Dear Editor,
I faced yesterday’s election with much anticipation. To my mind, for the first time in my lifetime Jamaicans approached a general election with more than the colours green and orange at the forefront of their voting decision; they were talking about issues.
The first one was the refusal of the incumbent People’s National Party to agree to debates in the lead-up to E-Day. Some people didn’t care, but others were incensed. They rose up and made their views known; the Church, NGOs, men of industry, the media, the youth, town and country. They wanted it known that they felt ‘dissed’.
The next issue was the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s promise of removing the personal income tax requirement from those earning $1.5 million or less. Some didn’t care. Some said it couldn’t work. But others wanted to know more. “Tell us how it will work. Will there be taxes to balance the scales? Can we afford afford it?” were some of the questions that rang out.
The day for casting votes came and all day there were reports of a slow stream of voting. Some didn’t care. Some were ambivalent. We need to care!
As a nation, it seems we have been blanketed with an “I-don’t-care” attitude. Nothing roils us to action. Nothing raises us to get up off our tails and show that we are displeased with the way things are in this country.
Too many of us are waiting on a change even while we fail to be the change, or even a part of it.
Our political representatives know we are nine-day-wonder people. They know we are not about personal sacrifice. They know it’s ‘Jamaica, no problem’.
Just look at the numbers the Electoral Office of Jamaica have released regarding the turnout. The people didn’t come out and speak. The people didn’t care enough to vote.
Okay, many people didn’t have a vote, but what of the 1.8 million Jamaicans walking around with voter ID cards in their wallets and purses. Too many of them don’t care.
How then do we expect change?
I accept the results but the enumerated people of Jamaica disappointed me.
Facebook posts don’t count as votes. Tweets don’t count as votes. Kitchen table talk doesn’t count as votes. Only votes count, and enough of us didn’t care to vote.
Jamaica, no problem? It’s Houston, Jamaica has a problem.
Marly Gripe
bigzy_2000@yahoo.com
I faced yesterday’s election with much anticipation. To my mind, for the first time in my lifetime Jamaicans approached a general election with more than the colours green and orange at the forefront of their voting decision; they were talking about issues.
The first one was the refusal of the incumbent People’s National Party to agree to debates in the lead-up to E-Day. Some people didn’t care, but others were incensed. They rose up and made their views known; the Church, NGOs, men of industry, the media, the youth, town and country. They wanted it known that they felt ‘dissed’.
The next issue was the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party’s promise of removing the personal income tax requirement from those earning $1.5 million or less. Some didn’t care. Some said it couldn’t work. But others wanted to know more. “Tell us how it will work. Will there be taxes to balance the scales? Can we afford afford it?” were some of the questions that rang out.
The day for casting votes came and all day there were reports of a slow stream of voting. Some didn’t care. Some were ambivalent. We need to care!
As a nation, it seems we have been blanketed with an “I-don’t-care” attitude. Nothing roils us to action. Nothing raises us to get up off our tails and show that we are displeased with the way things are in this country.
Too many of us are waiting on a change even while we fail to be the change, or even a part of it.
Our political representatives know we are nine-day-wonder people. They know we are not about personal sacrifice. They know it’s ‘Jamaica, no problem’.
Just look at the numbers the Electoral Office of Jamaica have released regarding the turnout. The people didn’t come out and speak. The people didn’t care enough to vote.
Okay, many people didn’t have a vote, but what of the 1.8 million Jamaicans walking around with voter ID cards in their wallets and purses. Too many of them don’t care.
How then do we expect change?
I accept the results but the enumerated people of Jamaica disappointed me.
Facebook posts don’t count as votes. Tweets don’t count as votes. Kitchen table talk doesn’t count as votes. Only votes count, and enough of us didn’t care to vote.
Jamaica, no problem? It’s Houston, Jamaica has a problem.
Marly Gripe
bigzy_2000@yahoo.com