Life Last versus Lost Life

“Does Jamaica finds pride when its death toll outnumbers the previous year’s?”

Logically, that should be an absurd question, but a closer look will quickly void all views of lucidity.

While most countries of the world, in particularly Japan, takes pride in the growth and maintenance of its population and utter shame in death tolls, when it comes to Jamaica, it is unclear about its feelings towards the deaths of Jamaican citizens.

A blatant disregard of human life was recently aired on Jamaica’s television, CVM, gained extended views on social media and caught my attention when it was posted on Facebook.

The video which showed a blurred image of a man, who was shot, laying on the ground and struggling to stay alive, while surrounded by police officers, made me sick to my stomach as I watched in disbelief and listened to the voices of off-cam bystanders, uttering their resentment for what they were witnessing.

It is one of the most inhumane and disgusting footage I have ever watched, online, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force should be condemned for such stance.

I say “one of” because this follows a video footage, which was also posted online, recently, by teenagers in the USA, who giggled and uttered words of disregard, while filming a drowning man.

It appears that the teens were high on drugs and or alcohol, at the time, and although this does not justify their actions nor provide a clear understanding, those factors coupled with their undeveloped, youthful brains could at least bring us to a perception’s stalemate.

But I refuse to put responsible adults, who are trusted to serve as a part of a country’s national security, in the same category as ignorant juveniles.

Police officers are put in place, by government bodies, for citizens and visitors to feel safe within a country, and by safe this includes, serving as a refuge and protecting life, by all means necessary; thus, to stand by and do nothing as a fellow human being bleeds out profusely, making no attempt to aid him, must warrant being a crime, somewhere between the pages of Jamaica’s constitution.

Life should last as long as we can aid it to last, and the life of a human being should never be last to consider.

If a violation of this opinion is not a crime, in respect of man-made laws, it is certainly a moral crime among humanity, and as a Jamaican, who is proud to be from a country, which is considered one of Earth’s paradise, for having exquisite beauty, a unique culture and some of the warmest human beings on the planet, my level of patriotism has been surpassed by my pride for Jamaica, when they should be level-pegging.

Pride, in my opinion, means a personal happiness and bragging rights received from an embraced ownership of anything perceived as good or positive.

Patriotism, in my opinion, means a loyal citizen, who stands by his or her country and calls it home, despite its growth’s directions.

Over the years, gangster-style policing in Jamaica has created more mistrust and criminals, in the Country, than it has decreased crime; whereas, the citizens have no faith in the due process procedures, and often take matters into their own hands, despite being govern by democratic laws.

Police, often kill alleged criminals in Jamaica, which creates a wondering, if they too (the police) doubt the due process of Jamaica’s courts system and are playing judge and jury.

Considering my definitions and my uneven declaration, which is undoubtedly equally shared by many other Jamaicans, the government of Jamaica has a job to do, and that job is to make all Jamaicans, near and far, see Jamaica as not just a place where they are from, but to see it as home.

Home in the fullest sense of the word; home, a place where we feel most safe and secure.

© Ian T. Sebàs

© Ian T. Sebàs 2017

“Are Jamaicans Frighten-Friday?”

Jamaica, to most, may mean an escape to paradise, and Jamaicans, according to a recent survey, are supposedly the World’s Third Coolest People.

And that might just be enough to have some Jamaicans grinning with pride.

But for me, and a majority of Jamaican Citizens, Jamaica and Jamaicans simply mean a Cry For Help which have been ignored and falling on deaf ears for decades.

Recently, social networks lit up with an article and video about some Jamaican construction workers, who were being victimized as modern day slaves, underpaid and abused in their home island of Jamaica, by Chinese (immigrant) employers.

Like a lit candle in the wind, as the story made its debut, it also became historic; in other words, if you were not on your preferred social network sites, in the week when the story was first published, chances are, you missed it and may only again became aware of its existence by this article.

“Jamaica Land We Love” – if you have never heard that line, you are certainly not a Jamaican.

A renowned slogan which, as the years turned, loses its sentimental values because Jamaicans are now questioning the truth of the statement.

‘The Land of Wood and Water’ and ‘Our Island In The Sun’; of course, in that sense, we love Jamaica. “Who wouldn’t love being born or belonging to a paradise, a fruitful sun-kissed land, surrounded by white sand beaches?”

But Jamaicans are the least beneficiaries of this dreamlike reality, which belong to them. And most Jamaicans resent the repetitiveness of a ‘no action’ government, MPs with selfish agendas and the obvious divide of the country.

I, personally, share the blames of these deprivation and abuse equally to Jamaicans and to the Abusers of Jamaicans, whether such Abusers are foreign nationals or elected Jamaican ministers.

Even though literacy and furthering education are highly promoted in the Jamaican culture, it is an established fact that most Jamaicans remain illiterate, and the few who possess intelligence and more worldly knowledge, tend to not share this power, but use it against their fellow citizens, in a manner of being superior.

That being the case, still does not justifies the lack of unity with Jamaicans on issues concerning the welfare of Jamaica and Jamaicans.

The rapid increase of technology (i.e. smart phones and the internet) has given local and international residing Jamaicans the power to make themselves and their issues as prominent as they wish it to be, to the entire world.

But most Jamaicans misuse these tools by poorly prioritizing published articles online.

The average Jamaican, online, will re-tweet, like, re-post and share something of a humorous, entertaining or vain nature, several times, in comparison to a published article regarding victimization to Jamaica and Jamaicans.

In this sense, the ignorance of Jamaicans are clearly seen as an overshadow of hope.

The few that try to virtually scream and shout, in resentment of inhumane treatments, are usually suppressed by millions of useless online posts or the infamous “A suh it guh!” (meaning: That’s just how it is!”)

This is a longstanding ‘roll over and die’ attitude which has crippled the nation for decades; Jamaicans not realizing the power which they actually possess.

Lack of patriotism is one of the leading reasons why Jamaica and Jamaicans continue to be robbed of their worth; those in positions to help their fellow citizens, often opt for the selfish act of ‘selling out’ and fattening their own pockets.

This is a known historical fact, but being crippled by illiteracy, gives this behaviour a license to continue.

More Jamaicans, today, can read and write, in comparison to the years gone by, but the illiteracy which is being mentioned (in this article) is not only of reading and writing, but also of not being aware of their individual democratic rights nor of the constitution which governs both Jamaicans and Jamaica.

A few years ago Jamaicans sat back and let the United Kingdom put them in a corner, by restricting their entry into the UK and added a provision of visa requirement. As usual, Jamaicans just accepted what was given to them without questioning whether or not the UK could legally create such an injunction and still be their Head of State.

And now, these Chinese Immigrants.

Authorities in Jamaica continue to be ‘Frighten-Friday’; a term which most Jamaicans are aware of, meaning when extra privileges are given to someone else based upon their skin colour, power or wealth.

Information received said that the construction workers are being paid an equivalent of One and a half Great Britain Pounds, an hour, and are working twelve-hour shifts, while half of their actual pay checks are being pocketed by someone else.

Jamaicans, in power, may love Jamaica simply because they are the beneficiaries of other Jamaicans’ illiteracy, fear and cowardliness.

The other Jamaicans, who are being victimized and already know that their oppression is aided by their own leaders should take action and read more.

Education is like a skeleton key, it is limitless and can open more doors in Jamaica than just the doors of reading and writing.

So, I say to all Jamaicans, especially local residing Jamaicans, use the internet more wisely, open more books and learn how you can make a positive change to your individual lives and to Jamaica for the benefits of Jamaicans.

© Ian T. Sebàs 2015