I have a confession to make. We haven’t even gone half the journey to election day and I am worn out with propaganda. If so many people know what the nation needs, and who is going to get it for us, why don’t they just wrap it up in a parcel and send it to us by special delivery?

That aside, no one could say democracy is dead in JA. We were more than “full free” on Nomination Day, as roadways were jammed with people eager to demonstrate backative for their candidate.

Women seemed to outnumber men in the areas through which I travelled. At one particular spot, just as we got there, a tide of women swamped the area, singing and dancing. Not much by way of domestic chores could have been taking place at home. The women had “come out to party” more than anything else. I couldn’t help but wonder what they expected to get in return.

One young mother sheltered her baby from the sun with a much-used bath towel, which didn’t seem likely to hold together for much longer, but that didn’t stop the mother’s progress. She yelled and pranced with the best — ready fi dem! There was no evidence of how baby felt, bouncing up and down under the towel.

This election season, communication has not been left to the people alone. Everywhere you turn there are vans and cars plastered with photographs of the candidates whose recorded voices are carrying their messages. One set of workers who cannot complain about “hard times” are the producers of large and costly full-colour billboards mounted up high; no doubt to escape defacement. Female candidates are portrayed well-groomed and accessorised. Even the guys seem to have indulged in some “manscaping”. What will blossom from others, we will have to wait to see.

After the recent tense moments in Montego Bay, we can hope to high heaven that no “big war” gets going before the 25th. We really don’t want to have to sing Tribal war. Without tempting fate, we can say, so far, so good; so let’s continue.

It is a pity that we have had a couple of regrettable incidents which have really scared us. The shooting incidents in St James should not have happened. From here on, we need to maintain serious vigilance for the rest of the journey. We can’t allow gun fever to bring down this battered nation.

If one town, one parish cannot be controlled, what is the hope for the brighter future which the politicians are assuring they will give us? As one headline in this publication reflected on Wednesday: ‘152 nominated as PNP-JLP supporters show each other love’. Good going, but before the ink was dry, on the same page unfortunately, there was another headline: ‘Shooting spoils nomination activities in the west’. A wha do wi so?

As if we didn’t have to bear the heavy load of the shooting incident at Sam Sharpe Square, some “genius” posted it to

NBC news in ‘Merica, billing it as a politically motivated killing. What do we gain from washing that piece of dirty linen abroad and it wasn’t even true? Flashback to the 70s when we would regularly send abroad bad news about ourselves in the delusion that if we put on display the worst about us, the whole nation’s image could be marred and the political tide turned against governance.

We are still a tourism destination, and the industry needs to benefit, not some, but all. How could we be so fool-fool as to believe that we can win by mashing down to build up. It didn’t work in the past, so why would it work now? Wi lick wi head again? Wi crazy or what?

Mad motorcycling

Talking about crazy, are we delusional about how to put the brakes on injuries and fatalities resulting from careless motorcyclists? Despite all the talk about how to do the right thing day after day, some people refuse to listen. The waste of life and property continues. It is unbelievable.

The other evening, on the way home after another trying day, we almost stumbled into an accident. Were it not for divine intervention — yes, I believe there is such — we could have become another statistic. The biker was without helmet, and his pillion rider was also without protection. They were tearing up the upper section of Hope Road when a mechanical defect caused the bike to swerve right into the oncoming traffic.

As the driver of the motorbike struggled to maintain control, it seemed not far from a possible stunt for a killer derby. You could see the fear in the pillion rider’s eyes as she was swept nearer to the centre of the road. The rider was desperately trying to control the bike which seemed to have a plan of its own. Fortunately, after a struggle, things settled down. What if he was unable to regain control? Why were all safety measures not taken for their journey. Are we crazy or what?

Another friend gone

Farewell, very dear friend, ace photographer Ray Chen. He had been battling the illness for some time, but he never stopped recording the best images of his beloved Jamaica, as seen through the lenses of his camera. His latest portrayal of the best of his birthplace and its people, from country to town, will remain an iconic view of this nation which he loved so much.

For one so brilliant, his quiet demeanour, by contrast, was affirmation that humility is the hallmark of the really great. Ray shared his time between Jamaica and Canada. Which did he favour? When I asked him once if he shared his love equally, he said with a sly laugh, “Jamaica a mi number one girl, yuh nuh.”

Who but an artist could capture on film the joy of a pile of freshly pulled Jamaican peppermint candy, which under Ray’s lenses, ended up looking like a pile of precious jewels. Ray leaves with us memories which will not fade; not for a long time at least. I miss him already, and so do his family and members of his business, to whom he was friend and brother.

Barbara Gloudon is a journalist, playwright and commentator. Send comments to the Observer or gloudonb@yahoo.com.