Is it worth celebrating independence after 49 years?
Author : teriannI am too young to have been there but it is a tale told with great joy by older Jamaicans.
The celebrations on August 6, 1962 were monumental as Jamaicans celebrated breaking ties with Britain, their previous sovereign. From a business standpoint though have we really made enough improvements to Jamaica?
Would we have been better off as a nation if we had remained under British rule? Has our economy been able to sustain the growing needs of our nation?
While you ponder the answers to those questions, remember that the date falls on Saturday this year. Sorry that means there is work on Monday. So as you travel to work you might once again be reminded that we are not truly free of masters!
Please above all else be safe this holiday season and don’t drink and drive!
- Teri Ann Renee Paisley (Gleaner on-line writer)
Tags: holiday, independence, Jamaica
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30 Responses to “Is it worth celebrating independence after 49 years?”
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I STRONGLY THINK THAT JAMAICA SHOULD BE RETURN TO THE BRITISH AS WE ARE NOT PROSPERING AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION
I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS COUNTRY SHOULD RETURN TO ENGLAND AS SOON AS NOW
San to say Terri,
But we did not get independent from the Britain in 1962, What we got was autonomy to start trying to govern ourselves, if we were independent, we wouldn’t have to go to British to settle our legal dispute it would stop at our supreme court, we wouldn’t have to have the queen authorized or signed off on our legislations or new laws!
It seem that it was a good thing that we weren’t given full independent, or we would look like Somalia today, which we are not far behind !
Sad to say Terri,
But we did not get independent from the Britain in 1962, What we got was autonomy to start trying to govern ourselves, if we were independent, we wouldn’t have to go to British to settle our legal dispute it would stop at our supreme court, we wouldn’t have to have the queen authorized or signed off on our legislations or new laws!
It seem that it was a good thing that we weren’t given full independent, or we would look like Somalia today, which we are not far behind !
NO.
What are we really CELEBRATING! I would guess its the FREE ROAMING, of CRIMINALS and CORRUPTIONS in our COUNTRY. Thats what I called every-day INDEPENDENT CELEBRATION.
People always think being tethered to a ‘super power’ will bring untold benefits. But have you visited Martinique (still tethered to France), Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands (tethered to the USA), or Turks and Caicos (still tethered to Britain)? I have been to some of those countries and I was shocked at how under-developed they were – none of them were even close to Jamaica in several areas!
I would rather tend my own field and be poor than have another man tend it while I’m hungry.
And no Bob, there are plenty of un-tethered countries in Africa and the Caribbean that are not in the state that Somalia is in.
Good point Suzette I believe that when you ‘own’ your ‘home’ or country you will put more effort in making improvements. (in theory anyway)
@D M S, you are sadly mistaken if you assume that Britain would even want us. B4 yu write nonsense pls try to enlighten your mind with some historical facts.
Its no secret that The better part of our almost 50 years of independence has been spent (or mis-spent)running away from our reality, whining-up waist, daggering/dancehall,and all manner of other ills. Now it has all caught up with us for we realise that while we were playing others were planning, creating and building for their future.
So what have we got to show for celebrating nearly 50 years of independence? The highest crime rate in the world for a country not at war; poverty on a scale to rival Haiti; gangs in Gordon House (green and orange shirts); Mannat/dudus; Trafigura; FINSAC; Cuban light bulb scam; need I go on.
So what are we to celebrate? We’ve already celebrated independence back in 1962 and every year since without having made any real progress or setting down foundations upon which to build a nation. No wonder our youngsters are running around with guns and drugs imitating gangster movie characters to be calling themselves “don”.
Take a good look at Singapore. They got their indeopendence long after us and look where they are today. One could say they are even with the developed countries or even past some of the develeoped countries in their economy and their skycrapers.
Look at the ones that remained colonies or with special relations to Britain…ie the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong(eventually handed back to the Chineese).
I often wonder if we, and the other black ex colonial countries are any better.
What a shame!Jamaicans generally have this misperception of Barbadians having a slavish,submissive mentality;and here it is that Jamaican given the choice would want to be re-colonised by the British.People stop deluding yourselves. You are not as independent as you try to show.Still want to be ruled by Europeans.
Yes, Jamaica should celebrate Independence Day, the things they have accomplished. No counry is perfect.
The United States of America is a Republic country and they celebrate 4th of July, which is their Independence Day. The United Sates of America is not perfect they have more crime and violence than Jamaica. However, what they do is come up with plans and ideas how to deter, control and sustain crime and violence.
What do most Jamaicans do year after year, whine and complain.
Come up with plans and ideas and presure your elected officials to put them into laws. Stop doing what most of you have been doing for the last 49th years.
Make the 50th anniversary better than the 49th anniversary. Jamaica’s General Election could be held in 2012, set yourself a task. That before the general election, most of our plans and ideas would be enacted into law.
We are being delusional in thinking that we are truly independent! What is being practiced is “Neo Colonialism” where we are no longer occupied physically but have become puppets of an economic system where the most powerful will determine whether a country prospers or not. Simple mathematics will bear this out.
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you are not already
Cheers!
It hurt my heart to hear well thinking Jamaican say silly things like that we should be controlled by other people, i can just imagine what Paul bugle and all the other heroes who gave there lives so that we can be FREE are going through, i believe one day this country will wake up and will be the place we all want it to be but even so, most of us look at what we don’t have and not what we have, and no matter how rich we are some people will never be satisfy I call them slave minded fools.
In the immortal words of Bob Marley, “We must free ourselves form mental slavery”
I would have said it would be worth celebrating up to four years ago, but right now I truthfully cannot say it is worth celebrating.
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