NOTEWORTHY
Published:Friday | July 30, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Jamaica House not live
The radio talk show, 'Jamaica House Live', hosted by Bruce Golding monthly is a crying shame. Here we have a leader of a country fielding calls on individual needs and wants. For example, callers phone in to seek help about a fence that is falling down or what to do when a personal loan is not paid back to the lender. These may be important issues to the parties involved, but clearly should not be the foundation for a prime minister's radio programme.
The show should really test the prime minister's vision and leadership qualities. Ask him about a five-step plan to economic growth, or his plan for political reform, etc. This is part of the problem with our electorate. We think very compartmentalised. We don't understand the bigger picture. Of course, my guess is that his advisers have been instrumental in structuring the show in this way. No wonder we are so backward and cognitively challenged.
David Sangster
Fresh political alliance
I have some reservations about the recently imposed state of emergency, and I do question aspects of the proposed crime bill. I do not see us making any strides forward, placing absolute power and unreserved discretion in the hands of a police/security force that to drive fear in a people whom they have sworn to protect.
I think we have had enough of lame corrupt politicians who have no vision and virtue for moving this country forward. We do have a very few trying individuals, but they seem to be kept on the back burner at all times.
We need a new fresh alliance of well-thinking patriotic Jamaicans to come forward and put up themselves as leaders whom we can choose to take Jamaica to its potential heights of prosperity and development.
Dave A. McFarlane
Trigger-happy solution
I just want to lend my support to the letters I have seen so far from Stanley Redwood and Basil Waine Kong denouncing the "trigger-happy"(excuse the pun) use of a state of emergency as a solution to crime.
There are several disastrous potential pitfalls, as these gentlemen have outlined. Among these is the fact that policemen and soldiers should not have the authority to play judge and jury and arbiter of human rights at their discretion.
I am not surprised that Jamaicans are in support of it. That is extremely unfortunate, but even the law-abiding ones among us are a violent people in our hearts. In addition, 1) we like quick fixes no matter how brutal, 2) this does not directly affect our middle and upper classes. It is a horrible band-Aid to put over the wound of our appalling crime problem but perhaps the worst damage is the smugness in the collective mind of society that we are addressing the problem, determinedly oblivious to the gangrene setting in.
Karis Chin-Quee
Hershey, Pennsylvania