THE EDITOR, Sir:

I had been largely ambivalent and amused by the responses to the advert depicting the burning of a Jamaican flag until I read your Letter of the Day of February 26, 2013. The writer's position is so skewed and off track that I find myself compelled to respond.

First, the purpose of a play, skit, movie or advertisement is to convey a message. In this story, the gentlemen portrayed clearly has an affinity to Jamaica. The flag is occupying a central position in their business (interestingly, there is no other flag to its left or right, but I didn't hear the German government jumping all over that).

In making coffee in their café, hopefully some Blue Mountain, they inadvertently set fire to their beloved flag and attempt to put it out. In attempting to extinguish the blaze, they incur the wrath of the world because they are seen burning and stamping on the flag.

no option

Now in relation to the story in that circumstance, what should they have done? Let the flag burn? That was definitely not an option. It is clear that no offence was intended and, ultimately, the purpose of defacing a national symbol is to offend.

What we as Jamaicans should take heart in is that the message is that the whole world loves us and wants to identify with us. The exact same is true of the VW ad. Dave is not a character of ridicule; he is the image of calm happiness in a sea of chaos, a figure that transcended the despair and anguish around him.

So to those of us who have only seen what can offend us, let me quote Dave's boss: Chill, mon!

Irie citizen