Dear Editor,
I write in the context of an article I read in the Observer last week, which proposed that even if one is unhappy with either of the parties vying for leadership, one should go out and vote for the “lesser of the two evils”. But is that really good enough? Is that really what our forefathers fought, bled and died for?
What do you think would be our heroes’ feelings of the behaviour of our would-be leaders today? Do you think they would be pleased or proud, or would they be filled with the same disgust that has driven so many away from the polls and our electoral process generally?
This concept of voting for the sake of voting, under the cover of “our heroes died for you to have this right” is a very familiar tune by every penny politician hoping to wiggle his way into power. It is as transparent as a cheap, wet T-shirt, and I, for one, am sick of it. I believe it is an insult to our heroes, and a desecration of their memories, legacies and their hard-fought victories for the people of Jamaica.
They gave their sweat, blood, tears and lives for us all. Show me one politician who comes close to that. None of them intend to retire as poor as they entered. None of them intend to put Jamaica and her people above themselves. None of them are willing to put Jamaica before the party. Our heroes gave blood, sweat and tears while our politicians won’t even give us priority.
I posit further that by voting we are simply affirming the sham, endorsing our names and fingerprint to the fraudulent parody called politics in Jamaica. If we turn out in our numbers and vote, are we not showing our support for the politicians and their colourfully fabricated half-truths and propaganda being played minutely over the airwaves and in print. If we were to see a 98 per cent voter turnout, wouldn’t the winning party claim to have “the mandate of the people”? Wouldn’t they be convinced of our undying love for them and their half-baked plans. How would we not be to blame for the next five years of plunder we will have to endure.
Staying away is the only way we have to send a strong, clear message to the world, and hopefully the would-be leaders care enough to notice. The message is simple: We are sick of your games! We are no longer fooled by silly promises and we will only vote when we see someone worth voting for.
Free Minded Citizen
I write in the context of an article I read in the Observer last week, which proposed that even if one is unhappy with either of the parties vying for leadership, one should go out and vote for the “lesser of the two evils”. But is that really good enough? Is that really what our forefathers fought, bled and died for?
What do you think would be our heroes’ feelings of the behaviour of our would-be leaders today? Do you think they would be pleased or proud, or would they be filled with the same disgust that has driven so many away from the polls and our electoral process generally?
This concept of voting for the sake of voting, under the cover of “our heroes died for you to have this right” is a very familiar tune by every penny politician hoping to wiggle his way into power. It is as transparent as a cheap, wet T-shirt, and I, for one, am sick of it. I believe it is an insult to our heroes, and a desecration of their memories, legacies and their hard-fought victories for the people of Jamaica.
They gave their sweat, blood, tears and lives for us all. Show me one politician who comes close to that. None of them intend to retire as poor as they entered. None of them intend to put Jamaica and her people above themselves. None of them are willing to put Jamaica before the party. Our heroes gave blood, sweat and tears while our politicians won’t even give us priority.
I posit further that by voting we are simply affirming the sham, endorsing our names and fingerprint to the fraudulent parody called politics in Jamaica. If we turn out in our numbers and vote, are we not showing our support for the politicians and their colourfully fabricated half-truths and propaganda being played minutely over the airwaves and in print. If we were to see a 98 per cent voter turnout, wouldn’t the winning party claim to have “the mandate of the people”? Wouldn’t they be convinced of our undying love for them and their half-baked plans. How would we not be to blame for the next five years of plunder we will have to endure.
Staying away is the only way we have to send a strong, clear message to the world, and hopefully the would-be leaders care enough to notice. The message is simple: We are sick of your games! We are no longer fooled by silly promises and we will only vote when we see someone worth voting for.
Free Minded Citizen