Vote with your head!

Twenty years ago I was a 15-year-old lad and living in a central Clarendon district called Threadlight.

In those days, Threadlight blossomed with PNP supporters with a trifle of JLP hard-core supporters. But time has changed the landscape.

Last week Sunday night, I walked into the ever-popular Tiger Market Gas Station on Main Street, May Pen, in Central Clarendon, and was ambushed

by the tirade of political chatterboxes, presumably JLP supporters, and a handful of PNP lovers. Central Clarendon is a JLP

stronghold under the stewardship of the ever-effervescent Mike Henry.

The night was punctured and permeated with a dozen mouthful of nonsense. I was peeved to hear big men talk pure silliness. Here them: "PNP party a fool-fool party!" "Why?" asked one PNP lover. "Because when PNP in power me tun fool," answered another Labourite. Their conversation was obviously lacking intelligent thinking. I stood and listened for a good 20 minutes and no member of the group added any real sense to the conversation. Is this the legacy of August 6, 1962?

Democracy hijacked

Many persons vote on the basis of family traditions, party likings and the ever-so-popular political soup bowl. For God's sake, use your head when you vote in the next general election, which should be held by either December 17, 2015 or early January 2016.

In hindsight, democracy is not real. Democracy is a utopian term used to hijack people. Democracy should be for the people, by the people. An untypical example of a democratic principle is that no prime minister should have the power to call an election. At the end or near the end of the term of the party in power, the people should be the one to call an election and not the governing party.

Hope for young people

The notion that there is no hope for young people is unfounded and histrionic. At present, students enrolled at the two major universities in Jamaica are benefiting from government-sponsored tuition fees.

If university majors were to pay the full tuition fees, most of them would never attain a university education. What you must do instead is use your education and not your degree to transcend yourself further in the society. It could very well be your apolitical stance why most politicians behave the way they behaved.

It's full time that young people stop acting like prepubescent wimps. Your participation in political activities and elections will make a difference because as long as breath is in man there will always be political parties and leaders.

Once you position yourself in life you can join the respected powers of the world. They may be your leaders but we are not their boys or girls. This is a world of difference.

I see the country heading into a good direction with a Dr Peter Phillips, Arnaldo Brown and Chris Tufton as the next leaders.

Jamaica has achieved much with little and little with nothing, despite the public hue and cry about the upswing in problems in national security and public health.

I agree with United States President, Barack Obama who said: "This present government is wise."

The JLP is good on economics but, at present, inflation is at its lowest in 40 years. I am not glossing over the PNP's achievements but 'give back to Caesar what is Caesar's.

We are world beaters. We are great people. The rest of the world is looking for inspiration. So in this general election, use your head and vote.

n David Solomon Bennett is a graduate of the University of the West Indies. Feedback editorial@gleanerjm.com