Excuse me, please!
published: Tuesday | November 23, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

PLEASE ALLOW me to highlight the issue of rudeness in our society. One cannot deny the vast improvement that Jamaica has made and enjoyed over the past 15 years. The construction and technology industries are booming. There are new roads, houses, hotels, cellular phones, computers etc.

However, there is one thing that has not improved with age and/or time, and that is the lack of self respect and social graces in our society. I cannot believe, that after all these years, we as a people have regressed so terribly in our mannerisms and behaviour.

Where have all the polite people gone? It is a crying shame to see rudeness of such magnitude existing among people of all ages and classes, who boast their origin and ancestry to the Arawak Indians, the Africans, The British, and the Asians, who historically and culturally were, and are known to be polite people (excuse, thank you, sorry, may I, etc.).

Although those mentioned are not the only inhabitants of our island nation, it is safe to say they comprise the majority. Can we be helped? I hope it's not too late. Maybe in all the confusion of politics and religion, there might be some way to save a culture that is fast dying out.

I am, etc.,

CHAPLAIN DERRICK

THOMPSON, Th.m.

dcthompson@earthlink.net

Hollywood, Florida

Via Go-Jamaica