Finding strength in our great past
Published:Saturday | February 12, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Our small but great nation of Jamaica is rife with crime, with no immediate solution. As a nation, we need to draw strength from the people who fought for what was right in the face of enormous opposition. I look to our national heroes to direct us in this present crisis.
They were considered inferior people to the dominant force of slavery. They are called heroes because they did not give up when life got tough. They fought with resilience and bravery. We are the everyday heroes today, who face evil forces that would destroy our country.
Nanny was a woman of enormous courage. Though she had many strikes against her for being a slave and a woman, she did not back down. She fought the British relentlessly and decided that she would never yield to captivity. Our women should look to a sister like Nanny when the family is under attack. Nanny was smart, resilient, and hard-working. That's the spirit we need in Jamaica right now.
I think that a major part of the curriculum should focus on teaching our children about the rich history of national heroes, more so when our children are inundated by corrupt music and the negative influence of the Internet and screen media.
Paul Bogle endorsed the principles of charity and endurance, leading the Morant Bay Rebellion in 1865. He was a leader and organiser who spent time educating and training his followers. Sam Sharpe carried out one of the most impressive resistances against slavery in 1831, starting in St James and spreading throughout the whole island. Why not teach our young men that, like Paul Bogle and Sam Sharpe, they can fight for a cause?
We are all heroes of Jamaica when we are catalysts for change. We need a picture of the past, so that we will fight with courage for the present and future.
I am, etc.,
NYRON BLAKE