Double
Jubilee
2012 is
indeed a special year marked with many different festivities all around the
world. This year some countries such as
Trinidad/Tobago and Uganda are celebrating their Golden Jubilees as independent
nations having gained full sovereignty in 1962 while at the same time
Commonwealth Realms are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
who ascended the throne 60 years ago in 1952. Jamaica however has the unique
distinction of being the only country in the world to be celebrating both
occasions at the same time, so in other words you could say that this is a year
of double jubilee for us. This year has been marked by many different events
and festive occasions all throughout the year some of them included, the
Jubilee year kick-off on the water front of Kingston Harbour on New Year’s Day,
The visit By His Royal Highness Prince
Henry of Wales in March, a host of activities taking place island wide both during Central weekend (which is the anniversary of
the Queen’s coronation) in June and “Emancipendence
“week (celebrating both Emancipation and Independence) from August 1 to August 6, The Jamaica Defence Force Military Tattoo,
held roughly around the same time as the Jubilee weekend armed forces parade in
London, National Heroes Day ceremonies in mid-October as well as special
presentations of Jubilee medals held throughout the year.
The Fact that we are celebrating both occasions
at the same time only goes to underscore the special relationship that we as Jamaicans have with our monarchy and with our Queen, highlighting the cultural values
heritage and achievements of this great nation coupled with a celebration of
the Queen’s unbroken 60 years of service to her people is about as patriotic as
one can get as this truly highlights the
best of both worlds of all that is truly Jamaican in us. I find it disheartening that republicans particularly
those in government who swore to uphold the constitution are taking issue with the
double celebration, their excuse is that 50 years is too long to remain a monarchy
and so “time come” for a republic, what kind of logic is that? I did not know
that our constitution had a 50 year warranty on it, I would very much like for
someone to show me that clause. I cannot for the life of me see why these
people so keen to push the issue and their only justification for it is “time
come” time for what? I must ask .
50 years of
independence means 50 years of constitutional monarchy as was enshrined in our
1962 constitution, 50 years of democratic stability which remains uninterrupted
by a major coup or revolution all of which happened during the reign of our present
Queen who as reigned well for the last 60 years over the people of Jamaica and
other countries within the British Commonwealth of Nations. Why in the world
would anyone want to throw that down the toilet now? It’s not broke, so why “fix”
it?
This year
of jubilee should be about celebrating the past and looking to the future, it
should be about reconnecting ourselves with our heritage and everything that
makes us Jamaican and while I’m on that point let me state categorically that
there is nothing authentically Jamaican or patriotic about a republic there is
no historical or cultural basis for establishing that system here for ‘We
Jamaicans are not natural republicans’ as Sir Howard Cooke rightly puts it.
Monarchy on the other hand according to former Tourism minister Anthony
Abrahams “has been etched in the Jamaican Psyche”. And such it is quite fitting the Golden
Jubilee of our independence should be celebrated in the same year as Her
Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen calls it the
irony of history.
The connection between the Jubilees is too
hard not to notice, this coincidence is not to seen as one of conflict but to be taken as a sign of
how much the monarchy means to us on this our 50th year of
independence and why we should do everything we can to preserve it. God Bless
Jamaica Land we Love and God Save the Queen.
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