I read recently that the Jamaica Constabulary Force 'inadvertently' purchased guns and ammunitions from an unauthorised - aka illegal - source. 'Wow', I said to myself. Look how our athletes performed so well at the Beijing Olympics eeh! And while these young people are lifting our national spirit and doing wonders for our international image, here comes another major embarra**ment pon wi little country, caused by incompetence.

Then, brapps, along comes another story in Monday's STAR about a police officer being physically assaulted by his colleagues. According to the story, the ISCF officers (we know dem as blue seam police) were conducting a traffic spot check and stopped the off-duty cop. They were allegedly far from polite in their request that he exit the vehicle, and, from my personal experience and observation, that's a regular thing. Some of those young fellows in the government uniform don't really represent the 'Jamaica' or the 'Constabulary'. They just bring on the 'Force', and it's usually brutish.

Well this officer made the mistake of expressing his displeasure about the manner in which they addressed him. So dem call di big man bwoy and gave him a proper beating, hand bruck, mout' buss up, face swell up, and clothes *lo** up. And, they did this to one of their own. Clearly, when it comes to the matter of brutality our police nuh partial! It nuh pretty at all.

I try hard though, to focus on and spread the really inspiring stories that make us feel proud to be who we are, like the story of a lady I met last week in the Washington DC area.

She is a very private lady, so I graciously agreed not to publicise her name, but look here nuh. This beautiful Jamaican lady was celebrating her 60th birthday and it was one of the best parties I have ever been to. When you see people in the 50-and-over age group drop legs, it is a joy to behold. Like I said, the birthday girl is 60 but, trust me, she looked more like 26 and exemplifies the phrase 'sexy at sixty'. She came from humble beginnings, in what her cousin calls Green Island DC (DC as in deep country) but she's made a good life for herself through dint of hard work and sacrifice. I travelled from Toronto to buss two jokes at her party, and, as I listened to the tributes, and observed the high esteem in which she is held by a clearly dignified and decent bunch of Jamericans, I said to myself: "This is one great Jamaican, and when I grow big I want to be like her".

So, although storms keep threatening, rain pelting the country and a few bad eggs continue to shoot the image of our police in the foot, I just think 'bout people like the Olympians and that hot, and successful lady, whose party I had the honour of attending. And, I remind myself that, yes, things rough, but Jamaicans great!