Dear Editor,

The greatest lie ever foisted on the people of Jamaica is our national motto: “Out Of Many, One People”.

Far from being a society promoting opportunity for all and a unity of purpose, we are a society plagued by division and an “every man for himself mentality”.

Our tribal politics is the most glaring of our many divisions. We are led by two squabbling political tribes, clothed in green and orange, fighting over scarce spoils with guns blazing in their squalid garrisons. We don’t pay allegiance to the black, green and gold, but to JLP and PNP.

As poverty stalks our land, our wealth is now concentrated in fewer hands. A United Nations Human Development Report of 1996 indicated that the wealthiest 20 per cent of Jamaicans controlled 43.9 per cent of the wealth. The poorest 60 per cent controlled a mere 34.3 per cent.

Opportunities for the poor and middle class are shrinking yearly. If there are fences between rich and poor, there are walls dividing educational quality. The wealthy have easy access into the so-called traditional high schools and tertiary institutions locally and internationally. The majority of children often attend overcrowded schools of lesser quality with teachers working under tremendous stress. Very few of these poor children get an opportunity for higher education . A recent report indicates that some 40,000 graduates will not be able to find suitable employment and upward mobility.

Although we are supposedly a colour-blind society, too many of our children believe that their black skin is a disadvantage in our society. How else can we explain why so many are now bleaching themselves, believing that a lighter colour will give them an opportunity to obtain a good job or help them climb the social ladder? Our motto declaring us a unified nation is a farce.

R Oscar Lofters

lofters1@aol.com