Dear Editor,

As the next general election approaches, Jamaica stands at a critical juncture. This is no time for political games, passive hope, or wishful thinking. This is a moment that calls for patriotism, clarity, and above all, decisive action.

For far too long many Jamaicans have seen emigration as the escape plan. When things get hard, we “run off” to America, Canada, or the UK, but take a good look around, those doors are slowly closing. Nations are clamping down on immigration. International student caps are tightening, the so-called “land of opportunity” is becoming harder and harder to access. This is not just opinion, it is a fact.

It is also a fact that we can have better lives right here, we just have to start creating them. That means looking for solutions, not just pointing out problems. It means choosing to build, not just complain. Jamaicans don’t need to settle for third-class status abroad when we have the talent, culture, and strength to thrive in our own land.

So the real question this election isn’t just: Who is running? It’s: Who is building, and who is destroying?

The People’s National Party(PNP), in my opinion, has a long, damaging legacy of economic collapse, high unemployment, broken systems, and wasted potential. Its record is public and painful. It has governed in arrogance, mismanaged the economy, and now they come again, still without vision, still without substance, just vibes, gimmicks, and empty outrage.

Compare this to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), who, despite facing global challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, has consistently delivered results. From building the transformative Morant Bay Urban Centre and upgrading infrastructure across the island to reducing unemployment, digitising government services, investing in youth training, improving schools, strengthening national security, and maintaining economic stability, the JLP has proven its commitment to development and progress.

Not perfection but progress, not fantasy but results. Will we stay the course with a Government that has proven itself in crisis and recovery? Or will we hand the country back to a party that has done more to break us than build us?

A word to young and first-time voters: This is your Jamaica too. If you have never voted, this is your moment. You do not have to inherit the mess older generations tolerated. You have the power to shape a better future, but that power only works if you show up. Don’t let others choose your destiny; vote with pride and vote with purpose.

This is the most consequential election of our lifetime, we are not just voting for a party, we are voting for the future of Jamaica.

‘Mek wi stop tear dung wi own yard fi go serve table a foreign. Time fi build up wi own, time fi stand firm and choose sense over noise!’

Election draweth nigh, choose Jamaica.

Chenae Lord

chenae.lord@yahoo.com