Dear Editor,
It was supposed to be a night of good, clean fun, with maybe a joke or two at the mispronunciation of certain words on Twitterland, as on Sunday most of Jamaica watched the 2013 staging of the annual Miss Jamaica World coronation, and gave feedback on the happenings of the night.
Then it happened.
Dr Dayton Campbell, People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for North West St Ann decided he would weigh in on the figure of a particular contestant. With the most ill-placed reference he could have possibly chosen he remarked that the young lady's figure was like that of the Jamaican economy.
What this figure is exactly, he didn't say, but it surely wasn't interpreted as the Coca-Cola bottle shape. Naturally, Twitter 'broke' when this comment made the rounds, and people laced Dr Campbell with harsh criticism for his tweet — especially due to the fact that his party currently governs the country and, in the eyes of the public, should be held largely responsible for the state of ruin in which the economy now stands.
Being a Twitter user myself, I believe everyone has the right to use social media; but I have come to learn more and more — as George Orwell wrote in his book, Animal Farm — everyone is equal, but some more equal than others. Though Dr Campbell later apologised for his distasteful tweet, saying to whom much is given, much is expected, the damage had already been done.
Members of Government and people of high esteem and rank in society ought to use social media responsibly, as their lives are constantly under the country's microscope. Yes, they are normal people like all of us, and are certainly allowed to have and voice personal opinions, but how and where they voice them will not be treated like the rest of society.
If more of these irresponsible tweets keep happening, I'm sure PNP Mayor of Kingston Angela Brown Burke will not be the only one looking on and asking "What the F...?!"
Alwayne Allen
allenalwayne@gmail.com
Not again!
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It was supposed to be a night of good, clean fun, with maybe a joke or two at the mispronunciation of certain words on Twitterland, as on Sunday most of Jamaica watched the 2013 staging of the annual Miss Jamaica World coronation, and gave feedback on the happenings of the night.
Then it happened.
Dr Dayton Campbell, People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for North West St Ann decided he would weigh in on the figure of a particular contestant. With the most ill-placed reference he could have possibly chosen he remarked that the young lady's figure was like that of the Jamaican economy.
What this figure is exactly, he didn't say, but it surely wasn't interpreted as the Coca-Cola bottle shape. Naturally, Twitter 'broke' when this comment made the rounds, and people laced Dr Campbell with harsh criticism for his tweet — especially due to the fact that his party currently governs the country and, in the eyes of the public, should be held largely responsible for the state of ruin in which the economy now stands.
Being a Twitter user myself, I believe everyone has the right to use social media; but I have come to learn more and more — as George Orwell wrote in his book, Animal Farm — everyone is equal, but some more equal than others. Though Dr Campbell later apologised for his distasteful tweet, saying to whom much is given, much is expected, the damage had already been done.
Members of Government and people of high esteem and rank in society ought to use social media responsibly, as their lives are constantly under the country's microscope. Yes, they are normal people like all of us, and are certainly allowed to have and voice personal opinions, but how and where they voice them will not be treated like the rest of society.
If more of these irresponsible tweets keep happening, I'm sure PNP Mayor of Kingston Angela Brown Burke will not be the only one looking on and asking "What the F...?!"
Alwayne Allen
allenalwayne@gmail.com
Not again!
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