Live Where You Represent; Represent Where You Live

-
Our parliamentarians over the years have refused to address the issue of constitutional reform. However, the time has come for civil society to demand more representation from those who choose to serve in this capacity. It is no longer sufficient for our elected parliamentarians to have only a constituency office in their respective area where constituents may meet with them at scheduled times. While each person has the right to choose where he/she lives, the primary residence of those who sit in Gordon House should be among the people they represent without any exception. This amendment should be enshrined in the Constitution.
Each consistency is unique and as a result each constituency has specials needs that must and should be addressed by the elected officials.
For example, our parliamentarians should be exposed to the nightly noise which has become a common feature of urban dwelling despite us having a Noise Abatement Act.
As a society we should be resolute and demand more from our elected officials. Our parliamentarians should experience the same inconveniences and nuisance the practice of night noise creates for law abiding and taxpaying citizens on a nightly basis.
Our members of Parliament should have the pleasure of driving on the same pot hole riddled roads to reach their homes which is the daily experience for all of us.
Our Parliamentarians should experience what it is like to pay rent for their own homes to criminals as is the current situation in some parts of Eastern Kingston.
Until our elected officials live and experience the same issues of discomfort and stress they will not be in a position to adequately represent those they seek to serve.
Our Parliamentarians should be made to experience the horrors of having a child go through a shock because of constant gunshots being fired by marauding gunmen and the resulting stress this places on a family.
Any individual who refuses from living in the constituency in which they seek to represent should be barred from representation politics. For the most part our politicians are far removed from the realities of life for the average Jamaican. One cannot ask one to sacrifice unless one is willing to sacrifice of the same quality.
We will not have true political representation until the Jamaican constitution is reformed to ensure the empowerment of the Jamaican citizen.  We need as a society re-commit ourselves to the principle of social justice which embodies a society that is equitable and in which all members are physically and psychologically safe.
We will not have a just society until we create and foster a culture of fairness and equality for all Jamaicans. As citizens we must and should demand more representation from our elected officials.  

Wayne Campbell
waykam@yahoo.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Insecticides, Air Travel And Safety

-
Image
We are not insects, we are human beings. To travel by air is a privilege. Air travel is a costly adventure as well.   Those of us who have been fortunate to travel oftentimes experience some amount of excitement leading up to that moment. This heightened sense of emotion happens to almost all of us irrespective of whether we are a frequent flyer or a first timer. This buzz never goes away regardless of whether you travel economy or first class. However, for some folks there is a sense of nervousness during travel. There are numerous lessons we can learn whenever we travel. For example, our outlook on life is often altered due to the interaction with other peoples and cultures. Once the airplane takes off and you begin to ascend into the clouds, sometimes of altitude unbelievable to those without this experience, one can feel like someone who is imprisoned until your flight lands and you disembark. It is usually at those altitudes that the airline crew informs you that they are goin...
Read more

Vessels of Honour: Celestial Treasures

-
Image
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”- Psalm 51:10. Many of us have a skewed understanding of God our creator. In many instances we believe or are led to believe that in order to be used by God we must be pure and sinless. This tainted view undoubtedly also impacts our relationships we have with God. Having such a distorted view of God and what God demands from us oftentimes lead us into disobedience. The same is true concerning the weight of condemnation. It is for this reason why it is critical for us to spend time in the Word of God which is the Bible. We all need to know God for ourselves. We often make excuses to study the Bible, yet, we will spend hours on social media or hours gossiping people’s business. Nowhere is gossiping more pronounced than in the church. The church as we know it is not a place of honesty. Why do I say this? Oftentimes we turn to the church in our moments of weakness and vulnerability yet, the solace and compassion that ...
Read more

Interrogating Black Fatherhood

-
Image
“What I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children all of our children a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.”- Barack Obama. Fatherhood, especially black fatherhood oftentimes is not as celebrated as it should. As a result we continue to hear of the arguments surrounding my mother who fathered me. There are specific roles concerning the sexes and frankly speaking mothers cannot father children, likewise fathers cannot mother children. Indeed as a society we need to move the discussion away from these examples of oxymoron. This flawed premise has been around so long and unfortunately has become normalized in many societies. However, the time has come for us to have a serious and honest discussion as this argument must be interrogated and replaced with a sense of responsibility. In fact, there is one m...
Read more