The White Elephant In The Room....

I read this letter to the Editor today in The Jamaica Gleaner & felt I needed to share it in my blog.....it does indeed capture what is happening in front of our very eyes - our own state of crisis is like the white elephant in the room:

LETTER OF THE DAY - Hypocrisy and distractions
Published: Monday November 16, 2009

The Editor, Sir:

I have resisted commenting on the whole Gaza-Gully issue, but after reading The Gleaner on Saturday and seeing an open letter from Howard Hamilton, QC, I really saw red.

I was reminded that some years ago, around the spring of 1988, there were many stories making the rounds about 'Shirley's duppy'. Many people were caught up with this duppy nonsense. Artistes were doing songs about Shirley's duppy and the newspapers were running stories every day about the duppy. There were stories about where she came from and to whom she was speaking and against whom she came to seek vengeance.

I also remember a Rastaman saying to me after hearing some people talking about the duppy: "Mek dem idiots gwan talk bout duppy while politician a run di place in the ground." I asked him what he meant and he explained that whenever a government was messing up, they would seek to distract the people from its failings and the real issues at hand.

Gaza-Gully-Alliance feud

In recent times, the Jamaican media have been fixated on the so-called Gaza-Gully-Alliance feud as if this is the reason for everything going downhill in Jamaica. By doing this, the media are also promoting the worst of these artistes' music much more than they would otherwise have got.

The economy is falling apart, crime spirals out of control, the country does not have a 'fully appointed' police commissioner and the minister of national security is out on sick leave. A former deputy police commissioner has recommended that the entire police force be dissolved and rebuilt; there is no governor for the central bank; and the country is back on its knees to the International Monetary Fund, yet people are distracted by Rampin' Shop and the Gully Side war.

The source of Jamaica's problems is not the Gaza-Gully conflict. I am not a fan of Vybz Kartel or Mavado and I find a lot their lyrics, for the most part, vile and showing ignorance. But the simple fact is they are entertainers and their first job is to entertain whomever is paying them. It is not their jobs to teach, lead, secure, or create job opportunities for the country. I would love them to use their influence and do these things but that is not their job.

Accountability and justice

The politicians, the judiciary and security forces who are being paid by the taxpayers are the ones who need to be held accountable for their ineptitude and blatant disregard for the well-being of the citizens of this country. How many guns do these artistes bring in? How many corrupt police personnel do these artistes employ? Did any of these artistes steal any light bulbs? How much of taxpayers' money are they using to build their houses?

We can try and fix Jamaica or we can keep casting blame and using the entertainers as distractions. We need a system of accountability and justice. I am not a big fan of Peter Tosh either but I know that at least one thing that he sang about rings true to this day: There can be no peace without justice.

I am, etc.,
S. ESCOFFEY
blazetv@gmail.com
New York

I'm convinced Jamaica has gone mad

So the last few months I have been watching prices go up, the crime rate go up, jobs go down and the quality of life for the masses in Jamaica go down. Yet the current government has has done the following in the last few months re crime:

To remove the tint (yes tint) from buses and taxis:

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091021/lead/lead5.html#

Regulating how bartenders dress:

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091009/lead/lead4.html

Ignore an extradition order for the biggest drug don in Jamaica (while signing others)

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091005/lead/lead1.html oh and btw the way in the meanwhile he got Millions ($100 M to be exact) of dollars in contracts awarded to him: http://www.sunheraldja.com/2009/10/%E2%80%98dudus%E2%80%99-receives-100m-in-contracts/

Change your Minister of Security from a former Colonel in the Army to a former Senator who was a Minister w/out Portfolio in FINANCE

http://www.jis.gov.jm/officepm/html/20090409t130000-0500_19146_jis_pm_announces_cabinet_changes.asp

Okay there's much more like spending pension funds of buying and refurbishing a house for your minister of transportation or spending almost US$1,000 on a chair for your minister of tourism or cutting back on travel expenditures but yet still your minister of sports/culture trampoozes in South Africa & your minister of Tourism in Asia somewhere....

Oh yea or spend millions upon millions on re-welcoming our athletes in yet another Homecoming while we raise our GCT (General Consumption Tax) on basic items including upping it from 16.5% to 25% on phone calls and phone credit.....not to mention pumping millions into a failing airline (Air Jamaica) that doesn't even depart nor arrive on time!!

What are we doing? Doesn't anyone realise this is our money? the money taken from our pay cheques each month or the tax we pay daily on items we buy? bills we pay?

WTF? I am outraged that this goes on and on and on and we don't stand up as a people. We don't get angry enough to say STOP! No more! What are we doing about education? Giving these poor uneducated youth opportunities to better themselves? Vocations? Skills? Something? Anything?

The talent that is in Jamaica is amazing!!!! Beyond the music, beyond the beaches...walk into any lane and you'll see for yourself. Hairs, eyebrows, nails....no previous training. They can make a wig with some hair & a stocking cap, thread your eyebrows into perfection and give you a mani/pedi like they hailed from Vietnam (seriously). The designs they do on your nails are unbelievable. And guess what it's not just women providing these services....it's both men and women

Why wouldn't we push this....give them the support they need/deserve? Fix up these lanes so that people are not just more aware of the services but are not hesitant to go there? Why not encourage the talent that is already here?

Teach a man to fish for Heaven's sake.....

I am lost! I am tired! I am hopeless! We're a resilient and talented people but....if no one nurtures it does it even matter?