When we #Talk about the issues surrounding democracy, governance
and voting; the parameter of the discussion always includes our forefathers
fighting to give us adult suffrage for both men and women so that we would all
have a voice in the running of the nation. At first glance there is nothing to
disagree with but to allow the struggles of our ancestors to be limited and set
as static would be an injustice to their fight and continued cause that many
people’s across the world continue to uphold and strive for, as democracy isn’t
as widespread or as straightforward as we in Jamaica must now come to realize.
If we are to be truthful about how seriously we have taken governance
in this country and holding these political representatives feet to the flame,
we would be downright cross with ourselves.
We have been lead, paid and tricked to believe that we would have
fulfilled our democratic obligations by making an ‘X’ (preferably beside a head
or bell), and dipping our fingers – only if it was that easy. Your obligations don’t end and begin with a
vote but includes other critical building blocks of democracy and governance
for example: identifying the issues,
discussing the issues, keeping up with local and central government policies, sharing your cause and ideals
through a medium (including social networks ) – support and encourage peaceful protest actions.
The mass public of apathetic citizens and loyalist
identified as “ordinary Jamaicans” by a certain Member Parliament has far too
long been dragged about by the repressive political winds and must decide that
they want something more– the “articulate minority” must not see themselves as
a fixed group of tweeting Jamaicans but in fact as messengers of change that must
reach out and grow.
We must not be comfortable any longer with a governance
system that represses the voice of the people and rejects other forms of
democratic action (e.g. recalls) – there must be change by way of
constitutional reform that will reaffirm that democracy is by the people.
Let it then be known that voting is not the absolute and
will never be.
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