The Editor, Sir:

After the Morant Bay rebellion led by Paul Bogle, the British, wanting to make an example of anyone else who would entertain such an idea, hanged 700 people. Sometimes I wonder if all those people who put their lives on the line could have seen into the future, would they have thought their sacrifices had been worth it?

The fact is, these ancestors were willing to stand in the gap and lay down their lives so we could live with some dignity. There is no dignity in 'Passa Passa' or the mindset that this is some kind of cultural norm for ghetto people. To attempt a justification for this type of behaviour is, in fact, nothing short of a ridiculous excuse, made only by the very people who think of this type of depravity as entertainment.

There are no conditions in 2008 that even come close to living as a slave, yet even then black people found enough dignity and self- awareness to not sell their souls to debauchery and the exploitation of children. There are stories of black men who earned their freedom but went back and worked voluntarily so they could earn freedom for their families. Given this type of heritage, how dare anyone try to rationalise or make excuses for this type of behaviour? So what if you can have sex? Here's a news flash, it's not a new thing, that's how we all got here. The question is: what else are you good at, and what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?

Ability to compete

In case these folks haven't noticed, the world is getting smaller and the relevance or irrelevance of our young people will be based on our ability to compete; which means, instead of sponsoring dance contests, maybe some of these adults should find some self-respect and start helping kids to read, putting together positive events like community spelling bees, and finding volunteers who will come to their areas to help the children with maths and science.

Maybe, instead of dancing to the music, these folks should start applying some of the words to their own lives and begin emancipating themselves from mental slavery. To do otherwise is to spit into the faces of all the people who laid down their lives for us.

I am, etc.,

PAULINE J. FORD-CAESAR

http://blogs.jamaicans.com/

verandah/