Hijacked comments

[sunray]

Sweet_Dawta: "LOL..nothing in Jamaica is or what it seems"

The water is not as blue as it seems? The land is not as green as it seems? the food is not as delicious as it seems? the poverty is not as crushing as it seems? the crime is not as destructive as it seems? the lovely people aren't as they seem? the wicked people aren't as they seem? Racism is not as it seems? (both tourist and resident)
Jamaica, Everything is Everything!
Alluding to something, but then not saying why you say it, is not informative or helpful to anyone.

[Manda81]

Manda-.

I really enjoyed seeing Jamaica through your eyes so I shared a few links with you, Jamaica through my eyes.

Thank you,

I'm glad you enjoyed seeing it through my eyes I just wish I knew why it was much different than someone elses eyes but I look forward to checking the links that you mentioned. Where can I find them? I dont see anything in my pm ?

[goldilocks]

I dont think that there would be a place in Canada that I'm not welcomed because I'm Canadian ..so what you are saying is that as a Jamaican there are parts of Jamaica that you are not accepted? Why would this be?? I'm not doubting you I just would like to understand why if this is the situation that you are dealing with in your own home country. That's horrible.[/QUOTE]

I have witnessed discrimination against Jamaicans by Jamaicans many times. Some people have huge class and color issues. I travel with locals and if I perceive that they are treated any differently than other customers, I will immediately take my business elsewhere. Sometimes I get discriminatory treatment myself just because I'm traveling with someone who the staff thinks is "too dark" or "poor". It's a heartbreaking situation and it also exists in America and worldwide. It seems like some people just feel the need to feel superior to others. I just keep in mind that the "first shall be the last" and shake my head that people can be so judgmental and unkind.

[Manda81]

Goldilocks yes but that's a discrimination of color or stature not nationality... there are plenty of places I can go in Canada and be discriminated for having "expensive" things and being white. But that wasn't the question I dont think.. she had said if I would NOT be accepted in Canada as a Canadian...

I'm not challenging anyone here I'm just trying to understand what is being said so that I can gain some insight on maybe a part of the culture I don't know about (which is probably plenty of things) but I'm confused to why we are talking in code here.. Can someone just lay it out so that we're not dancing around trying to figure out what is meant by whom? Maybe then for those of us that are genuinely interested in a different point of view can understand that point of view. And those of us that disagree with it can properly debate it and this isn't just for Sweet Dawta but for everyone because this whole thread seems to be elusive. I personally and will only speak for myself enjoy the diversity of opinion here because we have native Jamaicans living abroad we have native Americans and Canadians living in Jamaica, we have veteran tourists some that stay in tourist populated areas and some that stay away from those areas which create a great foundation for opinions on topics such as.. whatever it is we are trying to discuss here.

With the risk of making myself sound like an air-head would someone please just tell me what we are talking about lol

[brasi]

I am confused. Very much so.

[Sweet_Dawta]

Sweet_Dawta: "LOL..nothing in Jamaica is or what it seems"

The water is not as blue as it seems? The land is not as green as it seems? the food is not as delicious as it seems? the poverty is not as crushing as it seems? the crime is not as destructive as it seems? the lovely people aren't as they seem? the wicked people aren't as they seem? Racism is not as it seems? (both tourist and resident)
Jamaica, Everything is Everything!
Alluding to something, but then not saying why you say it, is not informative or helpful to anyone.

I am truely sorry. I aplogize and take the comment back. I was wrong, it should not have been said. Please accept my apologies. Good day!

[Sweet_Dawta]

Manda there is discrimination as to NATIONALITY. Some places are known NOT to be local friendly where locals are hassled even on PUBLIC beach. My hubby was allowed to walk on to a property where I was stopped and told NO!

[Manda81]

Manda there is discrimination as to NATIONALITY. Some places are known NOT to be local friendly where locals are hassled even on PUBLIC beach. My hubby was allowed to walk on to a property where I was stopped and told NO!

Okay now were are getting somewhere .. Why are there "tourist" only areas even in a so called Public area? Do you have an ideas on why you might have been subjected to this sort of discrimination?

[Rambo]

Now I've read this whole thing twice, I must be "thicker" than I thought, my wife was right.........

I still dont understand, where is the coldest beer??

[Accompong]

Anyone who has lived in or extensively traveled around Jamaica knows about discrimination of many types that occur all the time there. From a "tribal" societies in mother Africa to the "garrison" politics, Jamaica is fractured along many fault lines. Be it PNP vs JLP or Waterhouse vs Seaview etc. the fractures only multiply and get wider from there.

"Blakkas", "Brownings" bleaching etc., color along with the socio-economic level (ghetto vs "uptown": "country" vs "town") all give further reasons to discrimate.

The problems have no real world solutions expecially from a tourist standpoint. We can only witness and comment on what we see but that is only the tip of the iceberg of what is really happening. I was married to a Jamaican woman and lived in what is called "ghetto" (Seaview Gardens) so I had a chance to live it and get a little better perspective of the problem but have never understood exactly why Jamaicans seemed to want to hold their boots to someones neck in their dealings with each other.

They say not to discuss religion or politics....well I can certainly understand that logic after living in both PNP and JLP areas. I would think that discrimination is also difficult to discuss. It is hard to have a productive discussion when so many points of view are biased towards being the discriminated one or siding with the discriminators.

A friend said, "One trip to Jamaica will open your eyes and too many trips will shut them"

Peace and Guidance