In Defense of INDECOM

Today we live in extraordinary times when unprecedented events keep happening that undermine the stability of our world. Scamming, youth apathy, bleaching, waves of crime and violence. This is a time and place where those in power and control seem unable to deal with the issues of the day, and no-one has any vision of a different or a better kind of future. It seems paradoxical and contrary to me that the government is unable to negotiate payment of the Police yet now, for the sake of political grandstanding, for public relations relief our Prime Minister has proposed to pay the legal expenses of Police who are under the scrutiny of INDECOM, undermining the same institution his party predecessors implemented. Simply for political expedience, human rights gains are reversed.

I can see no logic to this as 1. this position doesn't fix the economic/wage, social and psychological problems within the police system. 2.This position takes an adversarial stance to INDECOM. Positing that the agency goes "too far" with regard to police oversight. In practical terms, INDECOM is one of the few human rights steps we have taken to have a major effect in the country on the ground. 3. INDECOM is not an impediment to crime fighting. To truly fight crime we need one an accountable an effective police system. One which we know is free of corruption, one which is paid properly, trained properly. We need a system of comprehensive forensics and follow up of an investigation. The fight against crime requires a more efficient legal system and justice system, the removing of a corrupt judiciary, not more laws, but the execution and carrying out of the laws we do have with greater speed and efficiency. The work of fighting "crime" which is an intangible and nebulous thing or concept, takes substantive efforts in the spheres of education, culture and economics, not public relations fluff, not political grandstanding. Fixing the country is real work.

The police is a very old institution in this country, with a history of policing over a slave class and second class citizens. Let us not forget one of the early display of police brutality and state force in the Coral Gardens Incident of 1963. Let us not pretend that the history of the police was to use force against newly freed slaves to protect the interest of the former plantocracy and that legacy of force has morphed into a present day where the police have become apathetic with regard to doing the actual work of investigation and follow up, but would rather just shoot first and ask question later if ask any at all. I know many good police officers, some who employ community policing and social approaches, but believe me, they are far outnumbered by the epidemic of brutality and corruption that has infected the police. It is common knowledge that power corrupts, so we must now ask "who watches the watchman" another common expression. Oversight of the police is necessary and a must.

Those who decry INDECOM have forgotten the social circumstance that led to the birth of INDECOM, years of Braeton 7, Kraal Killings, Kentucky Kid, an age when there was less technology at our disposal and even less precision in law enforcement. A time when the police force was simply a BLUNT instrument when innocent lives could easily be swept up in the murder of flat-footed alleged criminals being executed on sight. A time when the good suffered at the hands of the police with the bad, when respect for the citizenry outside of "Risto-dom" was nil, when police were contemptuous of domiciles with zinc fences or board houses. When civil liberties were trampled with impunity and extrajudicial killings were protested on the news nightly. What is required today in Jamaica is a more clinical Jamaica Constabulary.

Are we to pretend all the international reports about our police and policing don't exist? Are we to pretend all the national enquiries and commissions pointing to inadequacies in our policing body and methodology don't exist? Are we to forget the brutal display of force in the May 2010 Tivoli incursion? There are not that many agencies the public can use to challenge the state administratively or constitutionally, shall we erode one of the few? Then what next, dismantle the office of The Public Defender? We cannot let fear of crime cause us, to cowardly erode our own social gains and civil liberties, we should instead rise to the challenge of doing the hard work of rooting out corruption, implementing better-policing tools and methods, fixing the judiciary, fixing the economy! Let us not follow the Prime Minister in taking this cowardly path out of fear and for political expediency. Please let us not!

A Mansion to Mention: The Holness House is a Hot Mess!

As elections draw nigh it seems the JLP wants a debate, but no one wants to debate the hottest issue; Mr. Holness' house. Is it because it could prove Mr. Holness to be a scammer of sorts!

I can understand the JLP's suspicion of bad-mind on the part of the PNP... but does bad-mind prevent the question from being a really legitimate one? I think not! Why shouldn't a public official tell us how he acquired such costly material possessions? Should we live with the shades of doubt as to his funding source and mode of land acquisition?

Andrew's lacks confidence and it is clear and apparent. He makes attempts to seem larger than life and charismatic dusting his Clarkes but he generally strikes me as sterile, rigid, academic and lacking natural cultural affinity.

Now this alleged fashion in which his land acquisition was carried out moves the discussion into the domain of the disingenuous, insincerity and intellectual dishonesty, framing his party negatively before the election.

Should the allegations in the barrage of articles that are flooding my FaceBook be remotely true... then one must question the intention of the formation of the St. Lucian company of which Mr. Holness is the director!

1. Why was a foreign company used to acquire property in Jamaica, his home country, where consequently he is an elected official?

2. How could transaction be allegedly signed stating “while visiting Jamaica”?

3. Are the above questions indicative of his attempt to evade his financial obligations (the paying of taxes) to is homeland?

4. Now if the above questions speak truth of his dishonesty and it may very well be that he is in above his head, then how does he plan to satiate his appetite for affluence and penchant for avarice?

5. Would it be via gaining control of the country’s fiduciary and financial systems?
FINALLY could this grand fraud be a personality trait and character flaw... could the man lacking in confidence be using big house to mask his timid ego and insecurity, could lack of strong self esteem have lead to a need to prove self and commit the fraud!

Bureaucracy Stifling Activism in Jamaica!

Today in Jamaica there are countless grassroots projects under way, yet the economic hurdles can seem too much to overcome, but the people continue nonetheless. However as more and more of us are becoming aware of how disastrous the global economy and the IMF's agenda are for the people of Jamaica and the planet, I believe that the chances for meaningful change are greater today than ever before, BUT the Government needs to do more to facilitate the empowerment of the people. Grassroots activism and collective social groups like people's cooperatives, neighborhood watches, resident's association, youth clubs, which are suppose to level the playing field for citizen participation in our democratic society, and leverage people power on the community's behalf are being stymied and stemmed unnecessary bureaucracy and confusing, if not confining legal parameters.

Organization born of citizens and community residents are made to jump through legal loops to gain recognition as a legal entity, they then have to meet one of many government agency's criteria of proper organizational running, then only to find themselves confined in the functions, roles and parameters, depending on the legal entity  you are recognized as. Then not to mention the general foot dragging at every level of the bureaucracy and link in the chain of command.

The average Jamaican people's group is faced with Anti-gang legislation which threatens their freedom of assembly, then after you have managed to get a formal set up, elections with posts and treasurers, have regular meetings, then comes registration, you register with SDC, CDC, PDC, NYDC, NYS and all the acronyms, some of them come to meetings, some talk, but very little comes of it. Then your organization dreams of doing outreach and revenue generating... the legal hurdles then begin, do you register as a Company with the Registrar of Companies, or as Friendly Society or a Benevolent Society or a Co-operative??? Each of which has confinements and restrictions as to what your group can and cannot do, legal functions etc. I contend that there can be no sensible and effective organization of the people with so much Red Tape. It leads to a quagmire of frustration.

The environmental costs (Goat Island and access to water) of the current system have been visible for quite some time; now the social consequences, too, are becoming clearer. The gap between 'have' and 'have-not' is escalating to epic proportions; the average Jamaican is seeing his or her real incomes decline, and must work longer hours just to cover basic needs. Our government, like many around the world is too poor to meet their obligations and hence now respond to the wishes of international lenders rather than their own citizens.  People are beginning to understand that something is fundamentally wrong, and that minor tinkering with the current system is not the answer. Help us to help ourselves; enable and empower citizens, communities and activists... cut the red tape that restricts community and citizens based organizations.

The Cup of Life!

The Montegonian Proposal

The C.U.P. of Life

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."

Matthew 26:39

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over."

Psalms 23

"Life is, Sheer passion , You have to fill, The cup with love, In order to live, You have to fight/struggle, A heart to win."

Ricky Martin- English Translation of “La Copa de la Vida”

“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?”

Kahlil Gibran

 “At the third cup, wine drinks the man”

 Hokekyo Sho

I have a proposition for my future MP, my councillor, my community. A CUP… what kind of cup you might ask! Well the Community Upliftment Program. Well it is the propositional brainchild of the Montegonian no doubt, but what it needs is political will, community spirit and probably some financing.

An Argument for Community Development

Welcome to a 21st century in which many cities, in many countries, link the revitalization of the central business district and renovation and improvement of houses or districts so that it conforms to middle-class taste of residential neighbourhoods to earlier community development initiatives. In this day and age it is undoubtable that we need policies based construction and more on renovation and investment, and today these new kinds of policies are an integral part of many local governments worldwide, often combined with small and big business incentives.

Community development seeks to give power to individuals and groups of people by providing these groups with the skills, proficiency and expertise they require to make and cause change in their own communities. These skills are often focused around building political power through the formation of large social groups working for a common plan. Community developers have to understand both how to work with individuals and how to change and elevate communities' positions within the context of larger social institutions and society.

Essentialy community development is the process of developing active and sustainable communities based on social justice and mutual respect. It is about influencing power structures to remove the barriers that prevent people from participating in the issues that affect their lives. Community Development expresses values of fairness, equality, accountability, opportunity, choice, participation, mutuality, reciprocity and continuous learning. Educating, enabling and empowering are at the core of Community Development.

Several angles can be taken to initiate community development including: Community economic development, Community capacity building, Social capital formation, Political participatory development, Ecologically sustainable development, Asset-based community development, Faith-based community development.

The proposed CUP, community upliftment program, would be a two pronged approach to developing communities, one, on the macro level and the other being the micro level. This is to say that they need to address issues that affect the community as whole and their position in the bigger scheme and order of things, and next to address the community on an individual and family level, the level of familiarity which exists in the common community family. Cup I believe needs to be and is designed to address the peculiarities of Montegonian families and communities.

CUP: The Macro Plan

1. Economic Opportunity - including job creation within the community and throughout the region, entrepreneurial initiatives, small business expansion, and training for jobs that offer upward mobility. Training that includes life skills training, things like “making technology work for you” “some office procedure” “home economics: budgeting” “shopkeeping math and accounting” “some fundamental nutrition” “Spanish: lite or beginners or simply basic conversation” “Computer training that offers more than just word processing but, teaches that and offers optional diversification, like intro to digital music, or graphic design, or music engineering, and the range of other directions computer can take you.”

2. Sustainable Community Development - to advance the creation of livable and vibrant communities through comprehensive approaches that coordinate economic (FUND RAISERS- new and innovative ones, not ticket sale or conventional dance), physical, environmental (gardens, parks and community monuments), community, and human development ( help families through hurdles like education and home making and developing);

3. Community-Based Partnerships - involving participation of all segments of the community, including the political and governmental leadership, community groups, health and social service groups, environmental groups, religious organizations, the private and nonprofit sectors, centers of learning, other community institutions, concerned citizens and low-income residents. We need to move away from the constant one shot solo projects and find ways to incorporate everybody who is doing something in what we are doing;

4. Strategic Vision for Change - which identifies what the community will become and develops a strategic map for revitalization.

CUP: The Micro Approach

1. Community Week – It is full time we initiated a system where each community has a week for itself. A week of festivity and commemoration of their existence and history. There can be a memories day, where everybody carries out their old pictures, video footage, any big dance that made it to DVD etc, if you have cell phone clips or whatever,  to be displayed and everybody can reminisce, and this way the generations can mix and mingle and pass on stories of yesteryear etc. There can be a big Sunday dinner, a Friday dance, a memorial for all those passed. I wouldn’t be averse to a Church service day where most people go to church and commune or whatever and Muslim similarly and a Rasta event etc.

2. Change for change – In order to finance things like back to school and kiddies treats etc, set up a bar and shopkeeper program where people contribute change in order to secure a set amount of exercise books or pencils and things like that for generation next.

3. Orchard and Garden Program –A system to access idle lands in areas to be planted up with fruit trees and such, to ease the burdens of GCT, save us from dry goods and diabetes, nutrition needs, and rescue the little air and ozone we have left.

4. Naming and Mapping – The proper naming and mapping out of communities, and naming of streets, so that people can actually feel like they live somewhere, instead of in hell with names like hmmm dead man alley, Afghanistan, Bagdad, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Vietnam, Blood Lane, Piss Lane, Corn Corner and you get the picture. We need to resolve the psychological impact of feeling like you don’t live anywhere, especially when you and a million people share the same address, which is usually the most popular main road in your community.

5. Sports Outlets- Do I need to explain how critical sports are? Well hmmm other than finding things to do for idle hands before the devil, well it hones natural talent, potential financial rewards, keeps young minds away from guns, avenues to release sexual energy instead of making unwanted babies etc.

Well that is my proposition folks, maybe someone actually uses it.

yannickpessoa@yahoo.com

Chikungunya Chikungunya!!!!!!

JAMAICA NOW: Ebola alert ... Changes to ganja laws ... Chik V emergency ...

Mitchel and Jamaican People's Stress

Sooooo..... BAAAAMMMM! 2:30pm Saturday afternoon. Paradise becomes abuzz with activity, residents scampering to cell phones, "weh dem deh, weh dem deh?" "Tek dung di line!" At the same time here comes one flock of residents taking a variety of unpopular routes, escaping and avoiding the JPS disconnection teams, who have in tow the long arms of the law. It is also alleged "one white lady weh look like di ooman who own JPS pon di TV did dih deh."

After the moments of flurry and outbursts of fluster and frustration and utter confusion, "nuff" ole me, decided maybe I should take a look in Bread Lane, site of what seems to be the police action and scene of quite a few arrests. Mothers and Grandmothers in police custody, young women and a "baby father." And here is where my head ache starts. The police are man-handling the baby father, who is in possession of his child at the moment.

Now I happen the particular child and new here mother was not in the vicinity at the moment, I also knew the baby father was not a resident of the community but was babysitting and staying in what is his woman's family yard. So technically he is being arrested for a crime he hasn't committed. And att the same time the police while jostling the youth is insisting on trying to palm of the baby off to any arbitrary community member so that he can carry through his arrest by any means necessary. Even if it means he has not left the child in proper or legal custody of an official guardian or family member.

Here is where I made the unfortunate mistake of pointing out to the Police man who I gleaned goes by the name Mitchell, that he is a bit to eager to carry out the arrest without following proper or due procedure and that he can't just give the baby to a passerby. This is when the ass loses his cool. and screams at me "Yuh a fool, aye  Rasta bwoy leff di place before mi tek a rock and mash in yuh head side, yuh know nutten bought rights? a stir u come fi stir up supm, cause a problem... a soon kick yuh and nuh stop kick yuh till bend up."

This is where I pause look at him, gaze intently, for I have met rude police men, but this man tops the list as the worst offender and most moronic. In holding his gaze, I see when his certainty breaks, for I am not moving , nor am I intimidated. So eventually I reply, "Lick who?"

To which he retorts with another expletive filled tirade. Then I say to him "Yeah I know my rights, but is like you nuh know them!" he then trys to make an explanation for dealing with the baby father and the issue of the child in the way he is, at the same time still eating up himself and badding up an explanation. At which time I turn to leave...

As I turn to leave, I can see his friend with either the oozy or mini-k/or 16 swinging round his neck like one of Flavour Flave's oversize pendants, is incensed that I haven't cowered, become a coward and completely capitualted with fear. While I a walking away, the Po-Po whom I shall call Gun-pendent is walking me down. When I turn round to meet him, he is already grabbing my left arming and turning me. Now thank Selassie that I have a PRESS ID, which is the first thing that greets him when he spins me, it stalls him. He is now taken aback, and I start chuck more ID's at him.

To which he responds, "Stop! Yuh seem like a educated yute, yuh couldn't have so much paper and nuh have eucation, so hear wah, we a do we ting, and we nuh need no trouble so jut gallang weh yuh a go, go dung deh so and nuh come up yah again, caah u seem like a trouble yuh waan start."

Mitchell then asks him as I am going away... " A who him?" T which Gun-pendent replies "NOBODY!"


So there it is like slaves, we have limited access to resources, police come and arrest on premises without warrants, squatters, landless, dispossessed, and baddup brutalized and pushed around. 21st century slavery I say.

NO WAR IN SYRIA: AMERICA IS A HYPOCRITE!

I wonder! How is it that Washington plans to go to war, yet it doesn't have the legal authority for a military intervention in Syria and it lacks the moral authority! Why? Because the U.S.A. has a government with a history of using chemical weapons against innocent people far more horrific and deadly than the mere accusations Assad is dealing with from a warmongering Western military-industrial complex, hell bent on war.

(Watch This Documentary: War Made Easy)

Americans and much of the world is not in the mood for war, as the British parliament has shown the last shred of democracy and stayed the hand of its Prime Minister, and polls suggest that some 63% of the US population is against a Syrian offensive. The UN has carried no solid proof, China and Russia oppose the move? Israel has nukes and has signed no treaty yet they are not bullied by Uncle Sam. Hilary Clinton has been quoted on TV and Newspapers as saying the US and Al Qaeda are on the same side in Syria. So it can be argued America supports terrorists. Hilary Clinton then lapsed and admitted America is waging and losing and information war. With that in mind check out Noam Chomsky's  book MANUFACTURING CONSENT. Chomsky is a noted intellectual and academic, a linguist in america who has present copious evidence to prove America is nefarious and sinister in its intentions and operations, particularly the industrial war complex. 

I and I chant Rastafari, I am definitely not a Christian, but I would like to quote Jesus to Christian nations, and ask, "Who among you has not sinned?" Yes, undoubtedly chemical weapons were used in Syria. Maybe it was the government; maybe it was the opposition; maybe no one knows for sure. But here's what I know for sure: America is no better... they have used chemical weapons on there own children... and ours... for decades! The chemical weapons used in U.S. Farming to wage a war on pests, weeds, and the greedy need for ever greater yields. While the effects of these "legal" chemical agents may not be immediate or direct, they are no less hazardous. Yet our mainstream media in Jamaica, in the region and otherwise fail to highlight these chemical dangers to our own food systems, nor are they willing to acknowledge the hypocrisy of Obama and Washington's Chemical Weapons Argument and stop the perpetuation of American propaganda politics and media blitzkrieg. In fact, the media locally and abroad encouraged it. As The Montegonian, a freelance journalist I am supremely disappointed in the profession.

How do Obama and the USA find any moral authority when a list of 10 chemical weapons attacks carried out by the U.S. government or its allies against civilians, can easily be produced, they are as follows:

1. The U.S. Military Dumped 20 Million Gallons of Chemicals on Vietnam from 1962 - 1971
   
   During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed 20 million gallons of chemicals, including the very toxic Agent Orange, on the forests and farmlands of Vietnam and neighboring countries, deliberately destroying food supplies, shattering the jungle ecology, and ravaging the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. In 2012, the Red Cross estimated that one million people in Vietnam have disabilities or health problems related to Agent Orange.
   
2. Israel Attacked Palestinian Civilians with White Phosphorus in 2008 - 2009
   
   White phosphorus is a horrific incendiary chemical weapon that melts human flesh right down to the bone.  An Amnesty International team claimed to find "indisputable evidence of the widespread use of white phosphorus" as a weapon in densely-populated civilian areas. The Israeli military denied the allegations at first, but eventually admitted they were true.
   
3. Washington Attacked Iraqi Civilians with White Phosphorus in 2004
   
   In 2004, journalists embedded with the U.S. military in Iraq began reporting the use of white phosphorus in Fallujah against Iraqi insurgents. At the time, Italian television broadcaster RAI aired a documentary entitled, "Fallujah, The Hidden Massacre," including grim video footage and photographs, as well as eyewitness interviews with Fallujah residents and U.S. soldiers revealing how the U.S. government indiscriminately rained white chemical fire down on the Iraqi city and melted women and children to death.
   
4. The CIA Aided Saddam Hussein Massacre of Iranians and Kurds with Chemical Weapons in 1988
   
   CIA archived documents now prove that Washington knew Saddam Hussein was using chemical weapons (including sarin, nerve gas, and mustard gas) in the Iran-Iraq War, yet continued to pour intelligence into the hands of the Iraqi military, informing Hussein of Iranian troop movements while knowing that he would be using the information to launch chemical attacks which hit a Kurdish village occupied by Iranian troops with multiple chemical agents, murdering as many as 5,000 people and injuring as many as 10,000 more, most of them civilians. Thousands more died in the following years from complications, diseases, and birth defects.
   
5. The U.S. Army Tested Chemicals on Residents of Poor, Black St. Louis Neighborhoods in The 1950s
   
   In the early 1950s, the Army set up motorized blowers on top of residential high-rises in low-income, mostly black St. Louis neighborhoods, including areas where as much as 70% of the residents were children under 12. The government told residents that it was experimenting with a smokescreen to protect the city from Russian attacks, but it was actually pumping the air full of hundreds of pounds of finely powdered zinc cadmium sulfide. The government admits that there was a second ingredient in the chemical powder, but whether or not that ingredient was radioactive remains classified. 
   
6. U.S. Police Fired Tear Gas at Occupy Protesters in 2011
   
   The savage violence of the police against Occupy protesters in 2011 was well documented, andincluded the use of tear gas and other chemical irritants. Tear gas is prohibited for use against enemy soldiers in battle by the Chemical Weapons Convention. So civilian protesters in U.S. are not given the same courtesy and protection that international law requires for enemy soldiers on a battlefield?
7. The FBI Attacked Men, Women, and Children With Tear Gas in Waco in 1993
   
   At the now infamous Waco siege of a community of Seventh Day Adventists, the FBI pumped tear gas into buildings knowing that women, children, and babies were inside. The tear gas was highly flammable and ignited, engulfing the buildings in flames and killing 49 men and women, and 27 children, including babies and toddlers.
   
8. The U.S. Military Littered Iraq with Toxic Depleted Uranium in 2003
   
   In Iraq, the U.S. military has littered the environment with thousands of tons of munitions made from depleted uranium, a toxic and radioactive nuclear waste product. As a result, more than half of babies born in Fallujah from 2007 - 2010 were born with birth defects. Christopher Busby of the Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, described Fallujah as having, "the highest rate of genetic damage in any population ever studied."
   
9. The U.S. Military Killed Hundreds of Thousands of Japanese Civilians with Napalm from 1944 - 1945
   
   Napalm is a sticky and highly flammable gel which has been used as a weapon of terror by the U.S. military. In 1980, the UN declared the use of napalm on swaths of civilian population a war crime. That's exactly what the U.S. military did in World War II, dropping enough napalm in one bombing raid on Tokyo to burn 100,000 people to death, injure a million more, and leave a million without homes in the single deadliest air raid of World War II.
   
10. The U.S. Government Dropped Nuclear Bombs on Two Japanese Cities in 1945
    
    Although nuclear bombs may not be considered chemical weapons, they certainly disperse a lot of deadly radioactive chemicals. They are every bit as horrifying as chemical weapons if not more, and by their very nature, suitable for only one purpose: wiping out an entire city full of civilians. It seems contrite and hypocritical that the only regime to ever use one of these weapons of terror on other human beings has busied itself with the pretense of keeping the world safe from dangerous weapons in the hands of dangerous governments.

Bearing Americas Chemical HISTORY in mind, then look at Chemical companies like Syngenta, Monsanto, Dow, DuPont, Bayer Crops Sciences, and others who go about poisoning children and the environment all over the world with Obama's support. Obama who received the Nobel Peace Prize contemplates another war, after he sanctioned depleted uranium in Libya. 

Syria and its refugees definitely are in dire straits and urgent need of the World's help, not America's help, THE WORLD'S HELP. And I am certain that a violent military strike won't provide the results you are looking for. Children the world over and in Syria deserve the chance to grow up free from chemical contamination and warfare. 

Sounding the War Trumpet... Hmm that is a well-worn tactic, road, trod, tradition that is littered with the bodies of children and soldiers, civilians and suicides, military and nonmilitary. It is a classic thought, where ego and history seemingly say a president must travel as some sort of rite of honor. It's also a path that leads to more grief, grudges and grievances, bitterness, more angst and anger, endless tragedy and infinite sorrow.

It is a decision that credits an old, outdated worldview that will try to justify the logic that, "any attack, any war is worth winning... even though there is no such thing as winning." Each war "won" sows the seeds of sorrow for only future wars will be reaped. Each attack leads to a counterattack. Each "win" sets the stage for which future generations of terrorists can perform some new horror: in the frail minds of children who have lost parents and homes, in the spirits of person, some of whom have felt betrayed by their governments, leaders and their neighbors, and in the wounded bodies and hearts that shall forever fester with hate.

I am no pacifist as such but at the stage of mankind's conscious evolution, we cannot envision a better solution, in an age where we roam Mars remotely and survey the moon as hobby, we cannot imagine a world without war, where America does not need to be a bully. It is time we took the less beaten path. For the future of humanity collectively,There's no clear map, but the rewards of the journey are much greater. It's the road of heroes like Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.  And many others whose names have been lost to history and the many more whose name echo on. These are people who were able to effect change by speaking the truth from the heart and refusing to engage in more violence. And through them, not only has change happened, but now is a time on Earth when the human spirits of the whole world, the anima mundi have to be lifted, our collective consciousness must be raised. This is the only beacons of inspiration left for mankind!

Long Live the Queen! Ifrica vs JFLAG & Cliff Hughes

Once again... a prominent Montegonian makes her voice heard on the issue of Gay Rights, only to be lambasted by JFLAG and accosted by Cliff Hughes... I would have risen to her defense but this write does a suitable enough job... read his take on the matter!

In Defense of Queen Ifrica!

 

 VIA FACEBOOK: Winston Gilling: Posting @ Speak your Mind Jamaica 

DOES SOMETHING AFFECT REASON WHEN THE TOPIC OF HOMOSEXUALITY IS DISCUSSED?? 

It's as if one cannot put up some argument in support of homosexuality and/or homosexuals without sounding silly.

Heard parts of an interview with Cliff Hughes and Queen Ifrica about an incident at the Grand Gala where she asked all straight people to identify themselves (or something to the effect).

Now, Cliff Hughes argued that the "Jamaican Family" was gathered at the stadium, which included heterosexuals and homosexuals, and it was therefore in poor taste for her to single one group.

How silly can we get?

Could someone ask Mr. Hughes for me if, included in the "Jamaican family" at the stadium were men who support their children and men who don't.

Would it have been in poor taste if she gave a shout out to men who support their children? Would Cliff Hughes then tell her she was insensitive to men who don't support their children?

What if she asked all women who would never sell their bodies to raise their hands? Would Hughes have a problem with her being insensitive to prostitutes?

And since we are getting silly. What if she asked for an acknowledgement of all who would never take another man's life. Would Cliff Hughes say she was being sensitive to the murderers among the "Jamaican family" gathered at the stadium?

What is this passion that we feel and this need to come to the rescue of our very sensitive men who have sex with men, who are apparently in a crying mood whenever someone dares to suggest that something is wrong with homosexuality? Even if Cliff Hughes is comfortable with that, it is still WRONG. I'm sorry, Mr. Hughes, but you cannot sanitize it.

And let me just say this one last time - because Hughes went down that road too - no one was murdered in Western Jamaica recently, merely for being homosexual. He was murdered (AND I CONDEMN HIS MURDER) for apparently deceiving a straight man.

Queen Ifrica can understand that and pointed it out tho him. Apparently, Cliff Hughes cannot understand that point. Just to finish that point.

The cross dressers in this photo

- IN WESTERN JAMAICA - were not murdered - though in full sight of everyone. Apparently, they danced with their own, or did they?


FINALLY - Queen Ifrica sounded much more intelligent than Cliff Hughes when she asked him to define homophobia. Which public is it that FEARS homosexuals or homosexuality?? KMT

Read the link below for more insight into the Queen Ifrica JFLAG Saga!

The Montegonian: Queen Ifrica's Grand Gala performance disappoints JFLAG :: News

Our Online Edition!

The Online Newspaper Edition of THE MONTEGONIAN

Montegonian's Take on Tappa Issue!

The Montegonians Take on the Tappa Issue!

Burrel must go..., that Old Big Belly Barrel must roll, not Tappa's head. Like Jack Warner... and di whole a di FIFA old boy's fraternity, JFF is a dinosaur... proned to chronic and systemic problems which hamper the Reggae Boys more than coaching inability.

Where was tuffy? Whose ideology is it to use bare foreign ballers? Why do local coaches still get paid less than foreign ones? Why are we still imitating Brazilian football, when Spain and the Germanic countirs are on top and playing a better calibre of ball?

Aye Captain stop chat BS before mi bun down di bakery... as Tappa neighbour/or just member of the same community... Paradise/Norwood a dat me a seh!

We nah seh Theodore perfect but come on man... stop look fi scapegoat... go tek JFF problems to Azazel.

Mobay have Tappa headback covered on this one...

Who Protects Brand Montego Bay?

Brand Montego: Part 1

The City has to Develop and Protect it's Brand

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well. Jeff Bezos

“There is more similarity in the marketing challenge of selling a precious painting by Degas and a frosted mug of root beer than you ever thought possible.”
A. Alfred Taubman

Imagine the words Montego Bay, instantaneously it brings to mind, relaxation, coconut and palm trees, white sand beaches, sun and sometimes even sex - it's one of the most powerful images in the Caribbean. So how is it, dozens of companies use the name to sell products – Payless is notorious for selling a brand of sandals called the Montego Bay Club, there is even a foreign band full of white boys called Montego Bay Band, A Freemason pub of some sort in England with the Name Montego Bay littering the menu- so I put it to both the government and the public now, that we start considering seeking protection for Brand Montego Bay, under intellectual property, through trademark and copyright.

Freemasons Arms Pub... on the Menu Montego Bay Chicken Wrap!

We must consider that in today’s environment cities compete amongst each other for talent, business and human resources. In many ways they have to act like commercial entities by selling themselves to potential customers – business investors, visitors/tourists, the working and creative classes– as successful, vibrant, forward-looking brands. Simply put they have to market themselves as the place to be, project an image of tomorrow and betterment. At the same time that image, that name, that identity must be guarded. Just as commercial entities, have lawyers and make legal cases on issues of copyright and trademark infringement. So too must local government and even central government entities now seek to protect the Brand Montego Bay and Brands of Jamaica.

How do a group of white boys in America or is it England become the Montego Bay Band?

Intellectual property rules offer the potential to provide a valuable source of income for people in developing countries, who tend to get only a small sliver of the profits made on their goods on the international market. Do we profit from made in China T-Shirts that say Montego Bay. NOPE! Montegonians are not getting value. Their image and name is being abused. Consequently I saw a study that detail through study of Mobay and other areas, how Brand Jamaica has mostly benefited entities like Puma, whilst craft vendors and small businesses flailing in the harsh economy.

Montego Bay City must re-examine its role and function, as well as define its appeal to ‘citizens/consumers’, at the same time protecting the name and the Brand of the city for the citizens. Our city must distinguish itself from our competitors (Kingston, Portmore, Ocho Rios) and position our self as a recognizable brand in an increasingly regional and international market place. Port of Spain, San Fernando, Bridgetown, Kingstown are all Caribbean cities vying for status and international cosmopolitan appeal, so what of us in the Bay?

I noted on twitter that a few Kingstonians started noticing that “Mobay look like farrin” and that “any time mi waan go farrin mi go Fairview, Montego Bay.”

Here is an excerpt of Mobay through a foreigners eyes

“Downtown resembled a cross between America and what we would picture as rural Africa. The streets were full of activity. People yelling, laughing, buying and selling items. Playing music. Their skin was black as tar and beautiful. Their hair was the epitome of natural. They wore clothes that we would have worn in the early 2000’s but did their best to match it up.”

From instagram.com (via @RudeboyRJ) - June 3, 4:05 PM

What is the vision of Mobay, what is the vision for Montego Bay, who protects the name Montego Bay? The name Montego Bay has been already been branded and used and bandied about like there is no tomorrow, but Montegonians haven't seen the benefits.

I put it out there that Montego Bay is the biggest cultural brand in the Caribbean. When I travel abroad, Montego Bay always seems to be the more popular Jamaican destination and known location. So those companies using the Montego Bay Brand in ways that really do enhance their business, they use the name to make association with luxury, comfort, sun, breeze and such... so it's reasonable for the Montegonians to ask, Why aren't you coming to talk to us? Why aren't you asking our permission? Why don't you engage with us?

The notion of cities and cultures seeking IP protection is not an entirely new one - the Native American Navajo recently brought a case against the clothes company Urban Outfitters, for use of their name.

Relying on past glory is no longer enough; As the once den like, homely Montego Bay is now becoming a metropolis and showing a citizenry acquiring the cosmopolitan lifestyles to go with it… the friendly city is now a big city, and nowhere near as friendly as it used to be. 

Today, successful companies and young talented people have lost hometown loyalties; note the influx of outsiders and outside businesses in Mobay, not to mention the ‘Spanish Invasion’. They can choose where to cluster. Cities with distinctive characteristics; be they economic, cultural, environmental or life style, and it these things that will attract the best companies and people. So now we have questions of Montego Bay’s identity and its brand identity: What are the distinctive characteristics of Montego Bay, what makes us, US?


To Be Cont’d

On Anti-heterosexuality, Anti-hetero-pathy & Heterophobia: The Unpopular Intellectual Opinion!

As the Rowdy Gays saga continues... I have seen the gay community saying The Jamaica Observer is being vindictive, for publishing the address of where the gay men had been squatting. The media's prime objective in reporting is to answer the 5 W's who, what, WHERE, why and when. I will admit the first published article leaned on some bias as is indicated by tone and choice of words, but the writer never truly crossed any line in journalistic integrity. I don't want to seem insensitive or rude on the issue but... are we now to toby to the whims of unscrupulous gay men and wards who violate the law by squatting, by being rowdy and soliciting or eliciting media attention by attacking the media. 

I say the gay community has let prejudice, colour its judgement in hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, indigo/blue and violet. The colors of J-flag has shrink wrapped the brains of many in our national and diaspora's intelligentsia... and to oppose the homosexual lobby is to be unpopular and court the life of a pariah.
I am pro-tolerance and never promote harm to humanity, but I disapprove of homosexuality and feel a sincere attempt to shut up, lock off, label, libel and slander any intelligent opinion that does not agree with homosexuality as antiquated, draconian, non-progressive or not with the progressive liberal agenda... dunce... outdated and overly or unnecessarily militant. Is there a polite way to just say no to homosexuality! Once you show any dissent on homosexuality you are branded ’homophobic.’ While these accusation do not fill me with indignation, I know they are an inaccurate description of what I do, who I am, or how I think.

This sudden groundswell of Anti-heterosexuality, Anti-hetero-pathy, Heterophobia, Anti-hetero-philia... would seem as if they are in the process of being consecrated into an ideology. If your straight shut up. Our have no right to free speech straight people... shut up... u can have no legitimate grouse against homosexuals! The terms “homophobic” and "homophobia" are usually used by the Gay Activists and Lobby Group to discredit and inaccurately define its critics. Once someone is branded homophobic, the chances are that he or she will be judged before they are heard, and the argument will be lost in the welter of bruised gay pride and ego.

But what do the terms “homophobic” and "homophobia" mean? Do they mean you are anti-music or Elton John or Luther Vandross? Or that you’re opposed to freedom of choice? That you don’t delight in listening to Diana King (whom I love dearly, I listen to her version of "Say a Little Prayer" ritually) or Freddie Mercury (everyone in Jamaica sings "Another one bites the dust)? That you have a quarrel with Shebada? Does it mean that you don’t admire the positive work of hundreds of thousands of possibly and notably gay persons who have contributed positively to the advance of humanity? Does it mean that you hate gay people? Truth be told it does not. One can disapprove of smoking and not hate the smoker, one can disapprove of homosexuality and not hate a homosexual and not be homophobic.

It is a conflation to try and say that every time someone disapproves of homosexuality or every act or event that went unfavorably for the homosexual community was or is based in homophobia. It is not just a conflation but borders on intellectual dishonesty. It is also most crucially a failure of the imagination. An inability to see the world in terms other than those the group mind, the institutionalized Gay Lobby, international establishment has set out. If you’re not homosexual you’re a homophobic. If you don’t love us, you hate us. If you’re
not Good, you’re Evil. If you’re not with us, you’re against us.

There is this fancy attempt by the gay community to sanitize its image by projecting only the successful productive ones amongst them and distancing and disassociating itself from the so called "screbbe screbbe" ones. So that it would appear to most that gay is taste acquired by affluence or education and open mindedness, or it would be, as it is rumored Rex Nettleford once told an ironically rowdy student, whom as the case maybe  had opted to verbally abuse him as "B---Man" to which he replied, "Yes it is an intellectual disease you'll never catch!"

If one faithfully followed common homosexual propaganda you'd think all homosexuals were artsy, cultured, tech savvy, swanky sophisticated people, soft gentile people, limp wristed folk... living high above poverty in aloof safety sipping wine and nibbling cheese smoking long cigarettes at fancy shin digs...

The homosexual PR propoganda machine is well oil, lubed even and working.

If it had been GUNMEN hiding over there... The headline would probably have read "Residents call police on gunmen squatting uptown," or "Squatting Gunmen attack reporter"... If it had been RASTAS squatting there the news would probably read "Fanatical RASTA squatters attack Journalist," So why is it because they are GAY SQUATTERS we must sshhhhhhhhhhhhhh doah seh the squatters dem gay... The only reason is that it makes GAY LOOK BAD!

Sooner or later this madness has to stop.

OBSERVER ARTICLE: Unruly Gays

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Male Gardener needed for Montego Bay Proper Work hrs 7am to 12 noon Wed to Sun. Tel 587-4917

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