Mr. Perkins was born on September 3, 1931 and he passed away on February 10, 2012. This is factual information which says nothing about the man. He was after all, in my opinion Jamaica’s most controversial journalist. And this is precisely the reason so many “big society people” was in terror of him.
He was not a respecter of class or power; if he had an issue with you he would criticize you. He was fearless in his attack and compassionate in his plea. I mean he was the one that coined the infamous nickname “intellectual ghetto” to refer to the most prestigious university in Jamaica, University of the West Indies. So we are aware of the measure of the man. And I will refrain from saying what I think about that particular remark by him.
Personally, I stood in opposition with seventy percent of his claim. Nonetheless, he was someone whose opinion had to be respected. He was unbiased for the most part in his claim; except for his preference for one political party or the other.
This was a man that stood at the helm of his profession. At the age of eighty he was still in command of his craft. He was an intellectual to the end and for that I say well done. The media profession will not be the same without him, because fearless is not something that can be taught, it has to be innate and only a minority is born with that rare gift or curse depending on which lens you look at it through. He did receive death threats because of comments he made.
Wilmot Perkins walk good and thank you for informing me and thousands of other Jamaicans here and abroad. I was one of your silent critics who appreciated your passion for justice.
