Protests Mount as Development Plans Threaten One of Jamaica's Tiny Gems Jamaica is critically dependent on tourism, especially with the demise of the bauxite industry and the decline in agriculture over recent decades. The government will be tempted in coming years by the prospect of economic rewards that inevitably mean the loss of traditional benefits - such as public access to the beaches and the quiet enjoyment of an unspoiled natural beauty that equals any paradise on earth.

Jamaican Tourism hi-jacked by Mad-man Mi  cyannot even get a finganail clippa or a bakle a lotion ova three ounces through de airport security line in Merica yet dis man was able to get a gun through de security and unto the plane. People; wi need fi understand dat Tourism is de ongly foreign exchange earner wi ave lef in Jamaica.

American Gun Control Laws Are a Matter of Life and Death to Its Neighbors As long as assault rifles and other lethal weapons are freely available in the United States – at gun shows for example - neighboring countries such as Jamaica will remain at risk. The right to bare arms may be a matter of their Constitutional right to Americans, but to Jamaicans it is a matter of life and death.

Commentary: The failure of the Caribbean Maritime Institute It is very troubling that the Caribbean Maritime Institute is not living up to the expectations of the students and their parents who have struggled to pay fees to help their children become responsible adults in their chosen career. For over 3 years student who have been enrolled at the Institute have not been able to complete their training and move out into the world to seek employment.

"Whey yeye see mek heart leap." I am in the middle of the ‘dungle’ seated on a rusty old paint pan reasoning and grounding with the elders. There are other people around in this landfill place of garbage, scattered in all directions, diligently searching and salvaging from the mountains of city waste.

The Key Element Missing In All Jamaican Crime Plans - Let us have GUNS! All Jamaican crime plans will fail until they recognise that the Jamaican citizens must be empowered to help in the fight against violent crime. It's not the job of the police to prevent armed robberies, burglary, home invasions, rapes and murders and, frankly, no reasonable person could call on the 10,000 police and 3,000 soldiers to be instantly available to protect each of the 2.8 million citizens against these things.

With So Many Programs For So Many Years, You Would Think Illiteracy Would Be Gone By Now There can be no doubt that Bruce Golding’s government, like other previous administrations, is making a determined effort to bring the light of literacy to all Jamaicans. But a lingering doubt remains in my mind: How will this initiative succeed when so many others have had such limited success?

Jamaica And The Economics Of Morality Crime costs Jamaica 6% of GDP economists love to charge. Fine, but they do not like to make the real connection between the lifestyles of islanders, their morality, and current woeful levels of the nation's financial ratios. In spite of the vast numbers of churches in Jamaica, islanders have one of the lowest level of sexual morality in the world. 

Reflection on President Obama’s Message as it Pertains To Food A key principle that Barack Obama used as part of the foundation of his campaign, was that we are not White America, Black America, Latino America, or Asian America - we are the United States of America. With that in mind, it brought me back to thinking about my fellow Caribbean nationals living in the United States, New York City in particular, where I reside.

Obama's Presidency and what it means to me Never since Jesus rode on a donkey into Nazareth did one man garner the pageantry and glory that captured the hopes of the entire world as did Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America. 43 Presidents before had served America in its highest office, but this time it was different. The President elect is the progeny of a Blackman from Kenya and a White American woman, making him an African American. (No pun intended.)

Stimulus and Green Jobs for Jamaican Graduates We need greater energy efficiency and more focus placed on things like solar energy. This will help the Industrial Sector. It is my opinion and I strongly believe that if it is not already being done; we should start training some of our school graduates on how to make and install solar power systems.

Dual Citizenship and the Global Economy I read an article in the Carib News 12/16/08 “Caribbean Politics Grapples with Dual Citizenship”. The author points out that this has been a major discussion for the past two years in several Caribbean islands. My name is Daseta Gray. I currently reside in New York City and I have been living here for the last 28 years. Yes I have dual citizenship (US and Jamaica).

Why Do Jamaicans Do So Well in Foreign Lands? Jamaicans have achieved success in many countries and in many fields, and I marvel at our adaptability. I think back to that mango tree in the schoolyard at Guy’s Hill, where – as eight-year-olds – we would sit in the shade and recite interminably, "Cincinnati, pork, pork; Birmingham iron, iron; Sheffield, steel, steel…" On and on through the long afternoon, gaining some idea of what went on in that big world beyond the shores of our tiny island.

Jamaica and Basketball...It is time to WAKE UP After the Olympics many promises were made public by Jamaica officials..one of them was to make new policies and attempts to grow off the success of the Olympics in sports such as golf, tennis etc...I am encouraging Jamaica and its sports officials to WAKE UP. 

Job Training Program Offers Hope in Jamaica's Fight Against Crime Jamaica's new Special Youth Employment and Training Project is intended to train and employ 10,000 unskilled young people over the next four years. The intent is to equip them for employment. Labor and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles figures the program will help to solve Jamaica's crime problem, which has been spiraling out of control. And I hope with all my heart that he is right.

Jamaicans- In the midst of world economic turmoil As the concerns of global financial and economic stability continue to fragment with talks in the United States on the economic package bailout, one cannot help but reflect on the Jamaican economy. From the standpoint of a poor Jamaican, one wonders how, or if the Jamaican economy will withstand this financial turmoil.

Harsh Crime Fighting Policies Keep the Peace in My Little Corner of the World This little corner of Florida is very quiet. I am confident that no groups of rowdy youths will come trooping down my street this evening. It is highly unlikely that robbers will break into my home or vandalize my car. I will not be accosted when I go to the supermarket. I have no fear that I will be car-jacked as I was in Jamaica. How does this part of Florida achieve such a level of calm? And why is Jamaica in such turmoil?

Jamaicans need to carpool to ease gas burden Relatively speaking, the time has now come for better dialogue in regards to modes of transportation and travel patterns, in Jamaica. The formidable task to encourage transportation behavioral patterns is emerging.

How to successfully dismantle political garrisons In Jamaica a political garrison is an area where at least 90% of the eligible votes are cast for either the PNP or JLP. Those votes are usually secured by way of coercion, intimidation (both implicit and explicit) or through bribery. Another distinct characteristic of political garrisons is the refusal of many residents to pay utility bills. There is minimal investment in the area by the established private sector and whatever infrastructure is still standing is decayed and there is usually an absence of civic pride.

How to master Standard English in Jamaica The more I listen to the ongoing debate regarding the translation of the holy scriptures into the vernacular- Jamaican Creole (JC) - and the corresponding debate regarding the formal recognition of JC and its elevation to national language status on par with English, the more I am convinced how intellectually, implicitly and explicitly, dishonest the “privileged” among us are. 

Marijuana – What is its role in Jamaica’s future? HealthDay Reporter, Steven Reinberg recently wrote an article entitled “Marijuana May Shrink Parts of the Brain”. According to him, researchers have found that long term use of the drug can cause significant brain injury, affect memory and result in early psychotic symptoms. I believe that the utilization of nature’s gift of marijuana is a great way to gain some sort of economic stability in Jamaica.

So Close, yet So Far away As a Jamaican living in Central America I have heard many perceptions from Jamaicans about the Isthmus.  The truth is that many Jamaicans look down on these countries as backward and Civil War stricken nations. This is so far from the present day reality as those periods of war are long gone and most of these countries are today more developed than Jamaica.

To Pay A Man His Own Coins - Fathers awake The joys of being a father are unparalleled. We see in our young ones the potential to realize our very own unfulfilled dreams. We often here similes like ‘as devoted as a mother and as kind as a child’ but nothing about fathers love and devotion towards their children. Too often fathers are classified as sperm donors and deadbeat dads because of their delinquencies.

The Government heaps the problem of crime on the police. The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) on May 29, 2008 demanded that the Government share with the country its approach to curb the escalating crime wave. I have been stirred by Prime Minster Golding's response of referring development of Jamaica's crime plan to the Commissioner of Police. The Prime Minister cites the amendment to Section 2 of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act to argue that the police have total control over operational matters!

Loss of Jamaican Identity = Anarchy While recently engaged in a discussion at church on whether DISOBEDIENCE and INDISCIPLINE are synonymous, a thought occurred to me: Jamaican students who migrate display a quaint but much admired character trait- the use of SIR and MISS when referring to male and female teachers. Another Jamaican characteristic displayed by parent/guardian is the administration of corporal punishment, i.e., spanking or as the good old book describe it, the use of the rod. The appropriate administration of corporal punishment/spanking is an integral part of our Jamaican identity.

Degenerate Impact of Dancehall Music I believe that we need to do more to help curb violence in Jamaica. Let us start with the dancehall music. It is so easy to say how we want to reduce violence in our Island, but from the perspective of a native Jamaican, it is easy to preach, but difficult to practice.

Why Do The Majority Of Jamaicans Seem To Support The Democratic Party Over The Republican Party Of The USA? This is a question that needs serious examination to uncover any existing factual basis for the "democrticpartization" of Jamaicans and to see if there is an explanation for our twisted method of making choices and seeking affiliations.

The Garvey-Liberia Connection The cry of Africans imported to the Americas from as early as the fifteenth century was echoed in Marcus Garvey’s ‘back to Africa’ ideology. This longing for a return to the homeland continued through to the 19th century with the establishment of the American Colonization Society which founded the colony of Liberia for the resettlement of free blacks. The general interest in Africa persisted into the 20th century with the idea of uniting all Africa.

Petition In Hand, Why I Think Bob Marley Should Be Jamaica's 8th National Hero It's been almost 27 years since the death of Bob Marley, yet despite previous appeals by the Marley Family and a host of posthumous awards Jamaica still refuses to accord the Hon. Robert Nesta Marley national hero status, the country's highest honour. Even when Bob was a young musician from Trenchtown, his music wasn't recognized by his own people in Jamaica until his first album "Catch A Fire" became an international hit, thanks to Chris Blackwell, but also the fact that Rastafarians were regarded as outcasts, or "Black Heart" men in the 60s and 70s.

The Fabrication Of Man-Made Global Warming Claims And Why? Three things that completely undermines the claim that man is causing the earth to warm up, needs brief mention. Firstly, it seems that other planets in our solar system are heating up.

Debunking "white-skin is superior" propaganda Lewis Hamilton a man of predominantly African decent, race car drive extraordinaire and English born son of Caribbean immigrants was the subject of racist chanting in Spain recently. He was verbally abused by a partisan crowd who wore monkey-face mask and directed monkey chattering sounds towards him.

Keeping History Alive By not keeping our history alive, we in essence dishonours the virtues of our martyrs and our freedom fighters, and stifle the call for fairness and justice, while creating a wave of dormancy in what should have been a vibrant continued struggle. Conversely, by keeping our history alive, we no doubt will inspire others to assume the roles of our heroes and leaders and pay homage to them that made the ultimate sacrifice through defiance, bravado and courage.

Sport And Budgeting The commercial evolution of sport and how it has managed to move from the kitchen-table model to the corporate-boardroom model has become quite a sophisticated industry from a financial viewpoint....Jamaica, a country with rich sport history, must ensure that there is an awareness programme for the continuity of the legacy that continues to grow.

Acceptance Is GRANTED not DEMANDED A touchy debate reignited last week and is still ensuing ; a Home Economics text book in use at the secondary level is advancing the notion that same sex /homosexual/gay couples, that is, two men or two women living together can be considered a “family” who may even adopt children.

Jamaica Investment Clubs Jamaica has been having, in recent years an upsurge of investment clubs/schemes. Basically, these investment clubs offer high interest rates once you invest with them. These clubs have grown in popularity as they are the best alternative to saving in banks, and there interest rates are more than enticing. With interest rates starting at a minimum of 10% per month, no other transparent financial institution have been able to compete.

The Sacrifice Of The Truth On The Altar Of Partiality For the last couple of weeks I have been attending to some very important matters, which were placed on the backburner before and after Election 2007. Another reason for not putting pen to paper is quite frankly I have been turned-off by the intolerable level of dishonesty in media both print and electronic. There is hardly a journalist, commentator, contributor, columnist, talk show host, letter writer or caller that values TRUTH for truth’s sake.

Will Rogue Cops Rule Forever!? It is a well known fact that the average citizen, in Jamaica , has very little confidence in the police. Let us stop “bury our head in the sand”. The rogues have given us good reason not to trust them. Our police force must be one of, if not the most corrupt in the world.

"Chances Are." There are many young people in our communities that have attained neither an education nor a skill. They are our fellow brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles , cousins etc. Yea! Our fellow man, flesh and blood. They are a part of our world, our lives and our being. They will not simple vanish in oblivion and of such we must find ways to help them to become productive, to become skilful and educated so that they can in turn help themselves and others alike.

Jamaica DID NOT vote: “winners take all” this time The “final” results of the election and the clearly defined mandate and direction of the electorate has in our view “thrown a wrench in the spokes of the wheels” of government. This is so because none of our previous fourteen (14) elections have resulted in such a narrow margin of victory both in terms of the seat count and the share of the popular vote.

Should Jamaica Restrict Family Size? Overpopulation, GNP And Poverty Alleviation! Rather than depending on the laws of averages and the laws of nature to construct the ratio of males to females, China has tampered with its population mix by restricting family size and sex. This experiment now seems to be a colossal failure from one angle as China faces a current and future serious shortage of workers in certain age groups! Looking from another angle though, it may be viewed as a stunning success at slowing poverty growth and increasing GNP per capita. Jamaica should look and learn but should it copy the China population strategy?