The Editor, Sir:

Lloyd A Coke wrote of his utter disgust of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) for organising a 'wake' or 'set-up' for Herb McKenley. We should be ashamed of individuals such as Lloyd. How dare someone denigrate the cultural ties of our nation; how dare he disrespect the customs of some of our ancestors! Do European customs have more virtue than our African ancestry and customs? What aspects of recognising ancestral spirits is devil worship?

Lloyd laments that on at another JCDC function no mention was made of the role of the missionaries and Christian abolitionists who led the fight for abolition and our emancipation from slavery. Lloyd possibly thinks freedom fighters were all, or mostly European. He has little idea that many of those who fought and died for our liberation were African people to whom the highest praise is owed. He argues that culture is not always good.

Defining an individual

Well, Lloyd should know that it is culture that defines an individual and lack of culture is one of prime reasons Jamaica is suffering. All too often we Jamaicans aspire to foreign cultures, and foreign ways of thinking opposed to our own. This lack of reverence for our culture is obvious in the ruthless killings, lawlessness and sinful ways of certain individuals.

Jamaicans such as Lloyd are too wrapped up in legalistic worship and praise of men aka 'pastors' who need to be undone if Jamaicans are to have a true relationship with the one true God and subsequently with ourselves.

Shame on Lloyd Coke, who probably has no idea of the pagan customs that fill the Jamaican life, especially around this time of year we call Christmas.

I am, etc.,

JJ

kahmu@hotmail.com

Washington, D.C.