Of Jamaicans, music, homophobia, and the new millennium

People, don't be no follow fashion. 

  We Jamaicans' are cramping our own style with this hype of ignorance. Where once we were leaders, we are loosing our cool with a sad display on the world stage, and paying dearly for it.

 Reggae nice man, wha' do you?

Many dancehall artists hold themselves back from further success. It's almost comical, it must not be bout' the money, cos' dat dem' lost a whole heap! 

Fi wha' dem wa win all di fashion competition?! I could use $5,000,000 any day, and so could the community. This situation is reminiscent of that skit from The Dave Chapelle Show, "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong" you know which one I'm talking about.

 Reggae is loved world wide and is our thing, our life, our reputation, so every Jamaican is effected by this problem. Now, I dont know what every artist does in there daily life but this raises a question. Why don't artists use their fame to do something other then what they profess in there rhymes? Taking turns from making hits and popping champaign to really use  their network and recourses by campaigning and sitting in for a progressive non-profit organization, I think some kind of consistent artist led community service could even create fans for reggae, after all actions speak louder then words. 

It is high time for real leaders to emerge, and for the people and governments to allow that to happen, to encourage freedom of speech on a real platform and listen with a fair open mindedness and prudence. And to those wroth with hate, or ill informed leaders and would sooner give up all they have before giving a rational thought to the idea of equal rights for all peoples, be they different races, gay, disabled, or even short people, well, give it up, resign, labor calls you. We need new, down to earth leaders to contribute to our communities upliftment and not contribute to it's oppression, recidivism and slackness. Forward up, lead by example, the true way to be miles ahead. 

Get the message, a new time now.

  I see the government being inactive, their moral obligation is to make sure this kind of violence doesn't happen in the first place. But, we people need to DEMAND BETTER EDUCATION and go forth and educate ourselves.

It feels like the Jamaican government is

non-progressive or in some kind of lame standstill, instead of insuring  

THE PEOPLE like they should be, innocent people are being brutalized due to lack of education and lack of progressive 21 century policy making. What happened to our independence?

I say, yes we can CREATE CHANGE.

 The idea that a gay person can turn YOU gay, is a FALLACY. (dictionary.com)

I am a proud STRAIT Jamaican man, so I don't have to stress how badly bad I am attracted to all women. I'm secure with myself enough to admit if I have been wrong in judgment, and allow myself the freedom change my mind. 

But I am also embarrassed and upset by this dilemma in the Reggae music I love. I too was once homophobic, but I have liberated my mind and realized the truth.

I have learned there is nothing wrong with gay people being gay and nothing wrong with asking a gay person, with respect, what being gay means for them. Once I had the opportunity of working with gay people, and spoke to them as a decent human being, I realized that they are just as capable at being great in anything as any strait person would be. And most importantly I learned they can be a good people as individuals. We from the strait community must support the gay community to bring out the best in all of us be you strait or gay. I judge by the content of character now, whether conservative or flamboyant, gay or strait. Besides, you choose your friends and at the end of the day, we all go our separate ways, so why be mad at what other people doing?

  What happened to OUT OF MANY ONE?

Wicked hearts are those with hate and anger in their mind against another people, this is true of both homophobia and racism. Do you see that parallel? It is a very scary and very real comparison. 

  JAH CARE for your kindness, compassion, understanding, humanity, love and PEACE. We are all his children and this is the movement, this is non-violence. 

Word to Martin Luther King.

Let us UNITE again. 

Let us work it out.

Let us liberate.

HATE IS HATE.  LOVE IS LOVE.