Balancing the rights of party lovers, bed dwellers

It's one of the great conundrums of our time, apparently - how to balance the need of some sleep, with others' desire to be loud.

Night-time street dances are part of our culture. Yet, so is sleep. So how do we strike a balance that leaves everyone sufficiently appeased?

On the face of it, the matter doesn't appear to be awfully complicated. Allow the dances to go on, at least until a reasonable hour, then either move the party indoors, turn the music down, or bring the festivities to an end altogether.

Of course, we know that this just hasn't been working out. Not in Jamaica, land of 'I do as I please'. Dances don't really get going until close to 1 a.m. anyway and the pick of the litter don't dare be caught dead at an event before 2 o' clock. So to order a dance over at this time is an unforgivable affront to fun-seekers, not to mention an apparent policing nightmare. So what's the solution? Let's think about it.

LOUD AND FURIOUS REACTION

If, by some stretch of the imagination, political leaders became emboldened (foolish?) enough to marginalise this valuable voting sector by announcing enhanced enforcement and stiffer penalties for promoters who flout the law, what would likely be the result? Mass outcry from nearly every corner, I'd bet. From defenders of civil liberties, to champions of culture, and average Joes and Janes who just enjoy the freedom to carouse without hindrance, the reaction would be loud and furious.

Well, what if the same leaders were to decide that, you know what, we are a party-loving people, with a well-documented affection for mass gatherings in the morning air, and so it is only reasonable to remove any and all restrictions on outdoor parties? That would not sit well with us either. 'What of sleep?' some would ask. Others would play the contentious 'taxpayer' card and insist that if portions of their income are being siphoned off for the benefit of the wider society, then the wider society had better be quiet and let them sleep. It could get ugly.

So here we stand in the midst of a veritable existential nightmare, no closer to a solution than we were two or three decades ago. The complexity of the issue explains, somewhat, why there has been no real and sustainable solution put forward. It doesn't excuse it, however. The matter may be difficult to handle, but it is one that demands attention. Both sides, I believe, have valuable concerns that cannot be ignored and the ideal solution will respect the rights and, to an extent, fancies of both the party lovers and bed dwellers alike.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've spent far too many sleepless nights, tossing and turning in bed while some gruff-voiced selector leads a game of 'Simon Says' somewhere in the distance. His orders to 'buss a blank', among other things, are simply not what I want to be hearing when I'm busy trying to dream of Halle Berry.

This doesn't mean I want all street dances banned though. I've been kept awake by emphatic exaltations at church services, and drunken singing at nine-night gatherings as well. I certainly wouldn't suggest we scrap these either. All I want is some compromise. You do what you want and I'll tolerate it within reason, as long as you're equally willing to accommodate me and my right to be alone with the aforementioned Miss Berry on a deserted island, without interference or distraction. Now, this isn't too much to ask, is it?

Robert Lalah is features editor and author of the popular 'Roving with Lalah' every Tuesday. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com.