The Hypocrisy of Jamaicans
So I remember when Vybz Kartel was in jail and how many Jamaicans including school children were bawling “FREE WORL BOSS!”.
People would talk about how disgusting his lyrics are and come under fire from his supporters for doing so. Now all of a sudden a politician uses lyrics from his songs and suddenly it is the politician that is under fire?
I in no way shape or form agree with what was said by Mr vaz, but for too long Jamaicans have glorified a culture where if the music is not disrespecting women or inciting violence, “it nuh meck it”.
So my question this morning is do we condemn Mr. Vaz for what he said, or do we openly admit that it is time to clean up what so many of us refer to as culture?
We cannot on one hand ask for responsibility and then on the other hand worship slackness and mediocrity. Why the outcry now?
Why did we not have an outcry when our young men and women were worshiping Kartel and saw him as a role model? Why were we silent during the many times his songs with violent lyrics were being played on the air and in the dance hall?
Lest we forget our aspiring opposition leader also used lyrics from Vybz Kartel when he made reference to his clarks. So do we only condemn one person and applaud the other?
Common sense dictates that no one aspiring for leadership should mention Kartel’s name much less lyrics from his song. However the fact that it is only now that many are aware of how violent these lyrics are, speaks to the hypocrisy of many calling for the head of Mr. Vaz.
We seem to be a nation filled with hypocrisy and only know how to speak about things when it seems that they can garner votes. In the meantime we have all sat on our derrieres, said or done nothing while our younger generation emulated and looked up to those who can only offer up the slackness and violence that many of us mistakenly refer to as music.
It is only when certain people utter those lyrics we pay attention. The hypocrisy of us as a nation is seriously overwhelming.
By Michelle Bradshaw