LETTER OF THE DAY
Ja needs political maturity
published: Friday | November 5, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

ONCE AGAIN, the American electorate has shown Jamaica and the rest of the world how to conduct themselves throughout an election season. Though the Republican/Democratic campaigns were particularly harsh this time around, there was no news in the American mainstream media about fighting, maiming or killing amongst supporters of either political party. Conversely, we in Jamaica seem to lack the sort of political maturity of our counterparts in the US, in this regard. Since the seventies, General Elections in Jamaica have been marred, to one degree or another, by violence and bloodshed due to political rivalry amongst supporters of either the JLP or the PNP. It is a shame that we have allowed our nation to go down this negative and highly uncivilized path, and for what?

Though it is easy to blame our politicians for all the blood that has flowed in the name of politics over the years, it is the people of this nation that must ultimately shoulder the blame for this. We have failed to demand a higher standard from our politicians and, in turn, they have fed off this weakness. Unlike what takes place in America, our politicians look down at us and treat us as if we are their servants instead of the other way around. We can't expect them to change if we, the Jamaican public, do not raise our own standards.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK A. GALLIMORE

pagalley@hotmail.com

Kingston

Via Go-Jamaica