“On Monday, May 24, 2010, Mr. Errol Spence was at home in Tivoli Gardens along with his mother and other family members. A number of other residents (totalling seventeen persons) were inside their home when members of the security forces entered. When asked, the deceased gave his age as twenty-two (22) and his occupation as barber. His mother says that she assured the police that he was her son and that he lived at the said residence. The police requested and were shown photos of him “from baby stage”. His hands were swabbed after which he was told — “We si yu a run up and down from morning and man mus’ dead fi man live”. Mr. Spence’s sister was asked how many brothers she had and she said two, a policeman is alleged to have replied “yu a go have one lef’” The deceased was then ordered over to “the kitchen wall to sit down”. A policeman then “fired four shots in his upper body and head killing him on the spot”. When family members and neighbours cried out in shock and horror, the policeman is reported to have said – “Wey uno a mek noise in ya fa . . . stop uno noise or else a kill all a uno in ya”. The young man’s body was then “hauled away” from the house.” – Interim Report on The Tivoli Incursion 

There are many more Errol Spences who will never have their stories laid out before the Parliament. There are many other mothers, sisters and friends who level the same charge, cold blooded murder. This is an allegation increasingly hurled at members of the security forces. Undoubtedly, there is truth to some of these allegations. In some instances, there is a wanton disregard by some members of the security forces for the rights of civilians in this country. JA Blog Day reflects the combined effort of Jamaican bloggers to focus on the very serious issue of police abuse.  As I reflected on JA Blog Day, it occurred to me that we all talk about the issues and very rarely do we allow the members of the constabulary to speak. How do they feel about being vilified, distrusted and in some cases, hated by those they are sworn to serve and protect? How do they feel about children being taught to distrust the police? And what are their views on some of the most frequently leveled allegations against the force? VERITAS sought an answer. I have decided to give a member of the constabulary a chance to be heard. I phoned him and he consented to the interview by phone. As you can imagine, it took fast typing for me to  ensure I got everything he was saying. We will call him Officer X, he is stationed in the eastern section of Jamaica. For obvious reasons, we cannot disclose his name or exactly where he is stationed. Here is the very candid exchange between us.

Q: How long have you been a member of the constabulary?

Ans: Umm, 6 years and change.

Q: Why did you decide to become a police officer?

Ans: Growing up, it’s something that I have always admired. I see where the security forces serve and protect the people of Jamaica; I am a person like that. I believe in serving people. Just ask mi di direct questions man.

Q: Okay. Do you profile inner city men?

Ans: If they are dressed in a certain way, we are going to treat them as a threat. In today’s society, based on someone’s dress, you can use their dress code to determine how you treat them. Many times they are hiding weapons. You have to mek sure.

Q: How can you change the inner city perception that police officers are murderers?

Ans: It will be a long road, but we have to continue try. Police just have to make sure the youth don’t respect criminals, and we gain their respect.

Q: How do you feel when people saying “police a wicked”?

Ans: I feel a way, because is not all a we stay suh. We come under certain circumstances and have to act to protect ourselves. These criminals are unscrupulous.

Q: Do police men plant guns?

Ans: The truth about it is, for me personally, I have not done that before. My colleagues have said they have done it, and I have heard other stories about it.

Q: Do men police men pick up spent shells after so called “shoot outs”?

Ans: Umm, what you mean so call? (hiss teeth) I cannot say. I have never seen it.

Q: Have you ever heard of it from any member of the force?

Ans: No, I have never heard that.

Q: Many say police shoot first and ask questions later, do you agree with that? Why, or why not?

Ans: No, not at all. We go about our duties professionally. On many occasions, we engage by appropriate protocol. Sometimes you just find a situation where the criminals will not be taken easily. Dem decide fi give the police a run for their money.

Q: The frequent cry from citizens is “cold blooded murda!”. Have you ever encountered a situation where you have heard police personnel decide to kill someone instead of arresting them?

Ans: Based on how some elements in a community terrorize the community and create mayhem, there are times where we have to eradicate them totally, get them out of the community totally. We have to do this to ensure there is a peaceful and orderly society.

Q: So your answer is yes?

Ans: My answer is we restore law and order at all cost.

Q: That seems to me to be overstepping the powers of the police. Shouldn’t those elements be allowed a day in court?

Ans: I wouldn’t say this is overstepping the powers, I think is more a situation of wanting a peaceful society and these elements are adamant that they won’t allow that to happen, so they do anything to disrupt law and order. Those persons who don’t intend to change or abide by the laws of Jamaica, you just have no choice but to get them out. They are not going to allow demself to be arrested.

Q: How do you determine if someone is guilty or not? How do you determine who to “take out”?

Ans: Based on information received, and investigations carried out and based interactions with these persons, we know who are the perpetrators. At times, they can’t be arrested. Yuh just have to take them out.

Q: To people looking on saying me don’t trust police and police a wicked, what would you say to them?

Ans: Get to know the police. There are really good policemen who want to serve, protect and reassure the people of this country, and so they just need to do their part by working with the police.

Q: Would you consider policemen to be legal gunmen? Many Jamaicans say that.

Ans: No. Based on the people we are dealing with in certain communities, we are required to use the firearm to protect ourselves, other persons and property also. We need to have guns. If we don’t, who is going to protect us?

Q: Let’s discuss Tivoli quickly. Do you believe all 76 casualties in Tivoli were criminals?

Ans: Some may have been killed innocently. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Q: Do you think any guns were planted in Tivoli Gardens?

Ans: No. Not one. They (the criminals) were planning, and waiting to go into combat with the security forces.

Q: If you could say anything to the people in Tivoli Gardens who suffered so terribly, what would you say to them?

At his point, he has gone silent, perhaps second guessing his consent to speak with me. He says he now has to leave, something is muttered about having to do some work. He falls silent for another  second and then says, “people just nuh know how dem criminal yah stay, sometime police have no choice. Jamaicans need fi get to know di police. A just wi job we a do…” The line goes dead. The interview is at an end.

“…the youngster went to a window of his father’s room from where he could see and hear what was taking place across the street where Orlando was being kept guarded by the police. Orlando Brown was questioned and searched by the security forces. A policeman made a cell phone call and was heard asking: “How far the truck that collect the dead bodies deh ?” Orlando was then instructed by a policeman to “kneel down and place both hands behind (his) head”. After Orlando did as he was instructed, the witness says that he “heard three or four gunshots and then . . . saw Orlando fall…” The policeman then turned to the direction of two brothers, Fabian (“Pucksie”) and Fernando Grant (“Christopher”) and instructed them – “uno two guh ova deh suh, an duh di same ting”. Both men meekly obeyed the instruction of the officer and knelt facing the building where Orlando was killed. The policeman aimed his “long gun”. According to the witness, he then “heard four gunshots and Fabian fell sideway into a garden and Fernando fell face-down”. In a state of shock, the witness moved away from the window and so cannot say how and by whom the bodies of the three were taken up. But later he saw “a lot of blood in the garden and on the walkway” where the brothers had lain.” – Interim Report on The Tivoli Incursion – presented to Parliament by the Public Defender

Jamaican politicians may be terrible leaders, but they are masters of political strategy. They understand our culture very well. They know how to appease us, they know how to mistreat us (and get away with it), and they know that we are familiar enough with each other to privilege loyalty and character over intellect and effectiveness.

Our past and present politicians must be held responsible for the state of Jamaica today. By the time the stalwarts who have served since my birth die, their obituaries will tell of how long they served and how dedicated they were to public service but will say nothing of how poorly they governed.

Jamaica is a very small island with a correspondingly small population. The interconnected webs of social and familial ties breeds familiarity, which, I believe, violates and degrades traditional means of guaranteeing accountability. We trust our elected representatives and we continue ‘fi gi dem a bly’ even though their record of accomplishment speaks volumes to their incompetency. When they consistently perform less than satisfactorily and especially when they fuck up, we excuse their ineptitude with superficial considerations like their so-called ‘good moral character’ and ‘commitment to the community’.

I believe this is why Jamaican politicians maintain such strong relations with the church. The illusion of moral uprightness provides cover for their transgressions. “Him a good man who care bout di community so mi ago vote fi him again,” his constituents will say. So he’s a good man. Who gives a shit? Is he effective as a representative of your district in the house of parliament? Did he fulfill his duties as a minister and advance national development? Whenever the answer is no, elected representatives should never be rewarded with a second, third or fourth term in office. The fact that we continue to elect the same impotent bunch over and over illustrates the perverse nature of the political system that we contend with today.

When it comes to politics in Jamaica, I am decidedly non-partisan. My parents were indifferent to politics and so I was never fed even a moderate dose of orange or green Koolaid. In America, I would belong to the much-touted constituency of ‘independents’, but there’s no such category in Jamaica because we don’t vote on issues, we vote for personalities. If I should vote, I would be helping to sustain a system that I believe is rotten at its core and which does not serve the interests of the majority of Jamaican people.

I sometimes get the feeling that our politicians think governing Jamaica is a game. The fact that we allow them the chance to try their hand at fixing Jamaica every five years, despite evidence that they are incapable of doing so, affirms this notion. But we are not fictional characters. And no you cannot simply start over each time you fail the same level because we have high-level needs. At least, you shouldn’t be able to.

We need to start holding our politicians accountable and when they fail to live up to our expectations they need to know that there will be consequences. Some might say, “But dem know how wi feel. We complain all the time and demand better leadership!” Sure, but complaining is not the same as taking action and holding someone accountable.

What do I mean?

When you murmur your disappointment with the performance of the government, they can’t hear you. When you scream and rant on Twitter and Facebook, yeah, they still can’t hear you. I find that the political culture which nurtures our politicians supports egotism. They almost never accept fault graciously and there is no limit to the errors they can make with impunity. You can write letters to the press until the Lord comes, they are too assured of their invincibility to give a fuck about what you think.

The frustration I feel is a collective frustration. Yet, our exasperation isn’t being felt in Gordon House. I don’t think our elected representatives understand the OUTRAGE I feel when I think on the reality that my country cannot learn to grow itself out of this abyss of mediocrity. Until we make our concerns real by literally screaming so loudly that they can no longer ignore us, we will continue to think we are powerless.

All of us must take responsibility for having allowed successive governments to violate the implicit contract between citizens and elected representatives.

Supporters of the PNP mostly fall into one of two categories: they are either mum on political matters to assuage their guilt or they are cheerleaders for the PNP, forever urging the rest of us to come together and rally behind every wishy-washy policy or intervention the government proposes. You will often see them tweet or post that they are “disappointed in Portia”—never outraged. They lament the performance of the party they voted for but console themselves with the convenient thought that things would probably be worse with JLP leadership.

Supporters of the JLP are equally hilarious. Of course, they always knew ‘Portia and the PMP’ would mash up the country. They’re the most vocal critics of the PNP and they almost always have a smug ‘I told you so’ tone that is rather self-serving. They lament that Jamaica is ‘PNP country’ and affirm that they simply must win the next election to put Jamaica back on track. They are usually the first to expose the transgressions of the PNP, which should be a good ting, yet you get the sense that in doing so they are trying to legitimize their leadership potential and increase their chances at winning the next general election. Their constructive feedback is usually preceded by bitter criticism that is not in the spirit of bipartisan collaboration. Merely demanding better leadership from the overlords of Jamaica’s government bureaucracy—that they themselves are part of—for the sake of our collective welfare would asking for too much.

I belong to the third group that doesn’t vote in elections and has only a passing interest in the political affairs of the country. Last election cycle we were about 50% of the electorate. We literally have NO faith in what we see as a broken political system and culture ‘weh tek people fi eediat.’ We curiously observe the back and forth between JLP and PNP aficionados while furthering our disillusionment with politics. We are the people on the Titanic who knew the ship was sinking, that there weren’t enough lifeboats to deliver everyone to safety, and so cuddled under their bedsheets  and waited to drown in the rising seawater.

Who amongst us then is holding the government accountable? Who are the ones who have had enough and will march on Gordon House every day until our elected representatives and their minions remember that they are not our masters but our servants? There are a few prominent voices in civil society who consistently speak out against government excesses and ineptitude, but they do not speak for the population at large and we aren’t rushing to join them in what seems like a futile attempt to instigate change.

Whatever your misgivings about the PNP, despite your disillusionment, and in spite of your tribalistic urge to heap adulations onto and withhold criticism of the PNP, every Jamaican should be outraged that despite having a stable democracy for the last three decades, our country is stagnating. The profligate excesses of our inefficient government will continue if we do not act decisively. Civil disobedience is our only recourse—literally, nothing short of a revolution will do—but we are too cowardly for that. We are the slaves who grew accustomed to a life of servitude and who, fearing punishment, couldn’t bother to challenge their assumed masters.

To those who will cynically tell me the government can’t do everything: STOP finding excuses for the government. Yes the private sector, civil society and citizenry have a part to play, but we must work in tandem with our elected representatives, not in spite of them.

To the members of the intelligentsia who support these corrupt, power-hungry political parties: you are holding Jamaica back. I understand you are the beneficiaries of government contracts, waivers and concessions. I understand that you are the ones who fill the numerous public sector political positions. I get why you are so invested in preserving the status quo. But the way we do politics in Jamaica is untenable. It does not serve the interests of the vast majority of Jamaicans. Those of us who understand this truth must voice it incessantly and loudly.

Half the voting age population kyaahn bada. Wi done. We have ZERO faith in the system. We are the people who’ve crawled our way out of the JLP-PNP whirlpool of oppression. It is we who will have to rise up and demand better leaders who understand their obligation to the citizenry.

I know my vision is an ambitious one given our apathy, self-interested natures, and doubts about whether we have what it takes to achieve meaningful change in Jamaica. Nevertheless, I’ll settle for being the crazy guy who truly believes that the next generation deserves better. I remain convinced that if ‘mi naa lik out gainst di sistim’ then I’m helping to sustain it. I don’t want that burden on my conscience. Do you?

This year I turn twenty-four. The only Jamaica I have ever known is mired in poverty, crime and held hostage by poor governance. When it becomes painfully obvious that the Vision 2030 National Development Plan is a pipe dream, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) will release Vision 2050 and ask us to continue dreaming. I am tired of dreaming; I am ready to live and fight for the future of my country. While we bicker about whether to trust the JLP or the PNP, our politicians carry on with business as usual and the country hurtles toward failed-state status.

My people, wake the fuck up.

Javed maintains the blog Son of St. Mary (http://sonofstmary.wordpress.com/). You can find him on Twitter: @chatimout (https://twitter.com/Chatimout)

If ever a straw broke a camel’s back, that straw fell this afternoon. The Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica released what may go down in Commonwealth history as the most unfortunate statement on behalf of a Head of Government; the office of Mrs. Simpson Miller purported to be “concerned” for the safety of the Prime Minister. Fair enough. The worrying aspect of this development is that there is no security threat, in the standard sense, to the Prime Minister. Instead, the OPM released this dubious statement after members of the media sought a response from an ever evasive Simpson Miller. In her now characteristic attempt to dodge the media, and their relentless pursuit of information, the Prime Minister was apparently struck by a microphone. It is regrettable that the PM was struck, but the real issue is why was she running? The real issue is why hasn’t she consented to sit for an interview having taken office 15 months ago?  When one considers the PM’s abject refusal to face the press, it leads to one devastating conclusion. If a leader cannot face the country unscripted, or by some accounts not even scripted, it brings the competence of the leader into serious question. The Prime Minister has now resorted to the lowest possible denominator, hiding. It is shameful and unacceptable. Since taking office, the PM has repeatedly told the nation that “time come”, time come for removing the Queen as Head of State, time come to take appeals to the Caribbean Court of Justice, time come to put country above party etc. I think the Prime Minister must now reflect on her own inability to lead the government, indeed the country; time come to step aside. Time come Portia, time come.

One of the most frequently leveled  criticisms against the former government was its apparent arrogance and the contempt it displayed towards the Jamaican people. There was a time that the Prime Minister, as Opposition Leader, convinced me that the Bruce Golding led government was indeed too arrogant. I was inclined to agree that the tone and tenor of Ministers like Daryl Vaz was offensive. Imagine my surprise now to find the government led by Mrs. Simpson Miller even more arrogant than its predecessor, imagine my shock and awe at the fact that the Prime Minister herself currently drips with contempt.

Our first point of contact with the arrogance of this government is the Minister with responsibility for Information, Sandrea Falconer. Ms. Falconer frequently treats the media as a collective nuisance and in one instance pretended to have a right not to answer questions legitimately posed to her. Her tone now frequently implies that the country should get over whatever little foul up her Cabinet colleagues have gotten themselves into. Even more unbelievable is her penchant for the comment “No comment”, or some other weak variation of it. Her tone is no different from that of a Daryl Vaz, widely seen as the most arrogant Minister of the former government.

The problem is that for a lot of Jamaicans, Mrs. Simpson Miller and the PNP represented a change from the “uncaring” JLP. The mantra of “people power” promised a change in style, tone and leadership. It turns out we’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. The most glaring example of this is the Richard Azan debacle. The State Minister displayed poor judgement and it is alleged that he used his seal, as a Justice of the Peace, to sanction the illicit construction of shops on lands he neither owned, nor had permission to use. The Cabinet rallied in support of their fellow comrade, arguing that his conduct was unrelated to his portfolio as a Junior Minister and therefore does not warrant dismissal. This is nonsense. The use of the seal of the Office of Justice of the Peace to sanction an illicit, and possibly out rightly illegal act, is ample grounds for suspension, if not dismissal. Mr. Azan should have been made to stand aside until it could be proven that he is indeed innocent. For someone always quick to call on former Prime Minister Golding to act, Mrs. Simpson Miller seems to suffer from the disease of inaction.

Mrs. Simpson Miller has repeated every single fault she found with the Golding Government. She has not kept her promises, she has allowed the contempt of her Ministers to go unchecked, she has appointed the second largest executive in the history of independent Jamaica, she has trampled on the concept of people power by refusing to face and have dialogue with the people of Jamaica in a meaningful way, she has said she’s working, but in reality all we see is ribbon cutting, baby kissing and groundbreaking, and finally she has remained deafeningly silent on every major issue facing Jamaica, choosing to hide behind her Ministers. It is a crying shame.

I never wanted this blog to be so decidedly anti PNP, I never intended to be so strongly opposed to the leadership of Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller. In fact, a part of me hoped she would have used the size-able majority she commands in parliament to enact some meaningful change in Jamaican politics, that was not to be. I am left angry, annoyed and resentful at our politics and political system. It is time for the Prime Minister to accept what is already evident to the whole nation, she cannot fulfill the role she has been asked to play. Is time to accept dat Mama, time to seriously put country above party and above self. Time come Portia, time come.

 JA$99.57 to US$1.00. This is the talk of the town in Jamaica, the death of the Jamaican dollar. As the dollar veered dangerously close to the cliff, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, has generally remained silent. Taking her 19 member Cabinet with her, the PM has frequently retreated, to find solutions – presenting little results. The country waited for 14 months for an IMF agreement, public sector workers saw their salaries frozen, parliament has failed to act on important pieces of legislation, the national debt continues to hit breathtaking highs, while the standard of living continues to hit devastating lows, crime continues to pose a significant threat, with even the Security Minister allegedly being robbed – just to name a few of our challenges. As Jamaicans grow restless and the calls echo louder for the PM to either resign, take a salary cut, cut the size of the Cabinet or simply practice what she preaches, one young Jamaican, Nick Cobran, has come to the defence of the woman many call “Mama”. He cries foul, dismissing the criticism as unfair and “severely partisan”. He has agreed to share his thoughts with Veritas. Here he is, in defence of Portia.

Q : How long have you been a supporter of the PNP?

A : Well, I grew up seeing my mother support them, but it was when Portia got elected that I really started to follow up the politics. By 4th form, I was able to understand the whole ideas etc.

Q : If Portia wasn’t the leader of the PNP, would you still support the party?

A : I would still support the party, because I believe in the ideologies, even though the party has deviated from them somewhat. I believe in the uplifting of people and this party has a record of trying to uplift. My mother and countless others would not have gone to university had it not been for Michael Manley. Having said this, I love Portia because she reminds me of Manley, though he died while I was still young.

Q : Many say the PM is incompetent & has no vision, do you agree? Why or why not?

A : I do not agree, because leadership is something you are trained and groomed for; she has been trained. Her track record as minister of various portfolios is good. Of note is the tourism master plan that she initiated and local government reforms, she has a vision..if anyone denies that, they are severely partisan. This is a woman who has been taking money from her pocket to send kids to school (I know of this). She eventually started a foundation that does this. I’m saying this to say that she has a vision to lift the people. Sadly, not everyone shares her vision because they can’t see beyond the fact that she isn’t the most eloquent speaker.

Q : As PM, Mrs. Simpson Miller never gives one on one interviews or answers direct questions in Parliament, what do you make of that?

A : That is not true. She has given statements in parliament and she has been questioned on them and she has answered. Standing orders give guidelines on when questions should be asked of the Prime Minister, interested persons should questions. I watch parliament and I don’t see questions tabled/posed to her. The opposition is weak.

Q : You say Standing Orders guide her, but what about PM’s Question Time? It was started by Golding and she abolished it. Is that a sign of fear?

A : Question time was never apart of standing orders. Golding had his style and way of doing things as PM. I don’t think it is fair to compare them. I think it is the need for her to be prepared in answering questions, and nothing is wrong with this, you know people are very critical of Portia. Anything she says, it will be criticized. She didn’t abolish the asking of questions, it’s just her style. It does not mean that questions can’t be asked of her, just do it as the standing orders state.

Q : Do you think the PNP is surviving on Manley’s legacy as opposed to finding new solutions to our problems?

A : I think it is a bit of both. The issue is, the PNP knows that the solutions will hurt many Jamaicans over the medium term, but what I have an issue with, is the fact that they will not be decisive in relation to the solutions. Jamaicans need to pull their weight.

Q : As a leader, do you think she has been effective in marshaling the country so far? Why or why not?

A : Yes and no. Yes, because she has still sought to go about the country’s business, not giving attention to detractors. She has made representation in Sports (Chris Gayle etc..), she has made it clear to her country that we NEED to take certain measures and that the IMF is not the only solution and there has been accountability of her ministers. No in the sense that her Govt. takes too long sometimes to tell the people what is what, as well as take decisive actions, including decreasing levels of export etc. We need to be harder on our business people, dem living too nice.

Q : The matter of Cabinet size, is the Cabinet too big?

A : I don’t think the Cabinet is big, because of the whole issue of succession planning, it is a good idea plus MOST of the Ministers are competent. If you have so many competent persons and such a large mandate, why not? On the other hand, I don’t see why they won’t take a pay cut.

Q : Does the failure to take a pay cut damage the PMs credibility in asking Jamaicans to sacrifice?

A : I would not say damage credibility, but you can’t expect Jamaicans to sacrifice if you won’t. I would say it results in people just being upset, but credibility, nah. She didn’t break any laws or betray people’s trust.

Q : The PM said a new IMF agreement would have been signed within 2 weeks of taking office, it took 14 months. How does that reflect on her?

A : I was of the impression that she meant negotiations would have commenced in 2 weeks, and in any case I’m sure that was cleared up. The IMF has an agenda and we are seeing it now. They dictate and control our sovereignty at the moment we sign. They were drawing it out on purpose, so even if she meant 2 weeks and that’s not what the IMF wanted, it wouldn’t happen. The IMF’s agenda is not development. It is spreading this neo-liberal model that will maximize their wealth at the expense of countries.

Q : The dollar. $99.57 to $1. Should the PM show more concern? What do you make of her general silence on that?

A: What is she to say? There is a Minister of FINANCE. Moreover, as I said, we have lost our sovereignty and have become controlled by the IMF. They are drawing out this thing on purpose while the dollar decreases so they have no real intention of helping. They are withholding the foreign exchange we need. They are behind all this, but the PM can’t come out and say this right? Beggars just can’t go against the dominant force or the force they are depending on. The governance process has to continue until the foreign dollars are handed over. Having said this, I think she should say something, but this is based on my personal hate for neo-liberal institutions like these. I really don’t think there is anything that anyone can say but to explain the situation to the public. IMF stalling on us.

Q : Many people use the current decline of the dollar & the poor economic growth of the 1990′s to argue that the PNP cannot manage the economy. True?

A : In the 1990′s, the PNP got complacent due to the long term in power. However, growth does not result in development. People were developing in the 1990′s. If people were not satisfied, the PNP would have been long gone from office. The 1990′s was when the PNP ended the IMF relations and naturally, with having to repay debts etc, it would impact our economy. I already stated that the IMF has their own agenda and we fell victims to that. Currently, I think governments can manage the economy, but they are not willing to be DECISIVE…both parties know what needs to be done, but if they do what needs to be done, they will face what Manley faced, revolt of the business class. This, coupled with the fact that a lot of these businesses support these parties, they don’t want to lose this.

Q : The PM has many of the same faces from the Patterson administration of the 1990′s. If they failed then, is it a good idea having them lead now?

A : You are implying that they failed; I’m suggesting that they did not. Infrastructure developed under PJ’s administration, there was the modernization of the telecoms sector etc. They did not fail. As I said, growth does not indicate development. The thing is, people saw development. She also has many new faces in the Cabinet and I feel they should be given a chance to work with the experienced ones.

Q : What would you consider to be the PM’s biggest success & failure so far?

A :  Her successes are ongoing. This can be seen in the social benefits people are getting. People are accessing housing, also general infrastructure developments. I think there were 12,000 jobs created over the last quarter. We’ve not heard of the losses of jobs. Her failures? Not using the opportunity to cut Cabinet salaries, as well as let issues die. For example, the 60 mil vehicles, which are for LONG TERM usage for ANY government. Too much propaganda was allowed to be spread, too much propaganda has been allowed to stay in the media unaddressed..that’s a failure in my eyes .

Q : Finally, should the PM retire before the end of the parliamentary term, and if yes, who should replace her & why?

A : I think she should. I also think that’s the plan on her end. This is evidenced by the system they have put in: succession planning. This is how succession planning is important, as well as the Cabinet size. If she goes, there will be a larger/wider pool of candidates for the job. I see persons who have the potential to replace her, but there isn’t any one person I would choose at this time. Peter Bunting is a standout, as well as Phillip Paulwell..there is also (Whykam) McNeil. (Lisa) Hanna could be ready in 10 years. I say these people because they are seemingly able to handle portfolios and provide leadership. I also feel like these are ministers you could place at any Ministry and get results because of their wide range of expertise.

End.

There you have it. He says back off, not her fault. He contends that the PM is tried, tested and proven, the right woman for the top job. How do you see it? Is the defence a good one? Are we really just severely partisan? Or has Mama failed her children? Share your thoughts.

It was election season on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies and the battle lines were sharply drawn. As usual, the spotlight focused on the post of President, contested by the social media front runner, Jamie James, and his opponent Terron Dewar, and the post of Cultural & Entertainment Affairs Chairperson (CEAC), contested by six candidates. The focus of that race would fall on the incumbent Miguel ‘Grammazone’ Reid and his closest challenger, Gabrielle Curling. This was a peculiar campaign, marked by heavy rhetoric, inferences of sexism and heavy social media organization. It soon became clear that the message was vote Jamie in and vote Grammazone out. The results would stun the student population.

After an extensive campaign to get rid of Grammazone, the incumbent CEAC was able to retain his post, shocking and angering those who organized an ambitious plot to unseat him – all the while leveling allegations of incompetence and voter deception. The question then is, how did he win? My own assessment tells me it had little to do with his competence and more to do with the fact that he was poorly opposed. Winning an election requires strategy. It appears to me that the opponents of Grammazone ran with the idea of “anyone but him”. This effectively sealed his victory. You see, Grammazone already had a base of support; in the contest of multiple candidates, the opposition’s vote had to be united around a single contender. In other words, for Grammazone to be unseated, his opposition needed to speak with one voice. It appears that the opposition was split among the other five candidates, while Gramma’s base remained united and motivated to brave the backlash. The opposition’s strategy appears to have been righteous outrage, that alone is not enough. There needed to have been a unity of purpose to support that outrage. Miss Curling’s campaign needed to have tapped into that outrage and transformed it into votes – a prospect which never materialized. It was perhaps then prophetic when Grammazone tweeted last night as the results rolled in, “only the strong will continue.”

It was a strong base and strong strategy which saw the incumbent re-elected. Kudos to you, sir. To his opposition I say, in politics a good strategy is just as important as a good or better candidate. You dropped the ball on this one.

I find the case of Jamie James curious. Having been rejected by the electorate last year, James decided to brave the electoral storm once more. The verdict was the same, and in a shock to his social media backers, Terron Dewar was elected to the Presidency.

Jamie’s bid was a bad idea from the start. You see, history tells us that you only get one shot at the Presidency in a direct vote situation, just ask Mitt Romney. The electorate on the Mona Campus would not have changed vastly from the last time James sought the Guild’s top job, who advised him that it was a good idea to defy the electorate once more and seek that which he was already denied? It was poor advice. Jamie’s chances may also have been hurt by his front runner rock star status. His social media backers all but inaugurated him as President. There was a surety which was dangerous, he was presented essentially as the President-Elect. Bad idea. That kind of posturing can turn off voters, and I’m not sure it didn’t in this instance. To be sure, I have little doubt that Jamie would have made an excellent President, but he needed to have accepted that his ship had sailed. Congratulations to the President-Elect, Terron Dewar.

Finally, what do the results of the Guild elections tell us about the future of Jamaican politics? Firstly, the politics of personalities will continue to dominate our political sphere. Sadly, we continue to vote for personalities over competence, empty promises over substance. That is how we ended up with our current Prime Minister, and how we’ll end up with many more Portias. The idea that personalities are more important than policies is a fallacy. Secondly, We have degraded the power of the vote. Election Day is supposed to be the day when those being led speak, and those who lead listen; instead we have forfeited our voice in exchange for promises that will never materialize, for cheap tricks and pretty speeches. In effect, we have damaged our country’s future. If the 5% of our population that is allegedly endowed with skills of superior reasoning cannot make an informed choice, why should we expect the trajectory of national development to change?

As Kingsley Morgan* said to me, “I was expecting our students to be more critical and vote for the candidate with a plan – not vote on looks, political affiliation and hype.” Something tells me many others share that sentiment. I know many will counter my reasoning by saying educated people won’t vote in national elections any way, so the lot will not fall to them; but if they can’t make a good decision in a school election, their involvement in a national election would have very little effect on lifting the standard. Unless tertiary education is able to raise the standard of discourse and participation in our electoral process, I’m afraid that light rising from the west may soon be extinguished.

* Kingsley Morgan is a second year student at CARIMAC. He co-authored this post.

The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, recently came under fire for implying that the Leader of the Opposition is an enemy of the state. Many felt the PM displayed poor judgement and reckless abandon by likening a creature of the Constitution of Jamaica to a terrorist. In her characteristic arrogance, the PM refused to recant – maintaining that she simply posed a question and the Opposition Leader need only answer. As I reflected on the incident, I couldn’t help but set the comment against the backdrop of the current state of Jamaica – an exchange rate of $JMD95 to $USD1, 14.1% unemployment, a broke Students’ Loan Bureau, the 9th year of public sector wage freezes while the PM maintains a 20 member Cabinet – the second largest in the history of Jamaica (Michael Manley named 23 Ministers in 1976) , a near $3 million salary increase for herself, numerous consultants and advisors to the tune of $100 million, brand spanking new SUVs for her ministers, IMF negotiations in shambles and I could go on and on – I can’t help but ask, who is the true enemy of the state?

The People’s National Party administration was swept back into power in December 2011 under the guise of “people power”. You will recall that the country was promised redemption from a JLP administration which was characterized as “uncaring” and accused of balancing the books, but not people’s lives – whatever that means. You will also recall that Jamaica’s saviour was to come in the form of a JEEP. Jamaicans rejected the Labour Party’s proposal that there had to be bitter medicine if we were to weather the turbulent economic times, the electorate decided that the PNP’s promises (lies) of prosperity were a better bet. We were mistaken.

In his first budget as Minister of Finance, Dr. Peter Phillips unleashed a tax tsunami on the Jamaican people, every bit as “uncaring” as the budget presented in 2010 by the then Minister Shaw of the JLP. Minister Phillips repeatedly set deadlines relating to the IMF deal he could not meet. In fact, when asked in parliament if there were any sticking points in the negotiations, he denied it, only to return to admit there were areas which were delaying the completion of the negotiations. 2012 ended with no IMF deal. As people power became more manifest, we were all asked to make sacrifices, we were told we were in this together; all except the government. $60 million spent on new vehicles for Cabinet Ministers, sacrifice? Millions spent on Christmas parties at various Ministries (Finance Ministry – $1.275 million, Housing Ministry – $735,590, Foreign Ministry – $357,820.49), sacrifice? The 28 member executive, and their corresponding price tag ($181.5 million), sacrifice? The Prime Minister’s refusal to take a salary cut (she earns $7,271,283) in solidarity with public sector workers who have had no pay increases in nearly 9 years, her refusal to fly economy when she travels, is that sacrifice?

The people of Jamaica have been betrayed. There is a domestic threat to the good governance of this country – the People’s National Party. There is a deficit at Jamaica House, a deficit of leadership – to suggest that our problems are insurmountable is a fallacy, it just requires decisive leadership from leaders not only concerned about remaining in office.

From as far back as 1989, the PNP became a machinery concerned with winning elections, far more than it was about good governance. Jamaicans allowed this domestic threat to grow; we have sat idly by and accepted the incompetence of this government. We have accepted the scandals, we have accepted the excuses, we have accepted the recycled and failed policies, term after term. We have accepted Omar Davies’ runaway debt – caused by borrowing our way out of the said debt. We have accepted the do nothing parliament – and yet once again we seem complacent to accept a tax burden from the Prime Minister and her allies. Jamaica has reached its taxable limit. There is nothing left to tax. This calculated ambush of the Jamaican people by Minister Phillips drips with contempt. Even more stunning was his barefaced insistence on forcing this tax package through the parliament while blind siding the Opposition. How much longer will we allow this system of taxation with little or no representation? Enough is enough.

I am angry because our generation will be called upon to bear the burden of this incompetence. It isn’t fair. We had a joint national broadcast on Monday night to be told our leaders will be attempting to do what they should have been doing for years, by the way – just so we can gain IMF approval. Where are the growth inducement strategies for the short to medium term? How are we going to create manufacturing jobs in this country? The government’s entire economic policy appears to be “Get IMF Agreement”. That is not enough.

An enemy of the state is a person accused of certain crimes against the state, such as treason. Is the betrayal of the confidence of the Jamaican people an act of treason? Is the abject dereliction of duty by a government a crime against the state itself? Reflect on these things, and then you decide who is the true enemy of the state.

*Source : The Sunday Gleaner of 27.01.2013 and 08.01.2012.

As described in a recent front page Gleaner report (“GAYS WREAK HAVOK”), a small group of maladjusted gay men in New Kingston are now infamous for their lawlessness. “Well-thinking Jamaicans” commenting on the issue are alarmed for “If Jamaica becomes more tolerant of homosexuality, THEY will wreak havok on OUR nation because this is how THEY behave.” This “us” versus “them” dichotomy implies that all gay men are miscreants. Furthermore, it discursively locates ALL gay Jamaicans at the periphery of the boundary of citizenship.

“Well-thinking Jamaicans” are unaware that many of the New Kingston residents who are troubled by the behavior of the homeless men are gay, as a disproportionate number of gay people live in Kingston’s wealthiest districts. This is not surprising to those who believe the “gay lifestyle” is lucrative, but actually, gay and lesbian professionals are simply paying a (high) price for privacy, security, and peace of mind. Educated and economically secure Jamaicans are less hostile to diversity so the communities in which they live are safer.  Those who do not (have the means to) imprison themselves behind electric gates, security posts and the windscreens of chartered taxis tell varied stories of spontaneous evictions, persistent harassment and threats of mob violence.

Many Jamaicans agree that violence should never be used to register dislike for gay people. However, most are unconcerned by the economic and psychological impact of anti-gay animus on gays and lesbians.  Blackmail and extortion are often levied against gay people who are scared to disclose their sexualities. I know of situations where police officers, co-workers, family members and even online dating partners (some heterosexual, others gay) demand money or outrageous favours in exchange for safeguarding the explosive secret.

What did my vagina ever do to you? Yes I know my short skirt titillates your senses but that’s no invitation for sex. There is no invitation until and unless I explicitly engage you for those purposes. I am not inviting you for sex when I am skimpily dressed nor when I accept an invitation to your house after a date.

Slut shaming is the act of calling a woman a slut because of how she acts, what she wears and her choice and number of sexual partners. This is socially dangerous as it leads to the legitimization and acceptance of sexual offenses against women. It is much easier to see rape as acceptable when we deem the victim as ‘loose’.

Slut. Whore. Harlot. She called it on herself.

Allow me to make this explicitly clear : It is NEVER the victim’s fault that she was raped, no matter what you think of her lifestyle. If a woman chooses to sleep with multiple men concurrently that is her prerogative. Do encourage her to keep it safe but that’s as far as your input goes. The truth is, whether she has two, twenty or two-hundred sexual partners, it will not be a deterrent to a rapist. Rape is almost never about the victim’s choices but about the rapist’s need for power. Let us therefore put our energies where they ought to go. Let us teach boys and men that the bodies of women are not theirs to treat as they wish. Let us teach them that women are not property. Why not teach them that women are not merely sexual objects to be used and abused? Let us task the men in our lives to respect women.

I’ve had the (un)fortunate opportunity of witnessing a rape trial and it was one of the worst things I’ve experienced in my entire life. The victim, a young woman of 19 years old, was the one on trial. She was forced to re-live the horrible ordeal, detail by gory detail, and was made to feel like she deserved what happened to her. Details about how ‘bad’ of a young girl she was (based on the number of men she allegedly slept with) and what she was wearing when the incident happened, were at the centre of the trial. This is the number one reason why rapes are under reported and why perpetrators walk free. It is women who bear the burden to prove that they’re ‘chaste’ and don’t deserve to be raped. No one deserves to be raped. We must do better by and for our women.

As a regular walker of the Twitter streets, let me speak to tweeters directly. Twitter is the land of egos and people who live for RTs and a few laughs. To this end, we seem to take pride in ripping women to shreds about their sex lives, in calling them sluts and whores. We revel in slut-shaming and we need to start thinking about the consequences of our actions. It is easy to sit behind a computer screen and forget that there is a real world beyond it. A world where women are vilified for doing the same things that men do. A world where women are told that it is their duty to ensure that they are not raped instead of one that holds men accountable for their crimes. It is high time that we let go off the nonsense that “It’s just Twitter”. Twitter is as real as my gay friends (Get it?). Twitter isn’t and will never operate in a vacuum separate from real life nuances. We have to stop hiding behind this cloak and take responsibility for the things we say and do.

As a woman I am increasingly terrified of walking on the street, of taking taxis, of going out on dates – any situation that could result in me being raped (which is almost any). This is shameful in a world (and country) that boldly claims that I am free. I am not free as long as I have to constantly worry about sexual assault. I am not free as long as women face the task of proving why they don’t deserve to be raped. I am not free as long as I have to think about the douche bags who will call into question the clothes I wear, the number of men I sleep with and will call me a slut if I happen to be the next victim of a rapist.

Let us all pledge to be more socially conscious. If not for ourselves, for the women in our lives who deserve better than to be treated with the disdain that a lot of women have to meander every day of their lives. Let us do it for our mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, aunts and friends. Let us do it to preserve the humanity we have in us.

Hands off my vagina.

There is hardly a Jamaican who can say they don’t know Vybz Kartel. The one-time protégé of dancehall superstar Bounty Killa, Vybz Kartel dominated the dancehall scene for years with lyrically lethal songs and commentary that barked at the heels of societal attitudes.

Kartel has won immutable praises from music fans who simply cannot resist the urge to litter the skyline with ‘gun fingers’ and lighters or stake their claim on the dance floor whenever his infectious rhymes emanate from speaker boxes. As Kartel navigated the murky waters of dancehall, it soon became clear that the self-proclaimed dancehall hero was in a class of his own.

His hold on the dancehall scene was firm and a seemingly never-ending stream of singles kept flooding the airwaves… not that music lovers complained. Yes, there are those who refused to enjoy songs from his catalogue when they sided with any one of a number of artistes Kartel engaged in musical brawls with—but his screaming fans outnumbered the ‘anti-Kartel’ community by far.

Many have given him the status of ‘legend’, something that has caused even more contention in the dancehall arena. Contention is nothing new to Kartel though; as for every accolade there is a criticism or shady rumour that follows him. His alleged firm grip on his clique of artistes has also become the stuff of legend, along with his alleged panache for unprofessionalism, inflammatory comments in several interviews and the example he set (or didn’t) for his fans and the general public. Notwithstanding, it seemed that nothing could slow Kartel down or deter the tens of thousands of people who would descend on stage show gates in hoards to see him perform.

Eventually, something did slow the world boss down—the law. Today, the gaza don sits in prison and is facing several serious criminal charges. It has been his home for more than a year, and while his absence is noticeable his fans are unwavering. Each day they clamour for the release of their musical deity from letters to the editor to ranting on social media.  The hashtag #FreeWorldBoss is a popular fixture on the social network Twitter, with everyone from the regular fan to international superstars like Drake using it to declare their support for Kartel.

Landscape changed

Many have credited Kartel with indelibly changing the landscape of dancehall and rubbishing the established rules of play as it related to taboo subjects. He praised all the ‘freaky gyals’ defended his bleaching and proudly paraded his countless tattoos, challenging popularly held ideals about oral sex and physical appearance.

In the early days of Kartel’s controversial incarceration, many lamented that dancehall would suffer as a result of his absence from the scene. Chelan Smith, the woman behind popular Jamaican blog Adventures with Mamachel admits that the dancehall arena has changed, but not much.

“Yes, there is a change but it’s not a huge difference, His songs are still being played but you are starting to see an emergence of cultural tunes again. On the downside, his incarceration has highlighted the lack of talented up and comers who will bring dancehall into the next generation,” Smith commented.

Marlon Campbell, an event promoter and entertainment correspondent also thinks that dancehall has changed, though not in a bad way.

“For one thing, he isn’t dominating the airwaves as he did when he was free and it has given some other talented artistes a chance to shine: Konshens for example and more importantly, reggae acts such as Chronixx are being given a listening ear,” he said.

The midas touch?

Smith contends that Kartel’s popularity “is not easily explained”, admitting that she finds herself instinctively singing along with songs she personally thinks “are a little crude”.

“One thing that you cannot deny is that he is in fact a lyrical mastermind. I think the way his lyrics really fit the rhythm and his play on words are two major things that make him so popular,” she said.

Asked why Kartel is as popular as he is, Campbell quipped “firstly, he is talented and without a doubt on of the best DJs in recent decades. Couple this with his ability to tap directly into the psyche of the masses and you end up with an extremely popular force. He was also the one that would say what people thought but are afraid to say, especially in sexual matters”.

Rochelle Williams, one of Kartel’s many fans, says that the gaza boss has always been one of those artistes “who gave the people, moreover the youth who make up most of his following and the dancehall audience, what they wanted to hear—unedited, uncensored, raw, real music”.

Though Kartel languishes in jail, Williams, Campbell and Smith agree that the world boss has no equal in their eyes. Campbell simply said “for better or for worse, there is and will always be only one Vybz Kartel”.

‘Nature abhors a vacuum’

It is true, though, that since Kartel’s incarceration other artistes are currently enjoying increased presence in the media and their songs are being given more than just a cursory listen.

“Nature abhors a vacuum and with Adijah off the scene, you have heard more of other artistes and as I said earlier, people like Chronixx are now being given a listening ear,” Campbell said, continuing that he expects more new talent to rise to the surface.

With her weekly dose of new Kartel songs cut down dramatically, Williams says “with Kartel gone, the media industry will naturally try to keep the masses entertained. With Kartel out of the picture other artistes will occupy the limelight, which he and his music have occupied for years. “

For Smith, she has noticed that established dancehall artistes are reaching out to a bigger fan base now.

“You see artistes like Aidonia and Konshens coming into their own and carving a space for themselves but not necessarily replacing Kartel,” she said before weighing in on the touchy subject of radio play.

“For years artistes were complaining that Kartel was preventing them from getting their shine. But now, he is locked up and many have yet to get that “buss”. Nevertheless, I have seen new talent get some airplay and even established artistes get a little more airplay from DJs. Nothing here is absolute, but the lack of new material from Kartel would have forced everyone to go out and find the next hot song.”

Smith also said that while she believes that Kartel is missed in some areas of the entertainment fraternity, “others who saw him and who continue to see him as an obstacle to their success do not miss him at all”.

Campbell, concurring, thinks, “most are secretly happy that he is locked away”.

The show goes on

A huge factor of any dancehall song’s success is the response it gets at parties and street dances. With arguably no less than five singles in rotation at a time, its long been said that Kartel’s hold on dancehall also extended to the party scene.  However, when asked if the scene has changed much, Williams says that for her it remains undisturbed.

“I think Kartel’s music is timeless… there’s no time frame or limit on a Kartel song. Songs from when he first came on the scene still get airplay. People still party with as much enthusiasm and the party scene is still the same.”

Campbell, whose line of events includes the popular party series Musique, says that other artistes have provided the ladies with “their ‘get wild’ music”.

In concluding her thoughts, Smith commented that as far as party tunes go, “we haven’t had a chance to miss Kartel”.

“Let’s be honest, Kartel has had a new tune on the radio almost consistently or it could be that his songs have a certain longevity but in reality the scene hasn’t changed in any drastic way… if any at all”.

It is reported that Kartel has thousands of unreleased tracks—and that is only expected. His voice, too, most recently found its way onto Wayne Marshall’s fast rising hit Go Hard. What remains to be seen, however, is if history will accord Kartel the legendary status he has already claimed. The masterful lyricist has made it clear, though, that the world has not heard the last of Kartel, despite his physical confinement.

“Mi FlOW like di town cable/Its no fable/No knights of di round table,/Tell Adam and Eve and Cain say mi doan Able,/ Dem bwoy deh tek mi style yet dem so brazen/But Russian/Mi FlOW like di town cable/Its no fable/No knights of di round table/Di bwoy dem bite mi style yet dem so craven/dem come in like di big fat gyal dem so Raven.” – Vybz Kartel, The Lyricist

Editor’s Note : The views expressed below are not my own. We continue the guest posts series with @Nasylum’s take on the dreaded Friendzone. Enjoy.

Seeing people lament about the friendzone as if it is some punishment meted out unfairly or straight up curse the evil beings who dare classify them as “just a friend” is a source of great annoyance for me. Apparently, once someone is nice (in their opinion, let’s get that straight) to you and willing to do sweet or considerate things for you even when you do not ask, you become obligated to partner up with them or at the very least, “dash out” (that is, have the sex. Yes, I said “the sex”. It’s how I talk. Deal”. I do not want to tell you that you are a self-entitled individual who really is not ready for a relationship with a human being besides yourself so I won’t. But you are. Oops, I told you. The first step is acceptance. You’re welcome. Now let’s move on to helping you on the road to recovery.

This may come as a shock to you but in a world where polygamy is not the (official) choice of the majority, where people like to test out their options rather than pick the first person they come in contact with, a varying but not singular number of individuals will get turned down when vying for the affections of one because that one person is only looking for ONE partner. This therefore means that the “friendzone” is inevitable for many of us at some point in our lives and you are not the sole unlucky person because the guy or girl who you want to hump and whatever else does not wish to engage in sexual pelvic exercises with you. With that said, you really need to get over it.

Now, there’s a chance you want more than just sex or a chance at seeing where something goes with this person- you may very well care deeply for them. I understand that this sucks (and not in the good way) and it is not so easy to get over. But this is also a part of life and courting/mating and no one ever died of a broken heart. I heard an elephant did but elephants are not classified as people so my point remains. I get that this may be the love of your life THUS FAR and you cannot fathom getting past this place and even worse, to a place where you could love someone else. For you, I recommend a healthy dose of self-love. Why would you want to be with someone who does not return your romantic feelings? Why are you dwelling on the unreturned love from another when you should be using that energy to heal? Be sad, yes. Throw yourself that pity party. Just don’t overstay your welcome. It’s pathetic and it is not reflective of a person who feels they are worthy of love and if you do not feel you are worthy of the kind of love you can dish out, why would this person feel you are? Buy some self-help books, watch some YouTube videos and scream, cry, and fight (figuratively) your way out of this funk.

“But WHY did I get friendzoned (again)? You don’t understand. This happens all the time, Nas. And I feel like they say they want someone sweet and generous and when they get that, they overlook it” I’m glad you brought that up. I would like to pose some thoughts I would like for you to dwell on- just consider them for a moment or two.

• There’s a chance you were not as nice as you thought you were. You may very well have come off as annoying with your unwanted “help” or “sweetness”. Bless your heart if it was in the right place but many of you did these sweet things with an end goal in mind rather than to genuinely do something sweet for someone and you are exactly the type of people who tend to overdo such acts because you THINK that’s what you are supposed to be doing. Pay attention to HOW your acts of kindness are received.
• Maybe the person is vulnerable when they accept your affections and once they leave that vulnerable place, they are simply not as receptive as you would like. You can’t fault someone completely for this because not everyone knows when they are using people in this manner. And you also have to be mindful of the emotional and mental state of this individual you are dedicating your time to. Some of you damn well know the person is vulnerable and you swoop in to try and take advantage and then get mad when your plans don’t work out. You ain’t right and you know it. If you keep getting mixed signals (someone is moody or hot and cold all the time), take a hint. Bounce before it’s too late. Don’t get mad and/or bide your time ‘til they come around. Pay attention to WHEN your acts of kindness are received.
• There’s a great chance that while you are nice and sweet and blah blah, you lack other qualities that that person values in a partner (YOU MAY BE HELLA BORING). That is not something to gripe about. People are allowed to have preferences and they are allowed to pick, choose and refuse. Once someone is honest with you, be grateful and move on. Don’t you dare get mad or, even worse, get stupid** and blame it on being rejected.
• If you have never been the rejecter and always the rejected, I understand why you would be bitter. However, I say that this would call for some introspection after a while. 1) Maybe you need to work on some traits that would make you more attractive to a partner or eliminate some traits that are making you unattractive. I’m not saying to change yourself but I kind of am. If you plan to make a significant change about yourself, the person inspiring that change should be you unless you want to risk resenting the person for whom you made this change. If someone else inspires you to change for the better, great but if you change who you are just so you are different rather than better because you wish to be who you think they want, that’s a recipe for disaster. 2) Maybe you need to look at the kind of people you find attractive or partner-worthy. Maybe, just maybe you are limiting yourself with your “ideal” mate and maybe this type of person just does not mesh with the type of person you are. You have to be honest with yourself when doing this introspection. Otherwise, you’ll repeat this cycle and will indeed be #ForeverAlone or if not that, you’ll be #ForeverUnhappy. We don’t want that, do we?
• Finally, sometimes it’s just bad timing. They are not at a place in their lives where they are ready for a partner or ready for you specifically. That’s fine too.  You are now able to either frolic with someone else or multiple someone else’s J or if you are bent on settling down, you now are able to cross one person off your list and continue on your journey to requited love.

Just an FYI, no one forces anyone into the friendzone. You are free to leave at any point in time. If it is too much to bear being friends with someone you are deeply attracted to and/or for whom you have intense emotional feelings, be honest with yourself and them and cut ties even if only temporarily. If you decide to endure the “sweet torture” because of some twisted sense of romance or because you are just waiting for them to see the light, please do this quietly as you have made the choice to withstand the suffering. Don’t let innocent bystanders like me have to suffer too by having to listen to your sad or angry words. In the words of the great orator, Sweet Brown- “Ain’t Nobody Got Time Fah Dat”.

Much love (yeah, it’s all requited n ish),

Nas