Jamaica May Not Be the Paradise of Old, But it is No Hell!
I recently read an article on this website titled “When did my beautiful Jamaica become this hell”.
The writer claims that during a 2 week trip to the UK “quite a few people” upon realising the writer was from Jamaica expressed totally negative views of Jamaica.
I must take issue with that blog.
I have lived in the UK for almost 26 years and yes I am often asked where I am from, but not ONCE has anyone ever gone on to express sufficiently negative views to result in them saying they are “afraid” to visit. In fact it is fair to say 100% have ended each conversation with “Jamaica is on my Must do list”. And that is just those who have not already visited. The truth is it is now more normal to find that UK people have visited and absolutely love Jamaica.
Just so that you understand the level of bile this writer shows towards Jamaica let me quote directly and then you judge for yourself whether he or she is describing the Jamaica you know and love……
“We are a society full of sick, depraved, violent people, who are lazy and not prepared to work and support themselves and have no regard for other people’s life. All they want is the next spliff, a money to buy “a food” and a money to buy the next outfit to attend a funeral or dancehall”
Who is this person speaking about? Where are they from? What is the context to these comments?
Let me be clear. Jamaica may not be the paradise of old, but I strongly refute these types of comments. While some of you nod in grim agreement to this drivel, I am forced to wonder what is this writers true agenda.
Last summer I took to Jamaica a young lady from St. Lucia. It was her first every trip to Jamaica and she openly expressed doubts about what she would see. Make no mistake those doubts were not based on what she heard about Jamaica, but get this….they were based on how she saw UK black people who claimed Jamaican heritage acting in the UK.
Imagine her surprise when she turned up in Jamaica only to find a total absence of dreadlocks smoking weed idly on every street corner. Or almost no women dressed for bashment with ghetto girl earrings and pink hair walking down every street. Her visible surprise at the welcome EVERY Jamaican gave her the moment they found out she was from a sister island.
I remember an incident when we stopped for a meal in Ziggys on Twin Gates plaza. When the lady serving the food found out she was not used to Jamaican food, she GAVE her a sample of every dish to try…FOR FREE.
That is the Jamaica I know. My family lives in Jamaica as will I sooner rather than later and I am disgusted that ANYONE would attempt to paint such a dire picture of my island and we simply…click ‘like’.
We must not campaign against our island.
Paul Lawrence
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Jamaica land we love our motto out of many one people enjoy the experience of our diverse culture, one love one heart.
My boss sometimes “jamaican” are our worst enemies i remember learning that our founding fathers used their experience abroad to build a nation some come back here to denigrate and tear down
I go to England and experience the same negative talk about Jamaica and it come from mostly the Jamaicans who leave Jamaica and cannot find fare to visit Jamaica, never visit Jamaica a long time and only listening to Jamaicans and people who don’t mean Jamaica any good.
Who are these people anyway? Yes Jamaica may not be the Paradise of old, but it is no HELL either. SMH
Every country has good and bad things and people. Sometimes we get what we look for. We must all try to do good in our corner and that may help even a little bit.
The people who write or think negatively about Jamaica are narrow. As a born but live in US Jamaican…I still love Jamaica, visit frequently and enjoy my wonderful homelan… will all it’s ills. There is not 1 country that is not experiencing societal degradation but in different ways. There are many more deprived societies than Jamaica. But I’m tired of ignorant, narrow minded, ungrateful, disloyal people spreading only their opinions or experiences as facts! Shut it!!! Jamaica is a wonderful plac, enjoy its beauties and richness.
I agree Jamaica is a beautiful island with a lot of great people.I have been visiting and living here for a considerable time, I am a white UK citizen, but I am going home as I think Jamaica has deteriorated over the years due to bad government. What tourist see when they come here is lovely hotels helpful people etc and they come for two to three weeks so of course they love it as the same in most countries they visit. But living here is different I see the other side to which some of the things the person… Read more »
I agree Jamaica is a beautiful island with a lot of great people.I have been visiting and living here for a considerable time, I am a white UK citizen, but I am going home as I think Jamaica has deteriorated over the years due to bad government. What tourist see when they come here is lovely hotels helpful people etc and they come for two to three weeks so of course they love it as the same in most countries they visit. But living here is different I see the other side to which some of the things the person… Read more »
Oh no, not at all. Its business as usual to have 14 year-old girls gone missing only to be found pregnant and minced to death…..No sirree, not a hell hole, simply business as usual!
Maybe he was talking about his relatives, as you probably know you have some very ungrateful Jamaicans , as far as they are concerned nothing good happens here, and every chance they get they tear us down. They are the ones when they travel and come back to Jamaica and have to stand in the bus say, this could neva be foreign, foreign better, and when I go to foreign I have culture shock because the busses in New York and Maryland were always packer than a sardine tin. No matter where I go JAMAICA a paradise, no matter how… Read more »
..the problem as I have understood it stems from the fact that the Jamaicans prominent in the UK and metropolitan USA are mainly the ones who “stowed away”…very low self esteem, no self respect, education nor proper upbringing …they mistakenly are our ambassadors; a dem represent Jamaica “a farin”.
one swallow doeth not a summer make.. They always use the bad to judge us and never the good
I am Scottish, but lived in England many years, I first visited Jamaica in 2000, my sister was living here, she lived here for over 20 years, worked at Sav hospital, nurse, I fell in love with Jamaica and the people, and every time I could afford to fly this was my destination, I have now come here to live, am going to marry a wonderful jamaican later in the year.
Jamaica the culture, the people and the country. You cannot speak about it without separating the three. I was born, raised and lived there for the first 18yrs. of my life. I know what the good was like and have also experienced some of the bad. As with every thing you cannot paint everyone with the same brush. Jamaicans are a hard working people, I have been working since I was 12, so I really resent when we are called lazy. The writer may have a bad experience but in no way should labelling us one and the same. There… Read more »
Guess what buff a dem a Neva see come see. We have our issues like every other country. Some a dem wey deh a England a pay dear fi go inna high company men dem go weh old frighten Friday. Who enslave us like the Europeans England being the main culprit. If some of them were helping the poor pauperizing family they left here it would help make Ja a better better place.
Dude, ’nuff said. Haters gonna hate ppl.
I am a Canadian living in Jamaica and absolutely LOVE it man! If you treat the people right, they are your BEST friends man!! It is all about being civilized and loving as you want to be loved man!!