THE EDITOR, Madam:
ON THE eve of the anniversary of our Independence celebrations, I must bring to your notice, what appears to be the bastardisation of one of our most important symbols our National Flag.
Our flag is black, green and gold, but many flags that are flown as representing the Jamaican flag, have bastardised the gold with a kind of pale yellow. The disconcerting thing is that these are not just the cheap, disposable paper flags. I have seen the counterfeit flags at service club functions, on flag staffs before private and public sector buildings and foreign embassies, on cars, in magazines and in a variety of ways across the country.
Worse of it all, is that at times this aberration appears to have official sanction, as I have seen such flags standing in the offices of Ministers of Government including the Prime Minister, and flown next to these officials at speeches, press conferences and television broadcasts, and at many important government-related events including those hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission.
It appears that we have been purchasing flags from manufacturers who have substituted the gold because yellow is cheaper and easier to reproduce, and we just accept either because we don't care, or don't think that it matters. How long before the aberrant becomes the norm?
I am sure that there are criteria for the manufacture, representation and use of our national symbols criteria that even those who should know better, don't follow.
Many of these flags by the way are printed overseas, usually in the Far East and thus our flag may well be one of the casualties of globalisation.
The point is, we cannot alter such an important national symbol simply because it is cheaper to replace the gold with yellow. The design of the flag was well thought out to represent our Independence sovereignty. It should not be altered as it is being done now, and those of public influence should be careful that it doesn't appear that they are sanctioning a cheap distortion of our history and culture.
I am etc.,
LOUIS DAVIS
56 Begonia Drive
Kingston 6.
