Dear Editor,
France has my sympathies, as it does from many others from across Jamaica and the world, including highly placed people such as the premiers of the G-20, who were meeting in Turkey for similar concerns at the time of the Friday the 13th Paris terror attacks.
However, with a few recent exceptions, such as a 2012 deadly attack on Libya's US Consulate, which left the American ambassador to Libya dead, most of those on the "other side" of the hierarchical divide of one form of eminence or another cannot really empathise; they are far removed from any such disaster by the shatter-proof glass wall of security detail and an uncommon form of living.
About a month prior to the said Paris massacre, I had the unfortunate but awakening experience of riding next to a disgruntled middle-aged woman, who asserted that she was going to murder her former employers and co-workers, the "whole a dem", for allegedly "taking" millions of dollars from her. Although, I suspect, and thankfully so, that she didn't have the training, equipment and influence to be a suicide bomber or mass murderer, all Jamaicans, regardless of status in either society or an organisation, must make the effort to positively encourage their subordinates, and not excessively or unnecessarily pressure them. Become wary, as best as possible via statistics or otherwise, of the often untold stories of their lives; or imagine it. But don't ignore it or assume that it doesn't exist.
Even if we have to defy standing logic or law to satisfy those who are meek but well intentioned, then we must. If we translate this across all aspects of society — family, corporate Jamaica, civil service and political affairs — then we wouldn't have to ask so much of people, like that lady, and leave "commoners", like myself, to be collateral damage.
Andre O Sheppy
Norwood, St James
astrangely@outlook.com
Sympathies from behind the glass
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France has my sympathies, as it does from many others from across Jamaica and the world, including highly placed people such as the premiers of the G-20, who were meeting in Turkey for similar concerns at the time of the Friday the 13th Paris terror attacks.
However, with a few recent exceptions, such as a 2012 deadly attack on Libya's US Consulate, which left the American ambassador to Libya dead, most of those on the "other side" of the hierarchical divide of one form of eminence or another cannot really empathise; they are far removed from any such disaster by the shatter-proof glass wall of security detail and an uncommon form of living.
About a month prior to the said Paris massacre, I had the unfortunate but awakening experience of riding next to a disgruntled middle-aged woman, who asserted that she was going to murder her former employers and co-workers, the "whole a dem", for allegedly "taking" millions of dollars from her. Although, I suspect, and thankfully so, that she didn't have the training, equipment and influence to be a suicide bomber or mass murderer, all Jamaicans, regardless of status in either society or an organisation, must make the effort to positively encourage their subordinates, and not excessively or unnecessarily pressure them. Become wary, as best as possible via statistics or otherwise, of the often untold stories of their lives; or imagine it. But don't ignore it or assume that it doesn't exist.
Even if we have to defy standing logic or law to satisfy those who are meek but well intentioned, then we must. If we translate this across all aspects of society — family, corporate Jamaica, civil service and political affairs — then we wouldn't have to ask so much of people, like that lady, and leave "commoners", like myself, to be collateral damage.
Andre O Sheppy
Norwood, St James
astrangely@outlook.com
Sympathies from behind the glass
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