Mental slavery
published: Thursday | April 8, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

What a powerful article by Wendel Abel entitled, 'Shackled to the past trapped in the present', published Wednesday, March 31, 2004 It is as if we instinctively know that what Dr. Wendel Abel is saying is 100% correct, but the great tragedy of our culture is that we seem not to be able to break the psychological chains that shackle us to our past apart from frequently reciting the problems that face the dominant racial and ethnic group in Jamaica.

What I want to know is how do we proceed with (1) "deconstruction" of the slave mentality and (2) with "reconstruct[ion]" [of] ourselves into a caring, just and less violent society?

Please Dr. Abel, give us a detailed, workable and meaningful programme that will be able to overcome the resistance and objections of the vested interests - of black, brown and white people; those with power and those without influence - who would be opposed to such a radical transformation of the Jamaican people from the psychosocial legacy of slavery.

I am, etc.,

GEORGE GARWOOD

merleneg@yahoo.com

Port St. Lucie, Florida

Via Go-Jamaica