The right of every Jamaican

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing in response to a recent letter regarding beach management in Jamaica. The narrative surrounding public beach access has become convoluted, overcomplicating a simple birthright with flawed analogies and unnecessary conditions.

To equate charging user fees at public beaches with airport parking is a false equivalency. An airport is a man-made, commercial infrastructure, whereas a beach is a natural, national heritage asset. A family should never be charged a gate fee simply to step onto sand that belongs to the public domain.

The central debate is not about a lack of changing rooms, plazas, or lifeguards; it is about unhindered access and clean water. Some of the most pristine beaches across the Caribbean operate successfully without a single commercial facility. When a family heads out on a Saturday morning, it wants to swim in clean water, not purchase a resort experience. Amenities are a welcome addition, but they should never be a prerequisite for enjoying the sea.

Equally misplaced are comparisons to public bathrooms in the UK; British restrooms have no relevance to Jamaican beaches. Further, the insinuation that we need an overseas technical mission to teach Jamaicans basic sanitation is insulting. Jamaicans must take pride in, and responsibility for, keeping our own coastlines clean.

We have lost our perspective, failing to see the forest for the trees, or our beaches for the fences. It is time to tear down the barriers and restore free, clean beach access to the people of Jamaica.

DANIEL SINGH