Shelly-Ann Fraser celebrates with the Jamaican flag after winning the gold medal in the women's 100-metre final. - AP

The Editor, Sir:

I recently wrote a letter with regard to, among other things, the 'manhandling' of the Jamaican flag by athletes at the recently concluded Olympic Games in Beijing.

I knew my letter had been published only because of the deluge of response emails awaiting me in my mailbox.

Persons of apparent intelligence, 'cussed me out' properly for my observation. In these emails, I was labelled as 'tapanaris', bourgeois and aristocratic.

One gentleman likened me to his mother who was a "stickler for everything proper". In my response, I told him that I hoped some of the values that his mother had tried to inculcate in him had stuck.

Lambasted the Government

One woman told me that I had lived in 'Uncle Sam's' backyard for too long and had forgotten my culture. In response, I reminded her not to 'knock' Uncle Sam;s country too hard, as she was probably benefiting financially from relatives who live and work in the United States. I also reminded her that circumstances often dictate the choices we make and in whose backyard we end up.

Another gentleman, in his email to me, lambasted the Jamaican government for basking in the glory of the athletes, despite their usual dismal treatment of them. He concluded that the Jamaican flag deserved to be trampled upon.

I wrote him back to say, I sincerely hope, he did not mean what he said.

And, the email that 'took the cake', in my estimation, was the one in which I was severely chided for going overboard - making a mountain out of a molehill - as the Jamaican flag was just a piece of cloth and nothing else.

The emails came in fast and furious and I realised that it was futile for me to try to respond to each, so I just gave up and allowed everyone to vent. Eventually, they stopped writing.

What flag embodies

I respected the views of each of those persons who took time out to also voice their opinions, but I remained saddened that the 'ah nuh nutten' syndrome is now so entrenched in the Jamaican society and has so clouded our judgment, that we cannot accept constructive criticisms or accept when we are wrong - and those of us who dare to differ are viewed as the enemy.

But, just when I thought all was lost, I read Dr Garth Rattray's contribution, entitled 'Don't fly our flag unless ...' published on September 1.

It is imperative that all of Jamaica read Dr Rattray's com-mentary and that our children and young people be reminded of what the Jamaican flag embodies.

We cannot allow our citizens to think that it is just a piece of cloth to be trampled on.

I am, etc.,

Dr PHYLLIS M. PARSONS

gorpar@embarqmail.com

Eustis, Florida