Jamaica: A Lost Society, But There is Hope

“It takes a village to raise a child” – African Proverb

I sit around this computer pondering how to start this blog and I’m in yet another state of depression regarding my country.

A 14 year old girl student of Anchovy High school was fatally stabbed allegedly by one of her classmates.

 “The police report that about 12:20 pm the two schoolgirls had a fight when a knife was brought into play. Dawkins was stabbed and was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where doctors declared her dead.” – The Jamaica Observer

Couple hours later the Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting said that 'serious and violent crimes' had dropped 10 per cent and proclaimed that it was an indication of progress.

Progress? Really?

A 14-year-old girl laid dead yet the Minister made the above state. I guess we live in a society where we no longer know what or how to define serious or violent crimes.

Crimes in our schools are on the increase, crime in every facet of our society is on the increase. Our law enforcement is laced with corruption and our people remain silent.

Where are the Politicians?

Our country from all looks of it seems to be in a doomed state.

The media seems to be caught up with negativity and entertainment rather than going out and finding the positive and inspirational stories that are happening in our country.

Again I ask; where are the Politicians?

 The ever climbing dollar is a cause for concern yet we sit down and feed on the crap which we hear daily.

I go back to my opening statement “It takes a village to raise a child”. No longer in Jamaica do we see communities raising a child. Children lack manners, bleaching has become a norm that even children in primary schools applying this product to their skin.

I weep for my country, I weep for our economy, I weep for our schools, families and communities.

We have lost our identity as a people, we’ve lost belief in our leaders, and we’ve lost faith in our own selves to lift and bring this nation from the poverty stricken state it’s currently in.

Our motto states “out of many one people” and we are so divided. Historical nations have rise and fall, are we on that current path?

Who will take up the mantle and pull us from our slum? Who will be brave enough to lead our people a once proud nation back to the top?

We can’t keep hiding behind our achievements in sports. We have a country were negativity has become the norm of our society, we watch and news and we expect to see nothing positive.

Full time now Jamaicans Rise Up and be proactive, be innovative and let the Words of our National Anthem flow through our veins let us be proud to wear the black green and gold not because it is fashionable but because it represents something to us.

Let us Unite and believe in our abilities, let’s bring back sweet Jamaica, let communities raise our children and not hurt them. Let us protect our future generations from the scourge that has soaked into our society over the last decade.

We are a strong and powerful set off people who can achieve anything.

Live by these words “It’s not what our leaders can do for you, but it’s what we can do for the betterment of our society.”     

Never give up, Pray for Jamaica, Believe in Jamaica, Hope for Jamaica.

S.B. Stanberry

Blood versus Loyalty

“Always question where your loyalty lies. The people you trust will expect it, your greatest enemies will desire it and those you treasure the most will without fail, abuse it. Loyalty takes years to build and only seconds to destroy.”

Since the beginning of time the concept of blood versus loyalty has been ever present no matter how mythical or real the story is.

Blood and Loyalty are intertwined, bound together by the laws of nature.

We are loyal to our country, friends, religion, political affiliations, schools and the list could go on and on.

But where do we separate it? Where do we draw the line between blood and loyalty?

Our own life situations pretty much influence where our loyalty lies while blood will always be blood.

There’s a quote that says “blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family”. Now this I agree with.

Nobody can prove to me that we should be loyal to someone because we are related.

Now everybody is entitled to their opinion but based on my own experience I pretty much can decide where my own loyalty lies.

Family isn’t blood.

Example look at somebody who was adopted, are we gonna say they are not our family because we are not “blood” related?

Life will always conjure up these mysterious mind boggling challenges.

Ask yourself, where does your loyalty lie? Think about it. Are you loyal because you’re blood related or are you loyal because those people have been there in your corner supporting you through some of life’s most difficult challenges?

Whether those people are your blood relatives or not, that is where your loyalty should lie.

As for me, I know where my loyalty lies and its simple it’s with my family.

S.B. Stanberry