Acrimonious online behaviour

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I believe that all Jamaicans are family, which may not be a homogeneous one. But the nastiness permeating online between us over our differences and way we articulate our differences is unfortunate. As a matter of fact, it is downright disgraceful, disrespectful and abhorrent. It seems we have forgotten, or we are too dunce to know and appreciate, the philosophy of the marketplace of ideas.

Quoting John Milton: “If truth and falsehood should grapple in a free and open encounter, whomever know truth to come out the loser?”

If we as a people, a family, a country can’t question our leaders on both sides, judiciary, civil servants, clergy, academics, etc, wi nah guh nuh weh.

Let’s cut out acrimony and rise to a higher level in discourse, arguments and discussions. Let’s stop name-calling and slandering of each other. Let’s mend fences in our best interest. Let’s grow some thick skin and accept criticism, whether it’s justified or not. God(s) get critiqued, much less mortals. Stop calling each other criminals. These shouldn’t be the days of Socrates, when we are prepared to give our family members a cup of poison to silence them. We are better than this. I know we are. Let’s liberate ourselves from political, ideological and self-righteous constructs and move with alacrity to build a great society and Jamaica.

MALACHI SMITH

Miami, Florida