JLP, PNP have failed Jamaica THE EDITOR, Sir: IT IS a tragedy to see what Jamaica is experiencing leading up to another general election. So far this year there have been over 850 murders. Some criminal, others due to political violence and according to the Parliament of our land whenever they are political they are not categorised as capital murders. What is at play in the most recent upsurge of violence? My guess is that the political pot is boiling and the major political parties do not intend to see the gravy train leave town without them. I am convinced that the events down in Tivoli Gardens were orchestrated and planned to embarrass the JLP and Edward Seaga. I don't for one moment believe that it was planned at the highest level of the PNP. However, lower-level politicians, the ones who get lots of contracts and have influence all over town including in the police force, are able to plan and execute events like that which took place in West Kingston a few months ago. More recently the Mountain View/Jacques Road situation has erupted and once again poor vulnerable Jamaicans are being used in a vicious way against their fellow citizens in the hope that some lousy person will win his/her seat in that 'cesspit' called Parliament. The people will fight and when the victorious politician take his/her lofty seat, the people will be forgotten and will continue to live in a morass of underdevelopment and poverty. The JLP and PNP have been tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion. It is very interesting to see the many leaders in the PNP falling down like flies around Mr. Patterson, running away from the people and not contesting the next elections. The JLP is making heavy wind of it and basking in their lead in the polls. They are now in cruise-control mode, waiting to ram their snout in the trough. They are putting on a charade to placate the Jamaican people - that they are united and ready to (mis) govern Jamaica. Where are the Jamaican people in this entire quagmire? They sit on the fences and refuse to vote. Feeling that if they vote it won't count because some political henchman will use it how he feels. They have concluded that the two main political parties have failed them miserably and there is nowhere else to turn. What hopelessness? Who will step up and save the people? The power brokers in the business community ought to be ashamed of themselves. They have contributed their money to run the political parties and implicitly have sponsored state terrorism, political thuggery, and corruption and also murder. The bottomline is that the leadership of Edward Seaga and P.J. Patterson was for another era. They are done and they must be put in a barrel and sent packing down Mount Rosser. The second-tier leaders need to follow closely behind and allow the people to see a new day. They have stood by and allowed the atrocities to take place without taking a stand. They are equally guilty. Something crucial needs to happen and it needs to happen fast. If this country is allowed to continue along the same line, the economic fallout that has taken place in this country after the terrorist attacks in the US will pale in comparison. Business interests, tourism interests, watch out! You are going to face dire straits. Enough said. I am etc., SHAWN JOHNSON jamaicanshawn@yahoo.com 18640 NW 27th Ave. Miami, Florida United States 33056 phone: 305-624-3733 Via Go-Jamaica
|
