Mr Coard is, of course, the former Grenadian deputy prime minister who overthrew his former colleague and Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, setting the stage for a United States (US)-led military intervention that ousted the coup leaders, paving the way for a return to parliamentary democracy. All this occurred at a time when Mr Seaga was prime minister and when Jamaica played a pivotal role in the events in the immediate aftermath of the Bishop assassination and US intervention.
Mr Seaga's book should hold significant interest for those who wish to understand the period, from the conservative perspective, at a time when ideological divide among parties and governments on the left and the right was particularly sharp.
However, there is, too, another story closer to hand, geographically and chronologically which, we believe, is vital not only to our comprehension of history but the very future of our nation. We speak of the existence of garrison communities, a simmering issue brought to near boil currently by the US request for the extradition of Tivoli Gardens' 'President', Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
dismantling the garrisons
Tivoli Gardens is a known Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) stronghold and, ironically, with the JLP in power, the United States is again seeking the Jamaican Government's cooperation, not in fixing an ideological problem some distance away but right here at home.
We suggest that not only because of the current US request but, because of the direct consequences of allowing virtual states within the states to exist in Jamaica, dismantling the garrisons is of paramount importance. Understanding their formation, operations and purpose is key to this.
To this end, the society might benefit tremendously from an inside story of garrison culture, whether about a specific community (and, unfortunately, there are quite a few to choose from) or the general trend and their place in our political process.
Naturally, as a former long-time West Kingston Member of Parliament, Seaga is qualified to write about Tivoli Gardens, though we do not place that responsibility squarely on his shoulders. There are numerous political representatives, security personnel and residents who can tell the stories, or parts of them, of these communities aligned to the JLP and the People's National Party - from different angles and experiences.
We cannot overstate the importance of this insider knowledge to tackling the problem of garrisons and charting the very future of Jamaica. It is an issue that we hope can, somehow, nudge us to rise above political partisanship, even as we acknowledge that such political tribalism is at the root of the matter in the first place.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.