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<span style="font-size: 17pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">First class tourist: Second class citizen</span></span>
Linton Gordon
The tourist resorts in Jamaica have by and large developed into hybrid communities. By this, I mean the resorts are comprised of areas [censored].
Both the Central Government and Local Authority by their conduct acknowledge the existence of these two communities. A tour of Ocho Rios will readily confirm this.
The roads in the tourist areas of Ocho Rios are well kept, clean, orderly and are patrolled by resort security and police officers. Not so in Buckfield, Great Pond, Parry Town, Healthy Hill and Eltham, all communities adjoining Ocho Rios.
Indeed the worst example of the dichotomy is to be found in Old Buckfield which is a stone’s throw from the tourist area and which has some of the worst roads you could ever find in Jamaica.
It is therefore fair to say that successive governments have as a matter of policy, discriminated against Jamaicans in the provision of services. Preference is always given to the tourist centers, the roads used by tourist and the plazas in which tourists shop.
If a tourist suffers the misfortune of being robbed, then there is immediate and, in most cases, frantic efforts on the part of the police to solve the crime and recover whatever goods the tourist lost. This, however, is not usually the case when a local suffers a crime against his property or person.
In the case where a local is robbed, it is treated routinely by the police. The rate of solving crimes against locals, when compared to solving crimes against tourists is dismally low.
It is acknowledged that the tourist product being an important and vital part of our economy must be protected.
However, I believe that no matter what the circumstances are, the citizens of Jamaica are entitled to be treated with dignity, respect and honour and not as second class citizens.
Our rights and entitlements should therefore, be taken into consideration. There are members of the citizenry who have no sense of belonging because they are being constantly treated like second class citizens, in their own country.
The Government tends to under-estimate the intelligence of these persons and that is a grave error.
The vast majority of workers in the tourism industry reside in communities where there is inadequate supply of water or no water supply at all, where the roads are so rough and pothole-[censored] the muddy and pothole-[censored] the taxi taking them to work.
Some have no electricity and some have no streetlights. These workers know [censored] treated as second class citizens in their own country.
Most of the workers in the tourism industry are poorly paid and are poorly treated. They are in a struggle to survive, while those at the top of the ladder in the industry can afford to grand-stand, hobnob and social climb.
It is all one big [censored] only the deceiver.
If the government truly desires to have all citizens supporting tourism then they must [censored] to the tourist.
Linton P. Gordon is a well-established attorney-at-law, with a practice in Ocho Rios and in Kingston. He may be reached at Evelyn Street, Ocho Rios, St Ann or by email at [email protected]
Linton Gordon
The tourist resorts in Jamaica have by and large developed into hybrid communities. By this, I mean the resorts are comprised of areas [censored].
Both the Central Government and Local Authority by their conduct acknowledge the existence of these two communities. A tour of Ocho Rios will readily confirm this.
The roads in the tourist areas of Ocho Rios are well kept, clean, orderly and are patrolled by resort security and police officers. Not so in Buckfield, Great Pond, Parry Town, Healthy Hill and Eltham, all communities adjoining Ocho Rios.
Indeed the worst example of the dichotomy is to be found in Old Buckfield which is a stone’s throw from the tourist area and which has some of the worst roads you could ever find in Jamaica.
It is therefore fair to say that successive governments have as a matter of policy, discriminated against Jamaicans in the provision of services. Preference is always given to the tourist centers, the roads used by tourist and the plazas in which tourists shop.
If a tourist suffers the misfortune of being robbed, then there is immediate and, in most cases, frantic efforts on the part of the police to solve the crime and recover whatever goods the tourist lost. This, however, is not usually the case when a local suffers a crime against his property or person.
In the case where a local is robbed, it is treated routinely by the police. The rate of solving crimes against locals, when compared to solving crimes against tourists is dismally low.
It is acknowledged that the tourist product being an important and vital part of our economy must be protected.
However, I believe that no matter what the circumstances are, the citizens of Jamaica are entitled to be treated with dignity, respect and honour and not as second class citizens.
Our rights and entitlements should therefore, be taken into consideration. There are members of the citizenry who have no sense of belonging because they are being constantly treated like second class citizens, in their own country.
The Government tends to under-estimate the intelligence of these persons and that is a grave error.
The vast majority of workers in the tourism industry reside in communities where there is inadequate supply of water or no water supply at all, where the roads are so rough and pothole-[censored] the muddy and pothole-[censored] the taxi taking them to work.
Some have no electricity and some have no streetlights. These workers know [censored] treated as second class citizens in their own country.
Most of the workers in the tourism industry are poorly paid and are poorly treated. They are in a struggle to survive, while those at the top of the ladder in the industry can afford to grand-stand, hobnob and social climb.
It is all one big [censored] only the deceiver.
If the government truly desires to have all citizens supporting tourism then they must [censored] to the tourist.
Linton P. Gordon is a well-established attorney-at-law, with a practice in Ocho Rios and in Kingston. He may be reached at Evelyn Street, Ocho Rios, St Ann or by email at [email protected]
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