Dear Editor,
I must admit that, while I was convinced that a guilty verdict was the only thing that the "World Boss" could get, I was preparing to throw in the towel in the expectation that the artiste would be freed -- especially after it was revealed that certain pieces of evidence were tampered with. Alas, there is still hope for Jamaica.
While our entertainment industry is seemingly over-saturated with near-criminals — and, as we have seen, some outright ones — all sort of riff-raffs, ignoramuses, and misfits who are constantly being charged for murder, assault, rape, scamming, gun possession, drugs trading, and other crimes, they continue to get support from very powerful sections of our society.
Indeed, it took 10 very ordinary Jamaicans to send a very potent message that those of us who want to save what's left of our country have had enough of the crap. Hats off to those very brave jurors.
What we now need is for those very powerful sections of our society to follow the lead of these good jurors. Time for our politicians, intellectuals (including eminent professors), business leaders, media owners, and others to stop supporting these vile "entertainers".
We have seen how they have turned many of our people, especially our young men, into wild animals with their so-called music. The intellectuals must stop intellectualising these gangsters. Our politicians must stop using them to gain power. Our business owners must stop profiting from their acts. Our media owners must stop polluting our airwaves with these gangsters' filth.
What is it with our culture that we love violence and ignorance so much? I feel a little better that there are at least some of us who are prepared to say to these goons enough is enough.
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
The 10-strong message
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I must admit that, while I was convinced that a guilty verdict was the only thing that the "World Boss" could get, I was preparing to throw in the towel in the expectation that the artiste would be freed -- especially after it was revealed that certain pieces of evidence were tampered with. Alas, there is still hope for Jamaica.
While our entertainment industry is seemingly over-saturated with near-criminals — and, as we have seen, some outright ones — all sort of riff-raffs, ignoramuses, and misfits who are constantly being charged for murder, assault, rape, scamming, gun possession, drugs trading, and other crimes, they continue to get support from very powerful sections of our society.
Indeed, it took 10 very ordinary Jamaicans to send a very potent message that those of us who want to save what's left of our country have had enough of the crap. Hats off to those very brave jurors.
What we now need is for those very powerful sections of our society to follow the lead of these good jurors. Time for our politicians, intellectuals (including eminent professors), business leaders, media owners, and others to stop supporting these vile "entertainers".
We have seen how they have turned many of our people, especially our young men, into wild animals with their so-called music. The intellectuals must stop intellectualising these gangsters. Our politicians must stop using them to gain power. Our business owners must stop profiting from their acts. Our media owners must stop polluting our airwaves with these gangsters' filth.
What is it with our culture that we love violence and ignorance so much? I feel a little better that there are at least some of us who are prepared to say to these goons enough is enough.
Michael A Dingwall
michael_a_dingwall@hotmail.com
The 10-strong message
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