Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

[Derek]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peasie</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As for Mr. Leondardt all I can say is, when I visit Argentina I plan to write my own observations about the country in broad generalizations and without any research.
</div></div>

Something like, Argentina is full of the descendants of ex-Nazis who escaped from Germany at the end of WWII; all they eat is bully beef and want to fight Britain for the Falklands Islands?

[Yuriatin]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

Article is only days old ...

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Soapbox: Vacation to Jamaica turns out to be a real eye-opener
<span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-weight: bold">Thursday, January 26, 2012 10:29 am</span></span>

Soapbox: Vacation to Jamaica turns out to be a real eye-opener By Fernando Leonhardt The Herald Journal

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TreyJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So when was this written. The 1960s, perhaps 70s? Billboards with white leaders - certainly this can't be a current piece. </div></div>

[Yuriatin]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

<span style="font-style: italic">Outspoken posted at 7:53 am on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Outspoken Posts: 2

I am totally flabbergasted by this article. I honestly do not know which Jamaica Fernando visited but I know it is not my beloved country.
I am going to be nice and respond to Mr. Leonhardt's article point by point:

1. Poverty, underdevelopment &amp; injustice - This is something that is experienced in all countries, developed or not. I'm presuming that like most 'white' tourists, he visited some way out village and decided to paint the whole country as a poverty stricken bunch... nothing my dear Sir could be further from the truth. I invite you to revisit Jamaica and take a trip into parishes such as Manchester and St. Elizabeth, Kingston &amp; St. Andrew, in fact any parish and that myth will be totally dispelled... I'm not for one minute saying that poverty and underdevelopment doesn't exist but your picture is completely flawed!!!!!!

2. The primary sources of income are few... Again, where did you visit???? Jamaicans are one of the most creative and resourceful people in the world. Innovation is our hallmark. We pride ourselves on being the best at anything we do be it good or bad. Our industries are numerous, Manufacturing, Production, Creative Industries, Music, Sports, Education, Film etc.,

3. What is a 'sugar cane harvest'?

4. Education is one of the most thriving industries in Jamaica. We currently boast four Universities including one of the largest in the English-speaking Caribbean the University of the West Indies. Our high school students attain scholarships due to consistently high educational performances to Universities in as far as the Middle East. Annually, our students top international competitions. Our corporate and government institutions hand out hundreds of scholarships to primary/prep school students annually again because of outstanding performance... check your facts!

5. The Queen hasn't visited Jamaica in ages... where is her mansion, cuz I'd love to know!

Mr. Leonhardt I'm suggesting to you that you did not visit Jamaica and if you did, you did not make any serious attempt to really know Jamaica. If you did, this garbage which looks like it was written over 200 years ago would not have been your true experience!

</span>

[Yuriatin]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

<span style="font-style: italic">
Philibuster posted at 12:40 pm on Tue, Jan 31, 2012.
Philibuster Posts: 1

I say 'WOW' as well to this article. The first paragraph is indicative of the opinion shared by over 1 million visitors to Jamaica annually. Beyond that, I believe this writer needs to get his facts straight. Yes, there's poverty, injustice and under-development,as it also exists in even developed countries (more so than we wish to accept). However, the 'broad strokes' - generalization in the writer's opinions seem to indicate a lack of exposure to the real Jamaica. It's a fact- not all Jamaicans smoke weed. I experimented in in my early years at UWI (as do many college students in most countries). Jamaicans are among the most progressive people you'll find anywhere in the world and at home most are the hard working, industrious people you'll find. Yes, the economy depends heavily on the tourist industry for generating income and many work in the industry to feed their families. Jamaica is an Indeppendent nation and NO the queen doesn't 'visit' every year (unless she is vacationing there). Education is a priority for most families and is seen as a means to an end. Opportunity does not always allow for advancement and many seek this advancement in foreign countries and do very well. This said, a wealth of talent in every phase on life- business, industry, medicine, education, the arts &amp; culture) to name a few, remian home to help develop our nation. The Jamaica I have known all my life doesn't resemble the picture painted by the writer and those who are knowledgeable (beyond a perfunctory visit) will see the nonsense in this article. Maybe this person's intent is to solicit other more knowledgeable persons to comment. Jamaicans love to excell at what we do, rarely accepting the average as the status quo. So kudos to all who recognize this and call a 'spade a spade'.
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[Yuriatin]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

I really enjoyed some of the comments ...

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<span style="font-style: italic">Educated in Jamaica posted at 9:32 am on Wed, Feb 1, 2012.
Educated in Jamaica Posts: 1

Mr. Leonhardt, please take some time to review the following letter I wrote to the editor regarding your opinion article.

I would also like to encourage those reading and posting here to send a reply to the editors. Some of these writers get recognition by the amount of traffic their article directs to a site. If this is the case here we'd be rewarding this writer for his carelessness. Let your voice be heard. Write to the editor.

To: Mr. Charles McCollum,

Managing Editor

The Herald Journal


February 1, 2011


Good day, Sir:


This letter is in response to the opinion editorial entitled, 'Soapbox: Vacation to Jamaica turns out to be a real eye-opener,' published on January 26, 2012. This article was written by Fernando Leonhardt.

In my opinion, editors of The Herald Journal failed to ensure integrity by allowing this article to print without a fact check. The article is riddled with so many inaccuracies I find it difficult to pick a starting point in addressing the issue. I cannot even give the author credit for the one or two factual statements used since he placed them within a context that rendered them false.

Please allow me to inform your editing staff that there is no such thing as a Queen's mansion in Jamaica. Also, if one were to review the footage of the recent elections held this past December in Jamaica, it would be clear that Jamaica is governed by a representation of peoples found on the island. The current Prime Minister is a woman of African descent. This is not her first time being elected for this office, either. May I suggest the editing team responsible conduct due diligence to correct such an egregious error in journalism.

Your writer presented his opinions as facts, and everyone in the publication process of said writing failed to do their homework before giving it the green light. This is what happens when narrow minded people purport to educate the rest of us. I think this visitor, if indeed he visited, joined up with some members of the Jamaican subculture and generalized his experiences to the entire island. I kept reading the refrain I hear from many non-Jamaicans: all Jamaicans smoke/ sell weed. If this writer truly experienced Jamaica, he would have realized that ganja smoking is actually the subculture, much like heroin, crack, etc.

I wonder how the author failed to notice the hundreds of students heading to and from school by foot and/or automobiles if he truly left the beachfront where it seemed he spent his vacation enjoying the 'sensation' of marijuana smoking. I won't even address the education misinformation presented in this article. I would, instead, ask the editors and the author to explain the many Jamaican- educated teachers, nurses, philosophers, medical doctors, and other professionals serving both within and outside of Jamaica.


While I understand that an opinion piece is meant to be an expression of one's perception regarding a particular topic, I think a responsible journalist has the responsibility to ensure that his opinions are based on facts. Should the journalist fail to do so, the editing team also has the responsibility of conducting a final fact check before submitting to print.


I feel this article was slanderous to the Jamaican people. The author used obviously false statements to characterize a nation of people as poverty-stricken, uneducated, marijuana- selling, slaves who are governed by a minority of white inhabitants. I would not be writing to you if these were simply his opinions. The problem I have with the article is that the 'facts' used to support these opinions are miles short of the truth.


I believe The Herald Journal owes it to the Jamaican people to check these facts and address its readers regarding this topic.


yours truly,

Etc.
</span>

[X]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Derek</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Xavier</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I saw many election campaign billboards with only white faces on them! A tiny minority of whites govern the black majority. </div></div>


Do you agree with the guy on these two points? </div></div>


having just scanned this, so far I find his article way too simplistic..somewhat bigoted and myopicly condesending

I'm currently in Jamaica and find the country in general to be very RICH.. in the essence of life..not materialist things(and even that may be argued, unno see the big crissa dem Jamaicans driving??).

While there is much Jamaicans take for granted,I find the happiest people here are those who are not wrapped up in needing things of this world.

Schools are VERY visable and you can not drive anywhere in Jamaica in the week without noticing the hundreds of students in their colourfull uniforms..


I see people in north america (for example) earning 5/10/20 times some individuals here, yet that person lives in a cold basement so dirty you'd catch a disease touching the carpet.. yet the person here in Jamaicalives in a small CLEAN home and is healthy and happy..


As for the leaders..
uncany.. I snapped this photo earlier this week in May Pen

T

[RichD]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

is mike henry a white man?

[kia027]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

Im kinda red

[RichD]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

it seem as him get older him get lighter

[X]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">is mike henry a white man? </div></div>

obvioulsy the &quot;author&quot; would consider him one of the &quot;white leaders&quot;of Jamaica..since he (the) author had precoceptions of Jamaica formed by his own upbringing and culture and may have missed our motto &quot;Out Of Many, ONE People&quot;

[Derek]

Re: Vacation to Ja turns out to be a real eye-opener

impunkster posted at 10:54 am on Thu, Feb 2, 2012.
Posts: 1
I'm also a native of Argentina and feel like Mr. Leonhardt now has given us a bad name. I've met him and he usually carries himself with a sense of arrogance so I wasn't too surprised at his comments. However, speaking about a country that you know so little about with such certainty is definitely ignorant. I apologize to anyone from Jamaica that may have been offended by his words, but trust me, they are his words only. I wish he would at least not say where he is from and stop giving the rest of us such a bad name. It's ironic that someone so concerned about &quot;injustices&quot; lives such a lavish lifestyle. I also found it funny that he was so certain about the selling of marijuana, I wonder if he was talking about it having experienced it himself while visiting? I hope the Herald Journal won't publish his opinion letters anymore because quite honestly it's making the rest of us Argentinos look like a bunch of arrogant idiots. Peace.