Is it ‘swap black dog for monkey’?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Ten of us retired professionals are watching in ‘can hardly state’ the plans being made about Jamaica being a republic. We, the senior citizens, take note that Barbados has become a republic. (But) Barbados has always been called ‘Little England’ and has a 99 per cent literacy rate. This ‘can-hardly-state’ group of senior citizens will give every support to our young leaders, when:

– our literacy rate in Jamaica moves from 60 to 90 per cent - like Cuba

– sanitation becomes important and our streets and markets are as clean as they are in Cuba

– our transport system becomes First-World, as in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

– so-called essential services become ‘essential’ as in First-World countries - [Jamaica Public Shame (JPS), National Water Catastrophe (NWC), so-called providers of telephone service, and National Works Atrocities (NWA), where they dig pits, manholes and graves on our roads.]

– this plastic generation officially called ‘half-day schoolers’ is upgraded and educated in well-built schools manned by well-trained teachers.

Would somebody explain to us the difference between the executive president and the ceremonial president so that we will not ‘swap black dog for monkey’? When all of the above are addressed, only then will we join Jamaica and shout republic as we move away from the British system and get our own republic.

V. BLAKE CARNEGIE