Garth Rattray | Go ahead and cry

Go ahead and cry … you might as well, because our beloved country seems headed for hell. If you’re really wondering how I can tell, here are a few signs of our death knell.

Corruption is rampant, it’s much more than they say, it’s the way that many do business every day. Governments quote favourable figures, based on a few opinions, while, in reality, our country is being fleeced by the corrupt and their minions.

Go ahead and cry, it’s just as cheap, because hoping for a turnaround is a faith we can’t leap. Wishing and hoping won’t get us anywhere, too many are paralysed out of sheer fear. Our lives are worth less than cattle or goat, when we are slaughtered, we are only a media note. Who will sacrifice to expose our leaders’ lie? Not me, said I, not that girl, not that guy. Perhaps I would, if it could set us free, but everyone says, just let it be. The wrongs are entrenched, they run far too deep, we can only scratch the surface … so go ahead and weep.

Connections and links

Over and under, the monies they pass, through and around, it’s like a weaving class. Into the fabric of our society it’s laced, corruption and criminality into our nation’s soul encased. It’s the way that we do things, the rules are not fair, they favour the powerful, for the rest, they don’t care. Connections and ‘links’, that’s how things go, it’s not how good you are, it’s who you know.

Red tape and stumbling blocks are put in your way, sand traps and flaming hoops, you’ll be running in circles all day. Ridiculous regulations, antiquated and obscure, are left on the books, then they open the back door. Enter bribes, grafts and favours and such, it’s hard to get anywhere unless you know who to touch.

Go ahead and cry, let your tears flow free, many are not as lucky as you or me. Born into poverty and in it most stay, socialised by criminality, their souls have lost their way. Shooting and stabbing ah nuh nutt’n to dem. “Who fi dead haffi dead. …” the first words of their anthem. They’ll kill for your watch or your phone for you see, they’re always in pain and they blame ‘society’. There’s so much more that the bigger heads can do, but they’re busy reaping for themselves, so they endanger you.

Anarchy rules

Go ahead and cry, don’t hold it back, manners and kindness, most people lack. Crassness and crudeness now reign supreme, foreign shores lure away our cream. The balance with decency has burnt to ashes, no wonder we have so many deadly crashes. The tenement-yard scourge is on full display, resplendent in dishonour, you better give them way. Pushing and boring, anarchy rules the streets, getting home unscathed requires several feats. We must regain control of our public thoroughfare, or sink deeper into our driving nightmare.

Some of us remember where Jamaica was headed, there was a time when this situation was dreaded. Emphasis was on manners, civility and such, about decency and honesty we did make much. Now badness and roughneck rule the land, who’s tougher, who’s stronger, controls the band. From beggars to politicians, nuff people are on the take, a civil society, that doesn’t make.

Go ahead and cry … let your tears fill the land, perhaps they can drown out the wrongs that they’ve planned. Maybe the bawling will touch someone’s heart, maybe they’ll resolve to make a new start. Don’t be embarrassed to let your tears flow, Jamaica needs cleansing, let our leaders know. Saline versus sanguine, tears versus blood, maybe we can wash away the sins in the flood.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.