"If there is anyone who still doubts that America is not a place where all things are possible, tonight is your answer."

On the night of his election to office, President Barack Obama voiced those words. The then president-elect sought to reiterate a message he had disseminated months before - the power of working together.

'Impossible dreams'

This hope has undoubtedly been shared in the global village. Surely, Jamaica has witnessed that 'impossible dreams' can become reality. President Obama lit the torch, and the people of America ran with it. Their decision was not only a cry for better domestic policies, but also an affirmative 'yes' to improved interaction with America's allies and foes: a marked consideration for the rest of us in the western hemisphere.

One major factor in Obama's win was his bipartisanship: a concept that is foreign to Jamaican politics.

The USA will rise from the pothole it is now in because citizens and government have decided to work together for the common good. They have chosen not a Democratic, a Republican, or even a black president, but an American president who is for all people.

Shall we take a page from this book, Jamaica? Shall we decide to shun political corruption and power hungry political tactics for the good of national development? Who will rise among us and be the beacon of change in this society whose social and financial fabric has been mercilessly ripped apart by the rabid dog of political mismanagement.

Moral stagnation

It is high time that we lift ourselves from the murky waters of moral stagnation. True progress is needed Jamaica, progress not only identified by economic indicators, but evidenced in the lives of the Jamaican people.

Despite apparent blindness by our leaders, all is not lost. The time is here for renewed insight, renewed consciousness, for a renewed vision and renewed strength as we march on the road to reconciliation. It can be done Jamaica. The time is now.

I am, etc.,

JOMAIN G. MCKENZIE

jomainm@hotmail.com

Oklahoma