Letter of the Day | Is 12-day mourning necessary?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

As the country is under 12 days of mourning, I am constantly trying, and failing, to understand what was the Government thinking in issuing this declaration. The only answer that seems to make sense is that this was a gesture made in the name of sucking up to a family that is directly responsible for the atrocities that befell our ancestors, and the psychological scars that have been passed down from generation to generation as a result.

This show of empathy need not extend to all of 12 days. That’s more than a little ‘extra’. That’s just us being ‘nuff’; and this ‘nuffness’ is egregious.

Besides, in the UK, 10 days of mourning was declared, and this is from a set of people who would have experienced the joys of having a royal family with no qualms about buggering other nations for their own gain. Out of courtesy, one to three days of grieving would have been more than adequate in Jamaica.

This excessive show of reverence is tantamount to a slap in the faces of all our ancestors, including our national and unsung heroes, who sacrificed their lives to pry us out of the death grip of British colonial rule. Let us not forget that it was Elizabeth I (the golden-age queen) that authorised the pirate Sir John Hawkins to steal the first set of hundreds of Africans away from their families and homeland. It is this royal family that signed the abolition of slavery in 1807, yet it was not enforced until 31 years later.

Ironically, though, the persons who actually suffered because of slavery have not received reparations. In fact, we have not even been offered a proper apology from them.

I am not one for living in the past, but even I know that for forgiveness to be earned, the transgressor must own up to the wrongs done. Queen Elizabeth II may not have started African slavery, but as the head, it was her job to atone for it – much like a parent would be held accountable for their children’s actions. Up to her death, this was never done. If for no other reason, the throne, along with those who sit on it, is a symbol of oppression, white privilege, and extreme wealth inequity in the UK itself, Jamaica and other nations around the world. If for no other reason, during her lifetime, the Crown has still had a very grim record of racism. Didn’t Harry and Meghan leave the royal family because of allegations of racism?

While I am saddened that a human being has died, 12 days of mourning her passing in Jamaica seems ridiculous. Many great Jamaicans, such as Keith ‘Bob Andy’ Anderson, Isis Clarke, Clive Duncan, Frederick Hickling, Karen Smith, Bunny Wailer, Volier ‘Maffie’ Johnson, Michael Sharpe, Christopher McFarlane, etc, to the best of my knowledge, did not receive official days of mourning for their contributions to the country.

Don’t we have better things to focus on? Like the state of our education system, the massive exodus of teachers and other professionals from the country, the state of many of our roads, the lack of social mobility for a great majority of our people, our struggling healthcare system, corruption in the government, child abuse, gang- and drug-related violence; and I could go on and on.

Prime Minister Holness’ intentions may have been good in mourning her passing as a country, but for Jamaica to be mourning more days than in the UK doesn’t add up.

E.S.