The shameless Lawrence Rowe

Friday, November 11, 2011

MR Lawrence Rowe has no shame.

In fact, we are now convinced that the remorse that eluded the former West Indies batsman when he led two rebel tours to Apartheid South Africa in the early 1980s has remained foreign to him to this day.

For how else can one regard his now barefaced threat of legal action against the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) for withdrawing the naming of the Players' Pavilion at Sabina Park in his honour?

We had thought that Mr Rowe would have accepted that public outrage over the JCA's initial decision to honour him was proof enough of the fact that his defiance of an international sporting ban on South Africa more than two decades ago is still regarded by many people as a slap in the face of democracy, human rights and plain decency.

But we should not have expected any better from him. For even after he issued an apology for leading those illegal and shameless tours in 1983/84, it was obvious that he did so in order to have the JCA honour bestowed upon him.

Readers will recall that this apology was issued a few hours before the ceremony in which the Players' Pavilion was misguidedly named in his honour.

To make matters worse, Mr Rowe confirmed our lack of conviction in his convenient apology when, in an interview with journalist Mrs Dionne Jackson-Miller on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines show a few days after the ceremony, he said that in fact he did nothing wrong when he led those tours to South Africa.

Moreover, Mr Rowe had the effrontery to suggest that society would some day accept his actions as heroic "probably 40/50 years from now", and he had the gall to compare himself to National Hero and 19th-century martyr Mr Paul Bogle.

It took the JCA four months to find the courage to finally rescind the honour, as the organisation realised that Mr Rowe, in that RJR interview, had again spat in the face of the people of Jamaica and the world.

We are also convinced that the reversal of the decision was influenced by the JCA's recognition that its credibility had been seriously eroded and that it had the potential to affect the association's operations in the future.

If Mr Rowe was seriously regretful of his lawless actions two decades ago, he would have accepted the JCA's revocation of the honour. In fact, that course of action would have helped him salvage whatever bit of reputation he had left.

Quite frankly, by threatening to take this matter to court, Mr Rowe is making a spectacle of himself and is, we are sure, reducing the very limited public support he received after the pavilion renaming ceremony.

Clearly, he has no comprehension of the notion that awards are bestowed and are not something that one is entitled to.

It will be very interesting to see the arguments that he will present to the court in support of his claim if the matter goes before a judge. And if it does, it will be just as interesting to see how the court handles this matter.

We await the contest.

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COMMENTS (21)

howie J
11/15/2011

Since the government of Jamaica taxed Rowe’s earnings from SA then I see no reason why he shouldn’t be honored. The people of Jamaica benefitted from Rowe’s earnings in SA.

howie J
11/15/2011

I think that it is logical for me to say that embargoes and isolation do not work. They have never worked and they will never work. There are many examples to show that what works is the invitation of those ‘rogue’ states to the table of negotiations. Constructive engagements were used in the dismantling of the Soviet Union, the toppling of the Berlin Wall, the invitation of Turkey to join the EU and the dismantling of apartheid.
Whether the garrisons of Jamaica, communist Cuba and North Korea or the nuclear ambitious Iran; isolation will never work. Only contact thru overwhelming force or peaceful negotiations will work.

critical thinker
11/14/2011

What do all you black people who are trained to think one way want from this 62 year old man? The man is saying he fought Apartheid by playing cricket against an Apartheid team----- just as black boxers did in the long past (one even boxed against a Nazi, and one). Yeah, the 'super race' lost that bout. The JCA gave the man an award/honor (that he didn't ask for) and then took it back because the man believes there was some positives in his trip (30 years ago). Stagnant-minded people cool off!

Adrian Wright
11/14/2011

The holier than thou utterances of the Editor with respect to "Yagga" belies what appears to be a willful, vindictive attempt at further defamation, eclipsing that acual trip by Mr. Rowe and some his colleagues. Personally, there is no way I could sanction the move to have gone to South Africa. At the same time, I believe that one indiscretion albeit a monumental one, should not supercede the lifetime body of work of Mr. Rowe and his colleagues. There is something called redemption Mr. Editor

J L
11/14/2011

"Harry Belafonte took Miriam Makeba out of South Africa and showed her to the world and Rowe went to South Africa to show them the world."
Not quite true. Rowe went to SA after they showed him the money.
He is nowhere near a hero although a great batsman.

melvin constant
11/14/2011

This is a sad story. I hope we all learn one important lession from this sad story that money is not all.
Lawrence Rowe have not change his miguided views on what he has done. He should be educated on our culture and our values before being expose to the world. Society should not cast him out but Society should find some way of showing him that time does not change anything. The princples of human rights and justice stands for all times.

Stanley Palmer
11/13/2011

@ howie j. Sir, your arguments are so stupid and racist that I cant help but think that you long for the good old days of apartheid. Why dont you ask Mandela and the ANC what they thought of Rowe and Reagan.

viky m
11/12/2011

My infrequent comments never get posted but still wanted to respond to this insane "Editorial". It's clearly obvious that these "Editors" need external guidance on substantive issues for the column. How about repetitive exposure of poor governance, fixing the economy, severe lack of education and health, and need to repair our fragile emotional state as exposed by the "me too" response to the current and vicious national homophobic obsession, easy will to kill friend, relative and stranger, etc.

ghost rider
11/12/2011

@Albert Grant, I agree that there are many other things that the Observer could find to comment on other than what Mr. Rowe did in the past or will ever do in the future. In any case we already know their stand on the matter since they have immortalized it in their editorials several times before; and what he did will not affect how we live in the present or in the future..
We would much prefer to hear how they feel about the ethics of Mr. Walker delivering motor cars to police in a constituency which he is seeking to represent or whether he was right to facilitate the export of scrap metal without a license from the Trade Board.

fall mouth
11/12/2011

@Adam Godson, the massacre at T.G pales in comparison to any Green Bay; remember you had your furniture scandal, or are you forgetting the MOT refurbishing his office at enormous cost during what you ppl like to call the worst recession. Remember also Mr. Henry having his house refurbished at enormous cost after saying he was not used to living in squalor. The nation is yet to know whether he is paying the rental and if so, how much. Are you forgetting that a beach was stolen (look in the Guiness Book of Records) and the chairs and carpets that mysteriously disappeared from the Conference Centre.
The advantage you have is that you are almost certain to have your posts published. I am not sure of mine. But Sir your vines have tender grapes.

howie J
11/11/2011

The following link will show how both blacks and white South Africans reacted to the cricketers.
According to this link, “The 16,000 eager spectators who filled Newlands were not just watching a West Indies "rebels" side play their opening game on South African soil, they were witnessing the breaking of a barrier…. Murray remembers the reception during a visit to Soweto, the country's largest black urban complex: "The kids had never imagined they would meet any cricketers. Seeing us and being coached by us, they were completely ecstatic."
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/286356.html

howie J
11/11/2011

President Reagan rejected the idea to use economic sanctions against South Africa and instead resorted to a policy called "constructive engagement." He appointed an African American named Edward Perkins to South Africa. When Rowe toured South US Ambassador Perkins was in South Africa.
Within a few years after Rowe and the African American ambassador went to SA the walls of apartheid came crashing down.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6369450

Albert Grant
11/11/2011

Yes all you bastard who are trying to destroy the great Lawrence Rowe with your hateful words you are all a bunch of imbecile.
Why don't you all find some more constructive to discuss as for the editor you are an idiot you are just looking for attention you bastard full of crap.

Adam Godson
11/11/2011

@chuck emanuel ,not to mention green bay killings, orange street fire, furniture scandal, shell waiver, netserve, disasterous high interest rate regime of the 1990's/FINSAC,,mobay street people scandal,jps sale to mirant.
Those responsible must be held ACCOUNTABLE.

Chuck Emanuel
11/11/2011

I concur !. The others that I consider "shameless" were those lackeys who stated that the former PM "did nothing wrong" in the Dudusgate fiasco. They do not even have the integrity to apologise to the citizens of this nation for such assertion. They must be held ACCOUNTABLE.

Norman Lee
11/11/2011

This would be a frivolous suit and an abuse of the court. No decent lawyer should engage in such action, unles for the publicity.

howie J
11/11/2011

African Americans had no means to escape from the apartheid in their country and one of America’s greatest story teller, Ken Burns produced a documentary called Jazz which shows that the best way to fight racism is thru’ communication and contact.
While Jamaicans at home were doing their bit, Rowe went and gave black people confidence and hope.
Harry Belafonte took Miriam Makeba out of South Africa and showed her to the world and Rowe went to South Africa to show them the world. Rowe showed the oppressors what they were missing. Action trumps a ‘bag of words’ every time.
If we should use the mood of the Jamaican people as a criterion of what is right and wrong, Dudus would still be president of Jamaica. The right way in Jamaica is inverted.

Adam Godson
11/11/2011

Brilliant cartoon this morning

howie J
11/11/2011

Editor, I was on your side when this story was first published, but after hearing Mr. Rowe’s side, I believe that he has a point. Mr. Rowe fought apartheid by bringing joy to both blacks and whites. Moreover South Africa was able to see blacks and whites playing on the same team without any calamity.
What was done to the Jamaican officials who allowed a South African plane to land at the Norman Manley airport during the apartheid era?
US boxer Jack Johnson fought in racist America at a time when black people could not cheer publicly. Just like Jack Johnson, Rowe won and brought joy to blacks. Their wins say to racists that racial stereotype is stupid.

Ray Stennett
11/11/2011

For those of us who had the pleasure of watching "Yagga" Rowe bat, the unfolding story is very sad indeed. How can one who so loved by so many, finds a way to throw it all away? I guess greed and a false expectation of one's self in life can. It's a clear warning that a little fame can change peoples from humility to become proud and arrogant. Rowe went to SA against the will of all his well wishers. He knew the consequences of his action. He was given a second chance but cock mouth kill cock. It's so sad to see a career that had started with such a great promise, almost totally discarded to the trash heap of time.

LAUREL FITZMAURICE
11/11/2011

I sincerely hope Lawrence Rowe takes the JCA to court but not before he instructs the most expensive legal counsel available then after he has mortgaged his house to pay those fees, obviously licking his greedy lips about the money he expects to win from the JCA, I sincerely expect him to lose. Now that would be a fitting end to this sad and treacherous Lawrence Rowe saga.

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The shameless Lawrence Rowe