Language and Communication: The Social Class Divide

-
Jamaica is truly a beautiful and comical place to live, work and raise families.  The ongoing Tivoli Commission of Enquiry bares testimony to this fact. Among the suggestions emerging from last week’s proceeding is the suggestion from a university lecturer that language interpreters maybe necessary at the ongoing Tivoli Commission of Enquiry to ensure that the lawyers clearly understand the witnesses as well as for clarity for the witnesses from counsel. As Jamaicans we all are familiar with and indeed speak two languages. Jamaica English or Patois and Standard English are the official languages of Jamaica. The suggestion that interpreters maybe need in order to decipher or decode what the witnesses at the Enquiry are saying belittles our rich culture as well as highlights the fact that we are not really one despite what the Jamaican Motto says. Social class prejudice and discrimination are very much alive and well in 2014.
As far as I am aware all the lawyers at the Enquiry are Jamaicans. As a result they are all capable, familiar with and competent to speak and understand the language of the people. Interestingly, the Chairman of the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry, Sir David Simmons is not a Jamaican and he appears not to have any problems understanding the language of the witness. As a people Jamaicans we are very versatile and witty. Why is it that the lawyers at the Enquiry cannot speak in a manner that the witnesses will be able to understand? Is it that the lawyers are beyond code switching in languages ? Included in the terms of Reference for the commissioner to examine are the reasons and circumstances for the declaration of a State of Emergency in Western Kingston and related areas in May 2010, as well as, to ascertain the conduct of the security forces during this period.  As a nation we deserve to know what really happened in May 2010 regarding the incursion of the security forces in Tivoli Gardens. The people of Tivoli Gardens need closure so to the society. Those who suffered injustices or those whose rights were violated by the State should be compensated by the State.  

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