AUGUST 6 marked Jamaica's 47th year of independence and this is a great milestone for us to celebrate. However, the laissez-faire way in which most Jamaicans go about celebrating Independence Day leaves me in a trance, wondering where, as a country, did we go wrong.

Yes, we have the floats passing through a small section of Kingston and St Andrew and Montego Bay. The Kingston and St Andrew float culminated at the National Stadium while the one in MoBay terminated at Dump-up Beach. I am asking the powers that be, what about the small towns and villages across the island? Most of these people do not have the wherewithal to come to Kingston or MoBay to see these floats, so they stand aside like the 'poor cousin'.

I know definitely that it is not financially possible to have a float in every district or village, but the least the authorities could do to ensure that Independence Day has some relevance to these humble, hard-working Jamaicans is to make it mandatory for a Jamaican flag to be placed in a conspicuous section of every community on that day. Oh what a beauty that would be when, as far as the eye can see, it's just the black, green and gold waving in the wind. One would be forced to stop and reflect on what independence means for us as Jamaicans.

I am, etc.,

PATRICK PANTON

Psquared_1964@yahoo.com