Did Olympian Frazer-Price Snob The International Media?

News/Views: Some 200 church members, community-based individuals, well wishers led by Senior Pastor and Vision were all assembled at the first of two Candle Light services to honour the life of Pastor Hugh Senior, who recently died suddenly of the Penwood Church Of Christ, Waterhouse, St. Andrew, Jamaica W.I.

Stephen Senior son of  the late Pastor Hugh Senior paid tribute in song as Mrs. Annemarie Senior, wife of deceased Pastor was gracious and was present to hear the many tributes at the Candle Light service.

An “agent” purporting to be representing Olympian Shelly-Ann Frazer Pryce advised Vision’s SIC that she did not wish her picture taken.  To say I felt intimidated is to put it mildly. We were assembled in a ghetto community, Waterhouse, known for frequent outbursts of violence. This was a very public event open to all.  The noted Olympian who herself is a recent mother  of a son also said she was grieving and did not want to be interviewed.

The media has been very supportive of Mrs. Frazer-Pryce even recently with her toe injury.
As an international figure the noted Superstar nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” has been the darling of the media. We  therefore view her recent objection to being interviewed as a snob. We note the popular yet appropriate Jamaican saying: “The more a monkey climbs, the more it exposes itself”. We hope this does not apply to the noted Pocket Rocket.

Tributes

There were glowing tributes to Pastor Hugh Senior … someone seen as a gentle giant who went out of his way to relate to not only his parishioners, but to whom he came in contact. I can say without contradiction as I personally have related to the clergyman and he was a caring and sincere human being.

Perspective

This was a stark contrast to the exclusionary image being portrayed by the noted Pocket Rocket. Is she now too important for the media?  Has she learnt any life lessons of real value from Pastor Hugh Senior?  We  hope we are falsly coming to or drawing the wrong conclusions.

Power

Not many superstars, as the Pocket Rocket is, knows how to relate to power and ascendancy up the social ladder. As you know “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Of course let us not forget that the nature of gravity pulls everything at some point back to earth.  As our not so schooled country folks are wont to say “The more a monkey climbs, the more it exposes itself.” These supposedly uneducated folks are not so stupid after all, are they? This is our perspective, what is yours?.

Apology

These unfortunate incidences did not mar a beautiful and touching evening of Candle Light Service. As a media we have a solemn duty if not responsibility to state the facts without fear or favour. We take no prisoners and therefore offer no apologies.

We join with the Penwood Church Of Christ in mourning the loss of a loving, caring and real man of God in the person of Pastor Hugh Senior … may his soul rest in peace and light perpetual shine on him.

Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Correspondent & photojournalist for Vision Newspaper.