There has been much criticism over the years about the Jamaican dancehall culture, with opposing factions in heated debate about its place in our nation.

Those in opposition to what they perceive as wanton vulgarity are often quick to judge the dancehall as a bed of moral decay and public indecency, whereas those in support indicate that dancehall represents both their musical history and culture. In essence, dancehall is viewed by its proponents as the spirit of Jamaica and, as a societal cancer by its detractors.

Public pornography

I recently viewed a weblink of one of the local street dances that have become commonplace in Jamaica and was shocked by the public pornography that was on display. In a society bent on espousing law and religion as the columns of our morality and public decency, the recent trend of people actually having sexual intercourse in the middle of street dances (on mattresses etc as part of the spectacle) to the amusement of the viewing crowd and direction of the deejay is indicative of a society nestled in the heart of depravity where law and morality have no meaning.

If this represents the spirit of Jamaica, then how different are we from the common mongrels copulating in the middle of our streets?

If our people have no sense of good judgment, morality and public decency in such circumstances, then how do we as a nation piously raise our voices in opposition to issues such as abortion and adult males or females having consensual sexual intercourse at least in the privacy of their own bedrooms? But then again, I suppose the hypocrisy is also a part of our culture.

I am, etc.,

CONCERNED CITIZEN

If this represents the spirit of Jamaica, then how different are we from the common mongrels copulating in the middle of our streets?