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Place Miss Lou and Bob Marley on banknote

Published:Monday | August 15, 2022 | 12:06 AM
Miss Lou
Miss Lou
Bob Marley
Bob Marley
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THE EDITOR, Madam:

Instead of debating whether or not Bob Marley and/or Miss Lou should be posthumously made national heroes, why cannot we honour these two national treasures by placing their images side by side on a newly introduced Jamaican $250 note? This befitting honour would align with the newly minted Jamaican banknotes, each of which – save for Marcus Garvey, whose image will stand alone in the $100 note – will bear the images of either two of Jamaica’s national heroes or two deceased Jamaican prime ministers.

Being named a national hero or national heroine is the highest Jamaican honour that can be conferred upon a citizen. Having one’s image placed on one of the nation’s banknotes is a very high honour that is arguably the second-greatest way to honour a Jamaican in the land of one’s birth.

Lest we forget, Michael Manley, Hugh Shearer, Donald Sangster and soon Edward Seaga – though none of them are officially national heroes – have all been greatly and posthumously honoured. This is because they are, and forever will be, the faces of Jamaica’s most used symbol of commercial exchange, in the banknotes.

Miss Lou and Bob Marley deserve to be honoured in the aforementioned manner, and if that is done then such a move is likely put an end to the recurring argument concerning Bob Marley and Miss Lou attaining the national hero status.

PATRICK GALLIMORE

pagalley@protonmail.com