Using social media the wrong way

Nowadays it seems like if it's not bringing down people, assassinating someone's character or rejoicing in someone's misfortune, nobody cares.

When you look pon all media platforms, especially social media that has given a licence to some people who no have no business pon it because dem phone smarter than dem, and just the negativity that sells and is promoted, it's appalling. Everybody chat people or pass remarks or say something ... nutten no wrong. Everybody have smaddy weh dem no like and won't have the best things to say, but yuh have some sepulchre-mouth people who just run in on others because they can hide behind the veil of social media anonymity. What's hilarious is the same people weh 'bring down' and class others, fi dem skeleton dem inna di closet a rattle hard and all a keep dance!

So many minor things have gone viral, yet mi did a watch fi see if this whole Trinidadian debacle a go go viral. God bless the few people weh a talk bout it, the implications and possible solutions. Many have turned a blind eye and finger to the matter because anno nutten weh hype. Though is it discriminatory, it no ketch di fancy of the masses an' deh pon everybody lips! The treatment being meted out to some Jamaicans who visit Trinidad is one that erks mi soul because, based on what I have ascertained, it is unwarranted in may cases. It has gone past 'di likkle man' to even include lawyers and clergymen. It says to me that Trinidad's immigration system has a problem with Jamaicans and mi woulda like know why.

Being a part of CARICOM and party to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, there are certain principles that apply to all members, and chief among those is freedom of movement. Yuh cyaa tell me seh mi come a your country with all my documents in order, mi have mi money, I'm not a security risk, I'm abiding by all your laws and yuh just put mi back pon a plane and send mi home goodly because you're having a bad day??! Yet, when Trinis come to Jamaica, we greet dem with our warm 'Jamrock' welcome! Mi don't even want mi mind fi stretch fi think seh all Trinis no like Jamaicans, because mi know people from Trinidad and dem good. However, when Jamaican nationals are being sent home in droves and seemingly without any plausible cause, it a badda mi and it fi a bother all a we!

BOYCOTT

Mi hear nuff people a talk seh we fi boycott dem products and treat dem di same way dem treat we when we go deh, but God know mi don't even want go down dem road deh 'cause it naa go pretty. Many of their products sold here provide employment for many Jamaicans, so if we stop eat dem tings a nuff people a go lose dem work. At the same time, though, this should give us as a country, the impetus to produce and have we own tings so that we are not beholden to anybody who a disrespect we and treat us like we're undesirables.

Everywhere inna di worl have good and bad people. Trinidad of all places can attest to this with its high crime rate and other issues. Some style a crime weh mi hear gwaan ova deh mek Jamaica look like baby! It is unfair to use a broad brush to classify all Jamaicans as 'troublemaker'. Deal with people based on meritocracy and not with personal feelings and prejudice. Many people think it's only the 'ordinary man' that is facing this discrimination, but even our 'top-a-top' a face the judgement. So it mean seh a di whole a we dem 'lump up'. This haffi stop! The amount a Trini soca party weh keep weh day and di number of Jamaicans weh ram dem up was crazy! It was like a Trini invasion! Everybody a go have dem bias, however, it should never come to bear on what is fair, just and professional. When yuh send home back di people dem, who a go give dem back dem plane fare? Is a whole heap a ting!

Essentially, a dem ting yah we need fi spread to and mek it go viral so we can bring awareness and, hopefully, change to this very unfortunate state of affairs. Media is not only fi bring down and class but to edify and impact positive change. This undercurrent has been going on with Trinidad for a while and it seems like it is getting worse. If we have to employ stringent measures to send a message that we will not tolerate our nationals being ill-treated and disrespected, we will have to do that.