We are unwanted 😡

 We Jamaicans tend to hold ourselves in high esteem and based the performance of many of our nationals at home and abroad, we have some reason to feel so.

For on an individual basis, so many Jamaicans tend to be world beaters!

This is s especially so in sports, music, the arts, etc although when it comes to, operating collectively, especially in sports, we tend to bomb out.

I am not at this time thinking about sports though but our reputation as a country.

A paradox is that despite our terrible reputation at home and abroad because of crime, we remain among the most desirable vacation destinations in the Caribbean

 But that’s for another debate.

The latest statistic which gave me a jolt recently, was when at I heard on Radio  Jamaica (RJR) that in the Caribbean, our passport is one of the least desirable. It’s something, I have never really mulled on, although I travel a lot.

This is demonstrated by the extent to which countries are prepared to refuse to take a chance on us, by allowing us into their countries without visas!

According the report, Barbadians, can travel to over 160 countries without needing a visa and Bahamians are next on the high list with over 150 countries not asking them to get visas.  However, Jamaicans can only travel to 90 countries without a visa. (The entire list and ranking are online).

Even other Caribbean countries don’t particularly like those of us trying to travel to their countries with a Jamaican passport, despite us holding something marked a Caricom passport.

I remember the last time I went to Trinidad, how they scrutinized my documents from top to bottom.  I was just attempting to get home next day after leaving Guyana!  This while other Caricom nationals just ‘zoopsed’ through. 

At that time, I had to catch a connection through Trinidad .

 I was just overnighting there to catch my connection!

As I have been mainly been travelling to Africa recently, my esteem was lifted a bit by the fact that quite a few countries on the Continent, welcome us without visas.

These include Botswana, Zambia, Ghana , Kenya, South Africa.

 I must admit though, I was shocked when no such privilege was extended to us by Ethiopia!

 Shocked, because so many Jamaicans hold Ethiopia in such high regard, with some of our nationals even considering their former King a high prophet.

Besides, quite a few Jamaicans have made that country their home.

Could it be because of the actions of the Jamaicans there why they put in the visa restriction?

On the other hand, more Jamaicans have made Ghana their home and they haven’t slapped any visa restrictions on us!

(According to my research, 1000 Jamaicans live in Ethiopia and around 4000 in Ghana).

Our government needs to tell us why we are the personae non gratae in the Caribbean and why they are not negotiating bilateral agreements for us to travel more easily?

Visas are quite expensive documents and considering how we open up our country to the rest of the world, isn’t it time we get a break?

I forgot, politicians travel on diplomatic passports so don’t have the hassle of getting visas.

Anyway, our passports are probably blacklisted because the world knows our governments are so notoriously corrupt with no one ever being held accountable for anything, so they don’t want people who consider corruption the norm, to visit them!

So, I guess we will continue to be the pariah of the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

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 [jw1]

Blame the victim yes!

There is a highly developed strategy which was initiated and perfected by the police decades ago, to take pressure off them for none-performance. It has been so successful that I see it is now being adopted by other agencies, the latest being the National Road Safety Council (NRSC.)

It’s called; BLAME THE VICTIM.

In case you never noticed, the moment someone of little or no influence or wealth is murdered in Jamaica, the police immediately issue a statement without providing  any evidence at all, claiming the victim had been involved in some kind of illegal activity. 

And it has worked wonders for them, as unless the victim is an affluent person or social influencer, no pressure is put on them to solve the murder, so they get away with doing very little or nothing.

This morning, I heard Dr. Lucien Jones, vice chairman of the NRSC spewing the same crap on RJR radio news. (Saturday 13th August.)

 The news item surrounded the fact that three pedestrians had been killed during the week. His brilliant contribution to the news was to condemn pedestrians for not being more careful and dressing properly!

I wonder what is Dr. Jones’ experience as a pedestrian? I suspect none, for if he had any, he would realize that most of us value our lives and limbs. (except for the random drunk or those who like to fly high).

More often, it is the motorists who drive as if it is ok to wipe us off the face of the earth.  

I suppose Dr. Jones thought he could deflect blame from the real culprits by his intervention, for the real delinquents are often not the pedestrians, but government, (local and central) as well the NWA and NRSC. 

Yes them too, for what educational programs do they really provide?

As to government, one would think that in a country barely able to import fuel, they would be more caring towards those who have to use the ‘ten toe turbo.’ 

But no sah, a nuh suh it guh at all.

Look at this latest initiative from our caring government!

According to the JIS; “The import duty on electric vehicles has been reduced from 30 per cent to 10 per cent and purchasers will not have to pay motor vehicle license fees over the next five years. The measures, which took effect on July 14, are supporting Jamaica's transition from a high dependence on petroleum for motor vehicles by making it more affordable for Jamaicans to acquire electric vehicles. This was made possible when the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the Customs Tariff (Revision) (Amendment) (No. 2), Resolution, 2022, and the Road Traffic (License Duties) Order, 2022, and Resolution to give effect to the measures. Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, informed that the lower duty rates and the elimination of the fee requirement apply to electric vehicles that are three years old or less at the time of importation.”

Ever wonder who drives electric vehicles? The rich of course. 

In the meantime, the very poor who often can’t even buy a bicycle because of the high import duty, must continue to endanger their lives by walking on roads which have no sidewalks. And where they exist, they are designed to harm you not help you, as they are often full of holes or have huge cracks on which you are bound to buck yu foot and bruk summen.

A perfect example is the essential West Avenue corridor, which runs from the busy Constant Spring Road to Dunrobin Avenue in Kingston. 

This road is used daily by hundreds from Queens School and a number of basic and kindergarten schools nearby. Yet, on this road, not only are there very few patches of sidewalk which are not overtaken by grass and weeds, but also where you see any, they are they are in such a bad condition that pedestrians have no alternative but to walk in the road.

Tribute to the Sunshine Girls outside the arena. They are often under-appreciated, but have consistently keep our flag flying high.

Yes, we need to celebrate our 60 years of independence from Britain for our sports men/women and cultural icons have made our country well known and respected  throughout the world.

However successive governments have given us nothing to celebrate considering our high crime rate, poor educational achievements (read Bruce Golding’s recent analysis) poor transportation system, high level of poverty, the constant dangers under which we have to exist, be it from police, gunmen, or inconsiderate and dangerous road users.