SOUTH FLORIDA – Two major historic events occurred Tuesday (August 11th) that will impact Jamaicans across the globe and across the disapora.
One is obviously the naming of Kamala Harris to be the vice presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in the U.S. come the November elections
For Jamaicans this is monumental because Harris does not hide the fact that she has Jamaican roots. Speaking with her two years ago she was ready to tell me where in Jamaica she used to spend part of her summers in the parish of St. Ann.
But her placement in this spot needs to be greeted by a certain maturity and reality by people who call themselves Jamaicans.
Kamala Harris is not going to be able to give all Jamaicans who want a visa one. She’s not going to send millions of dollars to help Jamaica simply because she is of Jamaican heritage. It does not work that way.
Similarly Jamaicans facing an election in less than a month should be realistic in their expectations of what any government formed by either party can do. And too, Jamaicans are compelled to behave in a mature fashion leading up to said elections.
While the country has done a good job in curtailing the spread of the coronavirus, some people threw caution to the wind recently and started behaving irresponsibly again. Probably the real test of this election is whether Jamaicans can behave in a civilized way in the playing of politics in the middle of a pandemic.
Photo Credit: Leroy “Dreamy” Riley
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