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Gunshots, indiscipline, lewd sexual behaviour, non-stop partying, and rebelliousness. Is this going to take Jamaica to developed status in less than five years time? 

Is a generation fed on TikTok, KFC, and paid parties the best hope for Jamaica’s future?

Last week saw the dire consequences of carnival taking over the city. Party promotors only concerned about raking in money at the expense of safety.

The JCF ceded law and order at events to party promoters, and no doubt that was due to a fist full of dollars.

Then there are those that shout “but carnival brings in J$10 billion into the economy and boosts the tourism product!”

At what cost?

How easy can a parent sleep knowing their children are at one of these carnival parties where the likelihood of getting shot is a real possibility?

Young people want to express their independence, and if you tell them its better to stay home and express fear for their safety, parents are dismissed as being old and stuffy.

But in Jamaica, getting shot at one of these parties as an innocent bystander is a reality.

Last week we saw a lack of organisation, terrible security measures and inadequate medical facilities in case people got injured or hurt. This is not a good advertisement for Jamaica; all it does is showcase all its shortcomings.

How can high-powered guns be allowed into carnival parties and people allowed to discharge them, putting patrons’ lives in danger?

Carnival is hazardous to the welfare of Jamaican citizens and should take place in a secluded location monitored vigilantly by the police.

Money shouldn’t determine everything, and the government needs to rectify this situation or it could get even more calamitous.

The stadium in Trelawny is a white elephant. It should be put to use to hiost carnival. Economic activity can flow to that part of the country, and vendors there would appreciate it. If you want to fete so badly, then go to Trelawny.

This would prevent vehicular traffic chaos in the city, and young children would not be exposed to people’s sexual gyrations.

Lewdness, violence, and badness should not define Jamaican culture, but that is what is on show with carnival in its present form, and it is allowed to take over and disrupt the entire capital. 

Given the above proclivities, it should be kept somewhere where its fetidness can be contained and not infect impressionable minds.

Attorney Francesca Tavares  wrote a very good article on the matter entitled, “ The Road to Nowhere: When ‘Carnival spirit’ trumps civic rights.” It is a must-read and the government should pay attention to what she has to say. Yes, people can wear their tail-feathered costumes and play, but why not do so in a controlled environment in a place that doesn’t disrupt the city?

Is carnival now a part of national policy? Will we soon declare a national holiday to celebrate it? 

A good idea would be to hold it at the National Stadium and charge the promoters more money, so that the Government gets a bigger slice. The National Stadium could be sectioned off for the respective bands, and the JCF should be paid to provide security, ensuring no one enters with firearms. Don’t leave security in the hands of the promoters.

 If anything were to go awry, you can lock down the area rather than the entire city-it’s called containment. That way, there would be no boom bye-bye in anyone’s head.