Letter of the Day | Politicians shouldn’t ignore constructive criticism

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I have observed that Jamaica has a very vibrant political scene and history. I have also recognised that we are so tribal that many would prefer to live in a failing country with their respective parties in power, rather than a thriving country where their party of choice is in opposition. I say this when I see that, no matter the situation, political supporters and the party members themselves do everything to project doom and gloom at every turn. They constantly reminisce on a warped reality of the past of better days when their party was in power.

Let me apologise for these recollections that they may have got personal benefits, which would explain the fervour that these supporters have for their party. However, let me state, from the country’s point of view, it was never so rosy, as each administration has faced its versions of crises, from economic to social ones. This statement is not targeted at one political party or the other, it is merely a statement of facts. With that said, however, I would like to make three points to the Government and its ministers.

First, the vitriol from actors with ill intentions is unrelenting and, in most cases, incoherent and lacks substance. Not every attack from this set of so-called bad apples has no merit or basis. One thing is for sure, the message will be delivered in a way that lacks tact or balance, but sometimes the concerns have a solid foundation and there exists an issue to be resolved.

Second, not every upset and disgruntled citizen falls into the category of a political operative from the Opposition, sometimes regular citizens feel disgruntled and get to the point where they can take no more and respond to ordinary citizens with disgust and dismiss them as political operatives. This is not only disrespectful, it prevents the Government from taking an objective look at the concerns to find resolutions and improve the lives of citizens.

Third, listen to a diverse group of people and do not fall into the trap of only preaching to the choir and talking to those that only agree with party and government ideas. If dissenting voices are only met with aggression and dismissal, then people will start refusing to criticise and offer suggestions, and that is the first step to being out of touch with the people.

It is easy to feel like everyone is against the Government and I accept that there are people who are just trying to tear down the Government for no reason. I refuse to believe that every negative comment about the running of the country is coming from a place of spite or a deliberate ploy by the Opposition. There are people with legitimate concerns that are sometimes lumped into these categories and are being ignored.

ADREAN GENTLES