THE EDITOR, Sir:
WE HAVE a saying in Jamaica, "what is joke to you, is death to bullfrog." The reports of PNP supporters symbolically presenting a coffin of the dead Seaga baby is a joke gone too far. In fact, it suggests that we have descended to a new low as a culture that disrespects life. It is, therefore, right that civil society should condemn this act in the loudest voice, especially against the backdrop of our alarmingly high rate of violent killings.
At the same time, we must acknowledge that this kind of death-wishing in politics - some may argue metaphoric death-wishing - is not new.
Last year when JLP supporters played a song in Savannah-la-Mar calling for the burning of persons who par with chi-chi men, and for copper shot to chi-chi men, it was the JLP members who marched on stage dancing.
(Unfortunately, the Prime Minister did not condemn the use of the song calling for the death of Jamaicans but was more concerned about the tarnishing of his reputation as a life-long heterosexual person.)
Now, two wrongs don't make a right. I reiterate my disgust at what the PNP supporters did. It was a foul and disgusting act. But this should be a time to point out some cold lessons to Jamaicans. If as a people we don't respect some lives, it is only a matter of time before we stop respecting all life. When Jamaica's gay population was complaining about society, including politicians, allowing gay men to be 'metaphorically' killed by everyone else, nobody listened. After all, the death metaphor was permissible or disregarded once it referred to gay men. Who cared about them anyway, they are dispensable in Jamaica.
Now the horse has bolted the gate and, to mix metaphors, has slid down a very slippery slope. We have now extended the symbolism of death in politics to include that of a baby. Hopefully it will dawn on everyone concerned that the introduction of the 'metaphoric' death of one set of Jamaicans into the politics was not so funny after all.
I am etc.,
J. MALCOLM WRIGHT
mako_jam@yahoo.com
Toronto, Canada
Via Go-Jamaica
