It is hard to understand why there are so many injustices in the world. It seems in Jamaica there is a shoot first and ask questions later policy with many of the criminals as well as the police.Don’t get me wrong because violence in the states is everywhere from criminals to the police to government. Just this morning on the Today show NBC stated that as many as 2 million burglaries a day across the states happen. I have heard people say they don’t want to go to Jamaica they are afraid of the criminal element. I think they are unaware of the criminals here in the states. Everyday we have so much bad news with pedaphiles, murders, judges that do not know how to judge and even politicians that need to be replaced because they are out of touch until a tragedy touches them.
The recent mining problems in the state of West Virginia finally have the Governor, the Senators and the Congress looking at what the problem is. Excuse me but this has always been a dangerous job and just a total lack of caring for individuals and respect is what it is all about. I am 52 I have heard of countless tragedies like this growing up and it takes more deaths to finally figure out that you need a system by management and the government to protect people? There should be countless stations of oxygen reserves just waiting in all mines if it takes days for rescues to take place. Is this rocket science? Do we need to drag this through the courts or the halls of government? We are supposed to be the richest country in the world but we can’t spend a little extra on some oxygen tanks? We sure can spend billions on a war in Iraq where good soldiers and civilians die everyday. And for what? I would rather live each day in Jamaica and try to make a difference. The last time I was there last year so many wonderful musicians and talented people came up to me to help take them back here… I was distressed because I wanted to live there. This is not living all you do is chase the almighty dollar and see how far up the ladder you can climb. When push comes to shove I would rather try to concentrate my efforts on getting the people of Jamaica to understand what they have with the beautiful island they are on.
Even today’s news with the politicians needing to see if they could fit into their busy schedules to even talk and vote on what to do with the mining problem, how silly when people die. You still can’t get things done and this is the great United States… United in what? $$$$? I know there is oil in Jamaica and off shore as well…My only hope is that some Jamaican politician and a U.S. businessman with crooked U.S. politicians here aren’t cooking up a deal as I write to you to steal the Jamaican oil for U.S. or English concerns…. There are so many natural resources here in Alaska a land we bought for peanuts from the Russians to add to the U.S.’s wealth and they do not want to tap it due to its natural beauty. However we can go to other places in the world to steal their reserves. We would rather go to Iraq and rebuild when we should be questioning our so called Saudi allies? These are some of the reasons I want to leave this life behind and be accepted there, in Jamaica. I would sell my house in a minute to come down there to write, write songs, play my guitar, help the people, live with the people, teach english, teach guitar, and give all this up because what you have there can not be seen or found here. I think i realized when I swam out a good distance from Montego Bay and looked back at the island. As I was floating I saw the beautiful mountains rising behind the beaches I knew this was a paradise that could, with everyone pulling together, be bigger with the sum of all of its parts. Thanks for the memories… oh by the way it has snowed around 8 inches here today, in Boston. And still our Government has not helped the poor people in New Orleans from a deadly and devastating hurricane which ravaged the entire southern shores. Jamaica has suffered through many hurricanes. Everyone must pull together for the good of the island.
It seems that a dialogue is needed for trust first. Trust the people, trust the police, trust the politicians, decriminalize the aspects of life that people there have dealt with all their lives. Make farming and agriculture mean something where it is important to still work the soil. Have open forums on drugs, educate the people. Make Jamaica the true musical force it could be for the entire world. Have programs for music, dance, art, sports, religions, a clean up program where it is everyones job to clean and maintain the islands natural beauty. Maintain the beaches. This is truly paradise, and must be treated as such. Irie, no problem I love Jamaica everyday even though I live faraway…..
