For years I have said there are many in Jamaica who would prefer to sit and watch this country burn to the ground than stand up for its progress. They are proudly dressed in garments of rabid political colours, hungry for political spoils and benefits which suit only a select few. This is true on both sides of the political fence and has been that way for decades, with no end in sight.
In fact, looking at the general temperature and mood of those who interact daily in an extensive space like social media, it is possibly as volatile as the days of the 1970’s. The only difference I suspect is that it is a full-scale keyboard war, but it reveals a lot about the mind-set of so many.
There should be no reason to believe this is limited to those who reside in Jamaica. It is sometimes shocking to see and hear the number of Jamaicans who spew venom against this country after living elsewhere for a bit. Surely one can have negative views about their country, but when it is always a source of the worse description…until of course the Olympic Games come around every few years…and their unyielding and undying patriotism is taken out of the storeroom in the form of a miniature national flag.
I am a strong defender and believer in Jamaica, and though I love to travel, it is my ultimate paradise. Yes, with all its positives and negatives combined, “nuh weh nuh betta dan yaad”. We must stridently and vigorously demand of our government, parliament, representatives, agencies and people the route for the best possible positive advancement of the country. However, you have to truly believe in it to want the better you seek.
It makes absolutely no sense to want clean water by poisoning the well. I have a very simple suggestion for those who believe politics is more important than the passionate pursuit of patriotism by the people. The lot of you need to find a country somewhere else, be allowed to migrate on a mere request, surrender and sever your Jamaican connections. It really is that simple.
The need to be a traitor and treasonous wretch should not be veiled in some cloak of political preference. Is there a philosophy somewhere that says your love for a political party equates to believing Jamaica should burn to the ground if your side is not the government? Do you want to see all patients in a hospital given excellent care or should only the “comrade” or “labourite” be assured of receiving the best?
We need to understand that the better off more Jamaicans are means the better off we will all be. The safer it is for more of us, the safer it will be for all of us. On the flip side, the more of us who seek to drag down the country into muck and misery, disorder, indiscipline and lawlessness, the more we all lose.
