THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE INCIDENCE of poverty and its attendant ills should be of concern to everyone. The basic unit of any community is the family. When family life weakens, the community weakens. When the family takes an integrative problem-solving approach to the nuances of family life, then the community is strengthened.
Regrettably, some parents are unaware that their wants are secondary to their children's needs. These parents need guidance in recognising their responsibilities to their children and to make appropriate choices for their well-being. The responsibility of our Government is to provide structures and amenities for all citizens to utilise and enjoy, and not for select members of society. It is very important, therefore, that the Church and state use various methods to encourage best practices that do not impinge on the rights of others.
When Jamaica has an educated population, and parents have the number of children for whom they can provide adequate care, then it is easy for us to ensure that the Government delivers all the necessary facilities to which we are entitled. Our politicians would not have had the arrogance or temerity to treat us with disdain. Politicians know that the majority of Jamaicans do not understand the essence of democracy and they exploit our ignorance. Corrupt activities within government ministries could not have been euphemistically 'cleansed' by government ministers without indictable charges brought against them or the consequence of demitting office, if we had more of our citizens exercising our rights to ensure that the Government's fiduciary responsibilities to us portray good governance. In a democratic society, power is vested in the citizens who are supposed to exercise their right to participate in decision-making processes of governance.
I fervently wish for all Jamaican schools to have an environment that is conducive to the teaching-learning process, roads free from potholes, population control, affordable housing solutions, environmentally safe practices, and programmes to help the unemployed create and market their ideas/products/services. These are our collective responsibilities.
I am, etc.,
Dr. YVONNE M. BRIGHT
P.O. Box 5861
Kingston 6
