Left to right: Ho Lung and MillerDenise Clarke, Staff reporter
WESTERN BUREAU -
Some religious leaders are calling for a code of conduct to curb the sexy gyrations of carnival revellers this year.
The call follows a recent decision by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association to issue a stern warning to Spring-breakers to tone down their lewd and obscene behaviour. The church leaders are trying to get the Government to issue a similar warning to carnival revellers.
Father Richard Ho Lung, who opposed the recent Valentine's Day mass nude wedding at Hedonism III, said he would push for a similar code of conduct to curb the behaviour of carnival revellers.
"It is something that I would be prepared to advocate for...without question," Father Ho Lung told The Sunday Gleaner last week. "Absolutely. (The authorities) must say something about that... Maybe they are waiting until it's a little closer to the event but it really ought to be curtailed."
The level of "slackness" and the involvement of children in the celebrations, Father Ho Lung said, were evidence that carnival was out of control.
"Carnival is an excellent idea, but I think the slackness and the vulgarity must stop," he said. "To involve youngsters and even little kids even so that they are practically bare is very objectionable, and it is misleading the children too."
Also in support of a code of conduct for the revellers is the Reverend Al Miller, executive officer of the newly formed Christians United for Love Justice and Peace (CULJP).
"With the nature of how carnival has evolved and the looseness that is overtaking it each year, a principle towards some measure of responsible action would be supported," Rev. Miller said.
Hedonistic
According to him, the level of lewdness that has taken over the society is all part of a "hedonistic philosophy" that Jamaicans are allowing to become a dominant part of our culture.
"There needs to be standards... because you can never allow people to just do whatever they think," Rev. Miller added. "And to accept it as the way to go where pleasure becomes the end of everything, that has very serious implications. So some measure of discipline must be employed."
Since carnival was introduced to Jamaica 11 years ago, the church has continuously expressed opposition to the staging of the event, which it says is usually associated with lewdness, nudity, and vulgarity.
But promoters of Jamaica Carnival are not daunted by this latest move to tame the revellers. Byron Lee, of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, is supporting the idea of a code of conduct.
"I agree 100 per cent," Mr. Lee told The Sunday Gleaner. "With a code of conduct we would just use the guidelines, but every now and then you find some of the people who we can't control."
Mr. Lee said the promoters have taken steps at each carnival event to control the gyrating crowd, but admitted that sometimes the revellers go overboard.
"We have had to stop...young people who come in and think that this is what carnival is about," he said. "They think it's just the wining up and the grinding up and the bumping. We have people walking around to tell them that it is not acceptable."
Father Ho Lung suggested that carnival should be a learning experience for the revellers, instead of an attempt to outdo each other's moves.
"There are so many things that can be done with carnival; story telling, cultural activities, stories about the heroes of Jamaica," he said. "I believe it would be great if people could put their minds creatively like that, rather than who can be slackest. It's going in that direction and I believe we have to curtail both the lyrics as well as the movements of bodies in that way. I think that any sort of simulation of sexual intercourse is not acceptable."
Spring-breakers
The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) issued a code of conduct at the start of the Spring break season two weeks ago, warning that serious disciplinary action would be taken against establishments that provide entertainment which features nudity, or encourage sexually explicit behaviour from patrons.
The code of conduct seems to be working in the island's Spring Break capital, Negril, Westmore-land, as the police claim they have not had any complaints of unruly behaviour among Spring-breakers since the season started.
Deputy Superintendent in charge of the Negril police, Paul Stanton, said though there have been complaints from the operators of several properties about the noise level of the various events, the police had not been called in to quell any incident involving Spring-breakers.
"We haven't received any calls that there is an unruly bunch of Spring-breakers," Mr. Stanton said.
