Dear Editor,

Cemeteries have been around since time immemorial. Our cemeteries serve varied purposes, including being a final resting place or burial area for the dead. In addition, cemeteries yield significant information about our society’s social, religious, artistic, and cultural heritage. Our cemeteries also serve as outdoor museums and monuments to the past. Additionally, our cemeteries can provide many exciting career opportunities; careers in archaeology, specifically bio-archaeology should be explored by our students.

The May Pen Cemetery in Kingston is one of the oldest public cemeteries in the English-speaking Caribbean.However, over the years, under successive governments, the May Pen Cemetery continues to be in a state of disrepair.

In recent times, the chapel and other parts of the cemetery have become a haven for many homeless individuals. An entire generation of Jamaicans do not appreciate and respect the space of the dead. It’s not unusual to see young children playing on or even eating on graves. Obviously, we need to be reminded that cemeteries represent sacred spaces in any society and as such our children must be socialised to observe this sacredness.

The continued deplorable state of the May Pen Cemetery does not augur well for us a society. The constant eyesore of the May Pen Cemetery serves only to reinforce the economic divide that is present in the society. While it can be argued that the rich in the society no longer bury their dead in the May Pen Cemetery, many notable Jamaicans are interred there.

Let’s us commit to restoring May Pen Cemetery. Maybe the powers that be should include the May Pen Cemetery among the major projects this Labour Day. We all have a collective responsibility in ensuring that the May Pen Cemetery is restored to a burial site of dignity.

Wayne Campbell

waykam@yahoo.com

www.wayaine.blogspot.com