts must change. It won’t change overnight. Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction ― Atticus Finch who said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
For blacks and other minority groups, it means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face ― not only the refugee, or the immigrant, or the rural poor, or the transgender American, but also the middle-aged white guy who, from the outside, may seem like he’s got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change. We have to pay attention, and listen.
For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn’t suddenly vanish in the ‘60s that when minority groups voice discontent, they’re not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness. When they wage peaceful protest, they’re not demanding special treatment but the equal treatment that our Founders promised.
For native-born Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles ― who it was said we’re going to destroy the fundamental character of America. And as it turned out, America wasn’t weakened by the presence of these newcomers; these newcomers embraced this nation’s creed, and this nation was strengthened.
So regardless of the station that we occupy, we all have to try harder. We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family just like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own.
And that’s not easy to do. For too many of us, it’s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or on college campuses, or places of worship, or especially our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions. The rise of naked partisanship, and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste ― all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable. And increasingly, we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether it’s true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there.
And this trend represents a third threat to our democracy. But politics is a battle of ideas. That’s how our democracy was designed. In the course of a healthy debate, we prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them. But without some common baseline of facts, without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter then we’re going to keep talking past each other, and we’ll make common ground and compromise impossible.
And isn’t that part of what so often makes politics dispiriting? How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids, but not when we’re cutting taxes for corporations? How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? It’s not just dishonest, this selective sorting of the facts; it’s self-defeating. Because, as my mother used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.
Take the challenge of climate change. In just eight years, we’ve halved our dependence on foreign oil; we’ve doubled our renewable energy; we’ve led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet. But without bolder action, our children won’t have time to debate the existence of climate change. They’ll be busy dealing with its effects: more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary.
Now, we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem. But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country ― the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that guided our Founders.
It is that spirit, born of the Enlightenment, that made us an economic powerhouse ― the spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; the spirit that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket.
It’s that spirit ― a faith in reason, and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might ― that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression; that allowed us to build a post-World War II order with other democracies, an order based not just on military power or national affiliations but built on principles ― the rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion, and speech, and assembly, and an independent press.
That order is now being challenged ― first by violent fanatics who claim to speak for Islam; more recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracies and and civil society itself as a threat to their power. The peril each poses to our democracy is more far-reaching than a car bomb or a missile. It represents the fear of change; the fear of people who look or speak or pray differently; a contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable; an intolerance of dissent and free thought; a belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of what’s true and what’s right.
Because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our intelligence officers, and law enforcement, and diplomats who support our troops, no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years. And although Boston and Orlando and San Bernardino and Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalization can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever. We have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists ― including bin Laden. The global coalition we’re leading against ISIL has taken out their leaders, and taken away about half their territory. ISIL will be destroyed, and no one who threatens America will ever be safe.
And to all who serve or have served, it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your Commander-in-Chief. And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude.
But protecting our way of life, that’s not just the job of our military. Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear. So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.
And that’s why, for the past eight years, I’ve worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing. That’s why we’ve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. That’s why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are.
That’s why we cannot withdraw from big global fights ― to expand democracy, and human rights, and women’s rights, and LGBT rights. No matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem, that’s part of defending America. For the fight against extremism and intolerance and sectarianism and chauvinism are of a piece with the fight against authoritarianism and nationalist aggression. If the scope of freedom and respect for the rule of law shrinks around the world, the likelihood of war within and between nations increases, and our own freedoms will eventually be threatened.
So let’s be vigilant, but not afraid. ISIL will try to kill innocent people. But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight. Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world ― unless we give up what we stand for and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.
Which brings me to my final point: Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted. All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions. When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote. When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our congressional districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.
But remember, none of this happens on its own. All of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging.
Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it’s really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning. With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge. Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law. That’s up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.
In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but “from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken…to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth.” And so we have to preserve this truth with “jealous anxiety;” that we should reject “the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties” that make us one.
America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren’t even willing to enter into public service; so coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but as malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.
It falls to each of us to be those those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy: Citizen. Citizen.
So, you see, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life. If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Show up. Dive in. Stay at it.
Sometimes you’ll win. Sometimes you’ll lose. Presuming a reservoir of goodness in other people, that can be a risk, and there will be times when the process will disappoint you. But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire. And more often than not, your faith in America ― and in Americans ― will be confirmed.
Mine sure has been. Over the course of these eight years, I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church. I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch. I’ve seen wounded warriors who at points were given up for dead walk again. I’ve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks. I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other.
So that faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change ― that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined. And I hope your faith has, too. Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you were there with us in 2004, in 2008, 2012 maybe you still can’t believe we pulled this whole thing off. Let me tell you, you’re not the only ones.
Michelle Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. You took on a role you didn’t ask for and you made it your own, with grace and with grit and with style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And the new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. So you have made me proud. And you have made the country proud.
Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women. You are smart and you are beautiful, but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful and you are full of passion. You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I’ve done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad.
To Joe Biden the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware’s favorite son ― you were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best. Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother. And we love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives.
To my remarkable staff: For eight years ― and for some of you, a whole lot more ― I have drawn from your energy, and every day I tried to reflect back what you displayed ― heart, and character, and idealism. I’ve watched you grow up, get married, have kids, start incredible new journeys of your own. Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you. You guarded against cynicism. And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good that we’ve done is the thought of all the amazing things that you’re going to achieve from here.
And to all of you out there ― every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change ― you are the best supporters and organizers anybody could ever hope for, and I will be forever grateful. Because you did change the world. You did.
And that’s why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many Americans ― especially so many young people out there ― to believe that you can make a difference to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.
Let me tell you, this generation coming up ― unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic ― I’ve seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America. You know that constant change has been America’s hallmark; that it’s not something to fear but something to embrace. You are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You’ll soon outnumber all of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands.
My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you. I won’t stop. In fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days. But for now, whether you are young or whether you’re young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President ― the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago. I’m asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change ― but in yours.
I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can.
Yes, we did. Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Donald J. Trump