MARCUS GARVEY Day?!

Today is August 17th 2018, which if there wasn't a joint celebration day for our National Heroes in October every year, could possibly be named Marcus Garvey day and be positioned as another National Holiday, or honorary day of celebrations at least!

At least Marcus Mosiah Garvey is our FIRST National Hero, according to chronology and he is also probably the MOST famous, other than the only Female Heroine, Queen Nanny of the Maroons. According to the information we accept as facts, Jamaica’s first National Hero was born in St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann, on August 17, 1887.

He was conferred with the Order of the National Hero in 1969 as per the second schedule of the National Honours and Awards Act. Marcus Garvey is said to have died in London, England, my other home, in 1940 and was brought back home to Jamaica posthumously for burial here.

My thoughts today are really about National Heroes in general and how many of our Heroes are very much still alive and with us today, but are not being celebrated. I am wondering why is it that we have to wait for someone to be gone, deceased, dead before we appreciate their work, their contribution before they are celebrated?

I'm also thinking about the legacy of Marcus Garvey and about how much more can be done to continue the work that he pioneered. The Marcus Garvey training centre downtown standing derelict and in need or repair is a poignant, tangible reminder of how little is being done to continue the efforts to train and educate our future leaders, across the classes. Has the legacy of Marcus Garvey now been taken up by Black Elitists. Leaving behind those under-privileged and disenfranchised, lower classes who he spoke to so eloquently in his speeches "UP YOU MIGHTY RACE!.." Have the uptown, new negro types become so preoccupied with being upwardly mobile that they stopped looking back and giving back? Have they forgotten where we are coming from, and what it is that we said we were trying to accomplish, as a race not just as individuals?

Provision of Public Services (PPS) (The Peoples, Perpetual Stress)

The provision of Public Services in Jamaica and also the Administration or rather mal-administration of funds allocated to Charities, Non-Profits and other Benevolent Funds and associations has long been a topic of huge controversy and contention in Jamaica. And even in the Caribbean region and the developing world on a whole, there tends to be a lot of the same mistakes being repeated over and over again!

Often times before entering even a Government Building, there seems to be an issue with some security guards, facilitating members of the public. An attitude of animosity can be easily interpreted as an opposition to members of the public even making a genuine inquiry. Furthermore if you are someone such as myself, who is known to be very inquisitive and ask a lot of questions. Upon being given permission to enter, the attitude and willingness of the staff who are paid to work there, often shows an unwillingness to function under the duties and responsibilities of their Job description. The Tax office for example is a typical of this type of inhospitable, very customer unfriendly behaviors.

Refusing to assist, or to enable me to make a genuine inquiry is only further exacerbating the problem and seems to highlight that there maybe an issue with persons fulfilling the requirements of their position and therefore putting the overall functions of the entire organisation in jeopardy of being in breach of the founding principles and the purpose of the existence and integrity of the entire organisation. 

I do note that the Government seem to be attempting to put systems in place to counter this problem. The Sunday Gleaner advertised recently a position for a Communications Specialist to assist with the Public Service Transformation Programme. Still there is always more that can be done to incorporate the suggestions of those actually using the services and facing the obstructing issues. 

THE GOOD vs THE BAD!

The age old saying the Good suffer for the bad, unfortunately rings true time and time again..

How many times will we see, hear or take part in repeating the same mistakes over, and over again and expect something different to occur as a result?  To repeat the same thing over and over again and expect a change in outcome, Is this not madness?

There are so many times that I can think of within my own lifetime. That I have learned that due to the inability of the school, of institutions of systems set in place to contain the anti-social, uncivilized behavior of groups of persons. That they effectively take remedial action most times, buy not punishing the particular person, group or unit that caused the problem. But often times they put into place, restrictions, new systems and legislation to restrict the use of this particular service or resource to others in the future.

Still this does nothing at all to effectively punish or remedy the issue that occurred in the first place. The reason or root cause for the issue has then not effectively been dealt with and therefore the problem still exists in some form or other.

Additionally if a deviant personality type is looking for attention, given the opportunity to feel empowered by being able to indirectly or directly affect change. Then if the system is not able to punish them for their mistakes, or misdemeanors or crimes, further if the response is actually rewarding them by giving them attention. And even enabling them, empowering them further with a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction. When they are able to effectively cause another person to be punished because of them, or if new laws or legislation are brought into place to penalize others. TO a deviant mind, a deranged person this actually constitutes some type of approval and serves as a reward and encouragement to continue with the same behavior. So this type of response only compounds the problem and will exacerbate the issues.

International Womens Day - My personal thoughts shared...

THIS #International #Womens Day I #Celebrate Quietly, "The Roar" in me.. that is #WOMBMan Knowing that WE have come a long way... and still have a long, long way to go towards #EQUALITY for ALL in this world sadly - there is still #SEXISM #RACISM #CLASSISM and all of the ills and issues that comes with these isms and scisms in society!


Just briefly I will share my thoughts on Equality & Balance of Power in relationships...

A Man cannot control a Woman, neither should He or She seeks to control the other, each person is free to make their own choices according to the will given to them by the Creator.
Still a Man should be able to "Govern" his Wife, Queen and his House.
Tempering her will when it is too much, too intense, overbearing or out of balance.


Like wise a Woman should be able to play her part to Govern her home, to Counsel her Man, King or even Business or Life Partner to see a balance when he is out of line..
To help him to obey rules or orders or agreement that they set together as foundation.
Tempering means that you must be able to handle the temper or temperament of a Man/Woman -you cannot be afraid of them or their temper!

TO BE or not to be a JAMAICAN?! ("ACCENTISM"!)

TO be or not to be - Jamaican - that is the question?
What does it mean to be a Jamaican?

Is it only a title entitled to be used by persons who are BORN Jamaican?

How about if you are born here, grow up overseas and spend all of your life being a citizen  of another country.. are you a Jamaican?

What if you are born overseas, but lived your whole life with your Jamaican parents and family and your culture is Jamaican, are you Jamaican?

What if you are born here or not, Then you return "home" after many years away, live here, work here, have a business here, are a citizen and contribute, are you a Jamaican?

What if you are not born here, you are born overseas but you go to school here and live here for many years - and you sound like a Jamaican and speak patois fluently - are you a Jamaican? Often times I think people are actually using "accentism" to differentiate, not nationality or blood ties.

If you are married to a Jamaican or are a resident here who is not culturally, or of family lineage
or heritage Jamaican but you are a resident, a business person a citizen contributing to the economic development of Jamaica. Are you a Jamaican?

Please i'm asking my fellow Jamaican citizens and com padres to be mindful, think about these things before making summations, or before deciding to define persons yourself by your own standards without thorough research and actually intentionally or not alienate them.