THE EDITOR, SIR:
IN THIS Heroes weekend, a time I see as constituting celebrations of freedom, leadership and advancement, I'd like to thank and encourage the many entrepreneurs and companies in Jamaica in their heroic challenge to that narrow-minded counter productive Towns and Communities Act of 1843.
Last year, between July 11 and October 10, a giant retail company ran Gleaner and Star advertisements concerning the opportunity for customers to get a 'Sunday Savings Card' and gain "$2,500 in free merchandise" if they made "every Sunday count!" and purchased $13,000 worth of merchandise (with other conditions applying) within the time period, and this, I feel, must be commended and developed.
SUNDAY COMMERCE
There's nothing wrong with Sunday commerce, at least not in the Bibles I've read, provided the labour force com-prises people who are either willing to work or have no allegiance to man-made Sunday sacredness. As Gleaner columnist Martin Henry observes: "When the law forbids commercial activity on one particular day, then everyone who has voluntarily chosen to observe some other holy day of rest is forced by the state to give up a second day, which in effect is a time tax in support of a religion to which one does not subscribe." (Flexible Work Week, January 3, 2002). I think this law should be dismantled, especially when the reality is that it is not impossible to make or amend the laws relevant to Flexible Working Arrangements! (FWA).
KEEPING THE SABBATH
Would it be right for me as an SDA Christian to lobby for most, if not all, businesses to close on Saturdays simply because I want to keep the Sabbath? It must be remembered that the majority vote is not always right, especially since they'd rather have a murderous Barrabas than an honest hardworking yet Sabbath keeping carpenter.
This island is blessed with a tolerant "out of many one people". Each of us must valiantly challenge the status quo when it threatens freedom. That's our hero's legacy.
I am, etc.,
RYAN O'NEIL SEATON
Cell8763132444@gmail.com
Kingston 20
