Dear Editor,
As I reflect on our national discourse, our heroes, and what is a heroic action, maybe it is time to speak a courageous truth to a nation that may not want to hear it.

We must not shrink from problems. So it is with some amount of trepidation that I say now that I am struck by the glaring hypocrisy that pervades our attitudes on several critical issues, and it is time for us to confront these inconsistencies and define who we truly are as a nation.

Firstly, there’s the issue of reproductive rights. Many Jamaicans enthusiastically support, US Democratic nominee for president, Vice-President Kamala Harris’ s campaign message on reproductive rights abroad yet shy away from advocating for similar rights locally.

They know that reproductive rights is often a euphemism for abortion and infanticide, which our deeply religious community would not accept. This duplicity is staggering. I ask how many of these advocates can go to their rural aunts and uncles with such concepts? Which of them can go to their old Christian grandma who is all about that “old time religion” with that sort of rot. It cannot obtain.

Secondly, some Jamaicans demand open borders and lax immigration policies in the US, seeking to benefit from illegal entry or facilitate family and friends’ migration. However, when Haitians cross our borders we become frantic, demanding their swift removal. This hypocrisy is appalling.

Could you blame some Americans for not wanting undocumented and illegal immigrants there? No! Yet we complain about former US President Donald Trump’s wall and bemoan brain drain! Madness! Non-sequitor.

Thirdly, many Jamaicans reject homosexuality and same-sex marriage, insisting Jamaica must not emulate America. Yet these same individuals eagerly seek US visas or green cards, willing to relocate to a country where LGBTQ+ rights are enshrined. They wait humbly in long lines at the US Embassy without a murmur, spending thousands for the opportunity to feel like “somebody” in America. But here I was thinking Jamaica was paradise. Isn’t that what most people say and isn’t that what we sell on postcards? Oh the folly!

Are we a schizophrenic nation plagued by bipolar tendencies? We must confront these contradictions and define our values. It’s time to:
1) acknowledge the disconnect between our words and actions
2) engage in honest, nuanced discussions
3) align our principles with our practices
We owe it to ourselves, our children, and future generations to resolve these inconsistencies. Only then can we forge a cohesive national identity built on authenticity and integrity.

Yannick Nesta Pessoa
yannickpessoa@yahoo.com