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Published: Friday | August 21, 2009
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I THINK all this glorification of our athletes is a bit of media 'bandooluism' designed by people in control to focus attention on the work of the athletes which, in reality, does little or nothing to benefit the average Jamaican. All it does is to fill the average minds with the illusion that Jamaica is a great place to live, slave and die.
The reality that faces the country, in all the bashment about sports, is that Jamaicans killed 160 Jamaican in July; and the private sector and the Government are using the state of the global economy to hide their incompetence by laying off workers and keeping down the salaries of poor people. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) monster has returned and Jamaica is being further downgraded by international investment rating agencies.
The facts
While it is good to see people of whatever ability, including the athletes shine, the fact is human DNA, if provided with a progressive and basically equal social, political and economic environment, will do reasonably well and people with more ability will do even better.
What we need is an environment in which people of whatever abilities can flourish and enjoy a measure of happiness. An environment in which no one's ability is put on a pedestal used to hide the stark lack of development of Jamaica due to the collective corruption, inefficiency and cronyism of the leaders in politics, business and the Church.
No athletic prominence
To my mind, it would have been much better if there was no athletic prominence and we had a society that was caring, where murder was at a minimum,, where our teachers, police officers, nurses could deploy their skills without the constant threats of industrial action, and where the country's leaders cared about the masses and were really interested in equality and justice for their fellow Jamaicans.
But I suspect that with our literacy rate as it is and the entrenchment of our garrison communities people will live out their lives with the illusions of sports, wishing to be like their sports star and heroes and never really being themselves, never living in an environment where their true potential is valued, respected and rewarded.
I am, etc.,
Allan Carter
aicarter@yahoo.com Barbados
source; Jamaica Gleaner
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I THINK all this glorification of our athletes is a bit of media 'bandooluism' designed by people in control to focus attention on the work of the athletes which, in reality, does little or nothing to benefit the average Jamaican. All it does is to fill the average minds with the illusion that Jamaica is a great place to live, slave and die.
The reality that faces the country, in all the bashment about sports, is that Jamaicans killed 160 Jamaican in July; and the private sector and the Government are using the state of the global economy to hide their incompetence by laying off workers and keeping down the salaries of poor people. The IMF (International Monetary Fund) monster has returned and Jamaica is being further downgraded by international investment rating agencies.
The facts
While it is good to see people of whatever ability, including the athletes shine, the fact is human DNA, if provided with a progressive and basically equal social, political and economic environment, will do reasonably well and people with more ability will do even better.
What we need is an environment in which people of whatever abilities can flourish and enjoy a measure of happiness. An environment in which no one's ability is put on a pedestal used to hide the stark lack of development of Jamaica due to the collective corruption, inefficiency and cronyism of the leaders in politics, business and the Church.
No athletic prominence
To my mind, it would have been much better if there was no athletic prominence and we had a society that was caring, where murder was at a minimum,, where our teachers, police officers, nurses could deploy their skills without the constant threats of industrial action, and where the country's leaders cared about the masses and were really interested in equality and justice for their fellow Jamaicans.
But I suspect that with our literacy rate as it is and the entrenchment of our garrison communities people will live out their lives with the illusions of sports, wishing to be like their sports star and heroes and never really being themselves, never living in an environment where their true potential is valued, respected and rewarded.
I am, etc.,
Allan Carter
aicarter@yahoo.com Barbados
source; Jamaica Gleaner
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